Madison, WI —IDDBA 17 was held June 4-6 at the Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, CA.
With 10,280 attendees from 30 countries, qualified buyers, merchandisers, executives, food manufacturers, brokers, distributors, and other industry professionals gathered to grow the future of their business at IDDBA 17. This sold-out expo consisted of 2,048 booths representing 825 companies. It had an abundance of educational experiences from fresh and trending ideas and new products to presentations from speakers and experts and more opportunities than ever before.
This year’s sessions offered key insights into our business, the economy, the consumer, and current trends. The insightful speaker line-up included Arnold Schwarzenegger, Molly Fletcher, Jim Belushi and The Board of Comedy, Eric Chester, Doug Rauch, Giada De Laurentiis, Eddie Yoon, Jim Donald, Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson, IDDBA Chairman of the Board Jewel Hunt, and IDDBA President and CEO Mike Eardley.
Jewel Hunt presented the Chairman’s Award to Dennis Clark, GVP Marketing & Merchandising Support at Albertsons Companies. This award recognizes distinguished service or contribution to the industry and honors those who have led with vision and dedication.
New to the show this year was Show and Sell Express. This area offered ideas to engage with on-the-go shoppers and creative ideas for merchandising fresh concepts in the convenience store format. It featured a milkshake vending machine and ways to enhance the customer’s convenience store experience.
Expert Neighborhood was also a new added value to the show that gave attendees the opportunity to meet with industry experts and professionals one-on-one. Experts included former CEO’s, company founders and principles, authors, consultants, and FDA employees. They talked with attendees about everything from regulations and menu calorie labeling to innovation and profitability.
The New Product Showcase was a destination for attendees looking for unique and innovative trends all in one place. Exhibitors had the opportunity to personally merchandise in this special display. With 225 shelves of products, attendees got an all-encompassing look at the newest and latest cutting-edge products, packaging, and services.
Show and Sell showcased an interactive marketplace of merchandising ideas, demonstrations, education, and retail concepts designed to energize stores and engage shoppers. Trends and research were depicted through displays using real products from our sponsors. Leading up to the show, teams of dedicated volunteers donated months of their time and talent to create the amazing merchandising concepts displayed throughout Show and Sell.
Show and Sell had everything from demos on charcuterie, cheese, and olives to grocerant-style areas where attendees could order food and have it delivered to their table. There was a 4-foot Lightning McQueen cake with a scene from his movie that evolved over the course of the show. It also featured a cheese pub with different pairings and chefs offering techniques and samples during demonstrations. The Show and Sell Workshop offered live demonstrations of cooking and various techniques by celebrity chefs and Show and Sell teams and interactive presentations by current industry professionals.
The winner of IDDBA’s 22nd Annual Cake Decorating Challenge was Katie Knowles. Second place went to Meghan Rolls and third place went to Kassie Mather.
We’re pleased to help facilitate networking, growth, and opportunity for our IDDBA community. See you all next year, June 10-12 in New Orleans, LA.
About IDDBA: IDDBA is a nonprofit membership organization serving the dairy, deli, bakery, cheese, and supermarket foodservice industries. Member companies enjoy many benefits and services including the annual tradeshow, leading-edge research, training programs, management tools, and an annual trends report. For more information contact IDDBA at 608-310-5000 or visit iddba.org.
Source: International Dairy Deli Bakery Association™ (IDDBA)