Susann Seidemann, iba Director, shares a view of the upcoming trade show from the organizer’s point of view.
In 2025, iba returns after two years – in Düsseldorf, from May 18 to 22, before resuming its regular three-year-schedule in 2027.
Catalina Mihu: For one edition, iba returns to Düsseldorf. What do logistics in a different venue entail?
Susann Seidemann: With Düsseldorf, we have a location where we have already successfully organized iba many times in the past, since 1949, and which the industry is familiar with. Düsseldorf has already proven itself to be a suitable trade fair location for us over the years. We will do everything to ensure a smooth set-up and dismantling process. Of course, the hall planning at the fairground in Düsseldorf is different. Hall sizes and the layout are different. And, as the event is being held in May, this time we are also planning to use outdoor areas.
A different location definitely means new partners in terms of coordination. However, having opened the registration for iba 2025 in October 2023, we have been creating a plannable timescale for logistics. Messe Düsseldorf is very experienced in terms of planning and knows iba. We are working professionally hand in hand to guarantee all participants a successful iba.
Furthermore, exhibitors can benefit from the location in 2025. Düsseldorf is one of the top locations for almost all sectors of the economy in Europe. In the Rhine-Ruhr region, as a central European economic area, exhibitors can meet new target groups. In particular, it is worth mentioning the Bakers’ Guild (Bäckerinnungsverband West) in Düsseldorf, for example. It is the largest regional association in the German bakery trade and represents the interests of 1,000 businesses.
Mihu: How was the date decided in order to fit in a year with a busy agenda of events relevant to the baking industry? In this regard, how are you collaborating with the other shows in 2025?
Seidemann: Because of the pandemic-related postponements of the last few years, the industry calendars are still partly subject to different cycles and timings. As the world’s leading trade fair for the baking and confectionery industry, we have taken some key aspects into account, such as the needs of the industry as well as the original iba cycle. Due to the pandemic-related postponement – when iba 2021 had to be moved to the fall of 2023 – the gap until the next, regular iba date in 2027 proved to be too long for the baking industry. Together with the German Bakers’ Confederation (Zentralverband des Deutschen Bäckerhandwerks e.V.) and in close consultation with the market, we, as the organizer GHM Gesellschaft für Handwerksmessen mbh, have therefore decided to launch iba as a relevant platform for innovations and new international contacts in 2025. The May date was chosen to bring it toward the beginning of the year to support easier planning and to enable all those involved to take part.
After that, iba takes place in 2027 in the autumn at the Munich fairground. And, from 2027 onwards, iba will again be held every three years in the autumn in Munich, returning to the original three-year cycle.
Susann Seidemann, Exhibition Director, iba
Mihu: What changes did the new coordinates bring to the structure of the hall according to themes, exhibitor profiles and other areas of interest (i.e., competitions, presentations, etc.)?
Seidemann: Our goal is to make iba 2025 as successful as ever. Covering more than 98,000 square meters, iba showcases the global diversity of the entire industry. The trade fair offers an exchange of ideas, innovations and trends that only iba can bring together in this size and quality, in a single location.
Of course, the hall planning at the fairground in Düsseldorf, hall sizes and the layout are different. We took over the structures previously used to run successful editions, with four hall themes – production technology, packaging technology, artisan bakery and raw materials. The product range is spread over seven halls, whereby size and layout differ in comparison to Munich. In Düsseldorf, some halls are way bigger, for example.
The product portfolio will be as varied as usual and presented in halls 9-15, clearly structured:
+ Production technology in Halls 9-13,
+ Packaging technology in Hall 9,
+ Artisan bakery in Halls 13 and 14, and
+ Raw materials and ingredients in Hall 15.
Mihu: How are exhibitors and visitors being supported in order to have the best possible experience of their 2025 attendance, relating to both the time and the place?
Seidemann: In 2023, we launched our iba.UNIVERSE platform and connected participants virtually. As a platform, it bundled the extensive content of all participants, from all areas of specialty – and thus also made it easier to prepare for the show visit, with demand and supply brought together. Because the new way of preparing for and following up after the trade fair was used with great interest, we created the new iba platform.
Our aim is to bring all industry participants together, before, during and after the trade fair. Users can register online; their profile will be connected with ticketing and their specific interests. They automatically get personalized market and trade fair news, can network with other participants and use the platform’s features. It will take business to the next level, since it enables networking with the baking industry all year round and staying up to date on innovations.
To prepare for the best experience, details are available online . To fully enjoy all the advantages, you just need to register online, for free. Everyone who wants to prepare for their visit, and has registered before the trade fair, will receive personalized information about the market in advance, such as exhibitor updates and trade fair highlights. It helps visitors who are searching for solutions to find the right partners, products, or exhibitors.
Besides the advantage of personalized news, the iba platform makes it easier to organize the visit by supporting scheduling. Functions such as contacting and networking features increase the effectiveness during the visit.
After the trade fair, the exhibitors can stay in contact with visitors via the iba platform, too. They can strengthen customer loyalty and increase their reach through automated campaigns and follow-ups.
Altogether, the platform connects the baking sector and the players before, during and after the trade fair. And, our ticket shop is live: visitors and exhibitors can now get their tickets online, after registering for free on the iba platform.
To ensure that all participants are optimally prepared, iba recommends that visitors from countries outside the EU apply early enough for their visa to enter Germany. To enable a smooth stay at the trade fair, we also advise visitors to book their accommodation early in advance. For this purpose, iba has its own trade fair partners whose hotel booking platforms offer individual or group bookings. The iba platform also offers further details on traveling to the trade fair and staying in the city.
Hall 15 in 2025: the iba.FOOD TRENDS AREA. Exhibitors will present food trends from raw materials to innovative machines for producing coffee, chocolate and more.”
