Why IBIE 2025 was the pinnacle of my pastry career

AMIE SMITH AND MARISSA VELIE, RETAIL BAKERS OF AMERICA

The International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE), is the largest trade show in the western hemisphere. Held once every 3 years at the Las Vegas Convention Center, IBIE is a mecca for purchasing equipment, networking, education, trends, and more. Walking into the show floor is equivalent to DIYers going into Home Depot. It’s like being a kid in a candy shop.

The show is enormous, it goes on for what feels like miles. Since my first trip out to Vegas to attend, I have never missed an IBIE show cycle. I travel to many food shows and conferences all over the country and IBIE is one I will always prioritize due to the high value, the incredible people and events, and the ease of access. I’ve been recommending attendance to others since that first trip.

In 2019, I took a class from renowned cake artist, Bronwen Weber. A simple request to teach at AMIE Academie turned into building a friendship and her nominating me to be considered for the board of directors of the Retail Bakers of America. Now serving as its President, it also became an opportunity to serve to the IBIE committee that plans the show. Talk about coming full circle.

Going from an industry newbie—someone who attended this show and only dreamed of one day opening my own bakery—to being on the RBA board and helping to organize this event has been somewhat surreal.

With so much ground to cover and boundless opportunities to do more and more, it’s a struggle to prioritize and decide where to focus when you have an urge to do everything! As the saying goes, “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,” and that’s how I view where things are today—many steps that are a culmination of all those efforts.

This cycle, IBIE 2025 was undoubtedly the most special for me personally. Attending this show as a bakery owner, RBA president, presenter at the Business of Baking seminar, mentor to a student in the Student Immersion program, member recruiter at our RBA booth, and IBIE committee member made me experience and see everything with different perspective and an even stronger appreciation and dedication to our industry.

Business of Baking

As part of IBIEducate, the RBA offers a day-long Business of Baking (BOB) seminar the day before IBIE officially opened. With record attendance for BOB, me and my cohorts presented various aspects of what it takes to own and run a bakery business, sharing our experiences and answering questions. It was encouraging to see so many taking the brave leap into this business—whether opening a first location or expanding or cottage bakers going to brick-and-mortar. Retail bakeries are the fastest growing segment in the industry and with this upward trend, the opportunities are boundless. It is reaffirming and invigorating to know future generations will be served by local bakeries.

This year Jill, our business operations and marcom specialist, aka my right-hand, attended with me. It was her first time attending an industry trade show and visiting Las Vegas. There’s such value in seeing plans on paper come to life. She has been an integral part in making the bakery a well-oiled machine. It was a pleasure to observe her on the show floor and see her take it all in and capture so much of our trip for Instagram and YouTube. It’s Jill’s sixth year at the bakery and she works tirelessly behind the scenes doing all our content creation. It was also a chance for me to treat her to a couple of shows and nice dinners.

Coming Full Circle

In pastry school I was nicknamed Nerd Club President. A self-described overachiever, I was always a diligent student taking on heavy course loads, double majoring in college, and being a natural mentor to others. My thirst to learn is never quenched. My insatiable curiosity and passion all things baking—and educating others—has come full circle. Just over a decade ago I attended IBIE not knowing a soul. I didn’t have a bakery. I just seized the opportunity to attend a show that wouldn’t be happening again for another three years. I felt like a fish out of water but immersed in industry-everything, absorbing as much as I could in preparation for the future bakery I knew I would eventually own. It’s fun to reflect how far I’ve come and contrast this year’s experience to my first show. It was energizing to be an integral part of the show, the industry, and networking with countless new and old contacts. I’m already excited for IBIE 2028—and the plans are already underway to prepare for the next cycle. See you there!