Susann Seidemann, Exhibition Director, iba
Mihu: What new events or concepts are being introduced in 2025? If there are features organized only for this edition, please highlight them.
Seidemann: We are enthusiastic about the iba platform. Next to the new platform, two other brand-new highlights will be premiered on-site at iba 2025. Firstly, a completely new concept spans the entire Hall 15 in 2025: the iba.FOOD TRENDS AREA. Exhibitors will present food trends from raw materials to innovative machines for producing coffee, chocolate and more. The aim is to take a holistic approach to food trends. And an additional novelty: the former iba.SPEAKERS AREA turns into the new iba.STAGE. It is part of the iba.FOOD TRENDS AREA. At the iba.STAGE, trade fair participants can listen to presentations on food trends in the mornings. In the afternoons, experts will give talks on all other focus topics. For socializing and boosting your business, the networking niches and a coffee bar will be set up there.
Secondly, a completely new competition promises to be another magnet for visitors. iba is known for its numerous global competitions, such as ‘The iba.UIBC.Cup of Bakers’ and ‘The iba.UIBC.Cup of Confectioners’. This year, a brand-new event joins the line-up: the ‘World Championship of Bread Sommeliers’ will take place for the first time at iba. This new competition will probably become an additional highlight. The world championship is organized by the National Bakers Academy in Weinheim (Akademie Deutsches Bäckerhandwerk Weinheim) in Germany, which offers a national and an international course to become a ‘Certified Bread Sommelier’. Bread sommeliers have a special intuition for good bread and know how to pair bread with foods, drinks, spices and flavors.
Mihu: What are the most important iba.TOPICS, when considering the categories that you have divided the trends into?
Seidemann: The focus topics reflect the industry’s key trends. iba focuses on topics that show the diversity of the global baking sector: food trends, artisan bakery, digitalization, complete solutions in food production processes, quality management, sustainability and health.
Three topics among them are in the spotlight at iba 2025 and are the most important: artisan bakery, digitalization and food trends. The first one, artisan bakery, encompasses traditional and modern bakery, training and culture.
Digitalization focuses on the digital transformation of existing processes, automation solutions, online sales, data analysis and more. iba presents new methods for the baking sector: from process optimization and automation using artificial intelligence to increasing customer loyalty, for example, by means of new payment tools, distribution methods, or communication channels.
The food trends topic illustrates the development of food culture, new trends in the global baking industry landscape, and possibilities with alternative ingredients.
By way of interviews after the trade fair, we established that these are the most important topics for visitors and exhibitors. Together, they form the central theme of the event: they can be found on-site in the stage program, as part of lectures, in exhibitor product presentations, or also in special areas such as the iba.DIGITALISATION AREA and the iba.FOOD TRENDS AREA.
Mihu: And from returning and popular features, what updates should visitors be aware of now in January?
Seidemann: We have many program highlights and highly recommend allocating enough time to benefit from the top events.
The iba.FORUM is all about artisan bakery: lectures, award ceremonies and competitions will take place in Hall 14, A21 all day long.
On the opening day, on May 18, the award ceremony for the ‘Award of the Honorary Prize of the German Bakery Trade’ will take place at 11 a.m. in the iba.FORUM. On the same day, the iba.UIBC CUP OF BAKERS starts, with the motto ‘Art’; here, the best bakers in the team conjure up edible masterpieces under time pressure. The award ceremony will be held on May 19.
Further ceremonies will include the iba.AWARD, the iba.TROPHY, the iba.UIBC.Cup of confectioners will take place on May 21 and 22 and The German Championship of Master Bakers is scheduled for May 20. Time schedules of ceremonies will follow soon.
At the iba.ACADEMY, visitors can take part in seminars and learn how to make the traditional German pretzel. Participants will earn a certificate at the end. Early registration is recommended with tickets for the seminars available on the iba website.
At the iba.START UP AREA, national and international start-ups will pitch their innovations. The iba.START UP AWARD will be presented there on May 21, 2025, at 3:30 p.m.
The iba.DIGITALISATION AREA shows the bakery of the future: here visitors can touch digitalization and test new possibilities.
The iba.CONFECTIONARY TEC AREA, in cooperation with the College of the German Confectionery Industry (Zentralfachschule der Deutschen Süßwarenwirtschaft e.V.), will showcase new technical solutions, including concepts that enhance products for sale, such as toppings for baked goods.
Free trade fair tours will also be offered on-site. The guided iba.TOURS for small or medium-sized companies are inspiring. On the tours through the halls, participants can get to know iba, its focal themes and selected exhibitors.
Additionally, visits to bakeries in and around the city of Düsseldorf will give visitors exclusive insights into German businesses. The bakery visits are offered by the regional guild association (Bäckerinnungsverband WEST) and are free of charge for the visitor groups. Either a company advisor from the regional guild association or the company owner will accompany the group. Early booking is essential – visitors can apply via the contact sheet on the iba website.
Mihu: What does the ‘Baking New Ways’ motto translate into, in the show’s organization?
Seidemann: iba’s cross-media campaign ‘Baking New Ways’ presents various players, inspiring stories and innovative concepts from the industry as well as highlights from the world’s leading trade fair. The focus is on one core message: iba is a driving force in the international industry and unites with all market players to constantly reinvent itself and make progress possible.
This makes the event a guarantee for innovative and sustainable solutions. This journey to innovation can be followed throughout the year in the cross-media campaign – in its social media channels, in YouTube stories of stakeholders and on the website.
We hope all of this builds your anticipation as you prepare for your visit; we are very much looking forward to welcoming you at iba 2025 in Düsseldorf!
