Retail Bakers of America -- ABE2008

$30 attendee registration fee includes three-day admission to the show as well as free educational seminars and celebrity demonstrations.

The date is set for the American Bakery Exposition (ABE) to be held September 21-23 in Atlantic City, N.J. Sponsored by the Retail Bakers of America, New Jersey Bakers Board of Trade, and the New York State Association of Manufacturing Retail Bakers, ABE is the only national show dedicated to retail baking in 2008.

This must-attend bakery show is designed to bring together bakers, decorators, suppliers and industry leaders and vendors. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet with representatives from hundreds of exhibiting companies featuring new ideas, trends and products designed to expand and improve bakery sales and profits.

Free educational seminars and demonstrations are scheduled throughout the three-day event and have proven to be a popular draw for attendees. The ticketed hands-on sessions proved to be extremely popular last year and this year’s show features additional sessions.

The program is still under construction but confirmed events already scheduled include:

Professional Bakers Education Program
Plans for the Professional Bakers Education Program are underway and will feature information and ideas on the latest trends and issues. Featuring world-class speakers, demonstrators and celebrity cake artists, the program is divided among three educational tracks, including: Business of Cakes and Wedding Cakes, Baking Trends and Business Solutions.

Educational Sessions and Panels: Led by industry experts and designed to help retail bakeries improve their operations, RBA’s education sessions cover the industry’s hottest topics from pricing strategies, customer service tips and seasonal baking as well as valuable marketing ideas from leaders in business and baking.

Baking and Decorating Demonstrations: Show attendees can witness production demonstrations by industry celebrities in an interactive format right on the show floor. Preview new trends in baking and decorating and learn to create the items your customers will be requesting soon. Some of the demonstrations planned for this year’s show include: “Decorative Bread Techniques,” “Chocolate Decors,” Sugar Flowers,” “Artisan Breads” and “Chocolate Making.”

Hands-on Sessions (Ticketed Event): Due to popular demand, this year’s show features a total of six hands-on sessions. Work side-by-side with your colleagues and the celebrity instructor as you refine your skills. Make sure to register soon; these sessions are limited availability and sell out quickly! The complete schedule is listed here:

RBA’s 8th Annual Pillsbury Grand Champion Creative Decorating Competition
The 8th Annual RBA Pillsbury Grand Champion Creative Decorating Competition challenges decorators from around the country to showcase their skill and creativity as they compete in front of a live audience. Contestants are selected by RBA’s affiliate associations, either through regional contests or by committees, or, if the decorator does not belong to a RBA affiliate, through a portfolio review process conducted by RBA’s Creative Decorating Committee. All contestants must be a RBA member or an employee of a RBA member bakery.

Participants will compete over two days for $22,000 in prize money and a chance to win the Pillsbury Grand Champion Trophy. The decorators will have eight hours to produce cakes in each of the six categories: flowers and sprays with borders; wedding cake; rolled fondant; custom design cakes; sculpted cakes; and creative decorating free style.

For more information or registration materials, please visit here or contact Huyen Dang at: hdang@rbanet.com, or 703-610-0248.

Cake and Bread Extravaganza
Making its premiere at the ABE, The Cake and Bread Extravaganza offers cake decorators and bakers the opportunity to compete in four categories in two separate divisions for gold, silver and bronze medals as well as cash prizes. Contestants need to bring completed cakes and breads to the competition. Entries will be judged by a team of expert judges based on RBA certification standards and criteria. Categories include: wedding cakes; novelty/specialty; tiered cakes; and decorative breads. Please visit here for rules and registrationinformation.

3rd National Bread & Pastry Team Championship
The 3rd National Bread & Pastry Team Championship is a two-day, 14-hour team event featuring the nation’s finest bakers and pastry chefs competing for a $50,000 prize. The theme for this year’s competition is music. Each two-person team must complete a bread showpiece, a pastry showpiece (incorporating sugar and chocolate), two different types of bread (baguette and baker’s choice) an entremet, an entrement glace, and two viennoiserie out of the same dough.

Registration Fees
$30 attendee registration fee includes three-day admission to the show and free educational seminars and celebrity demonstrations.

Hands-on session (ticketed event): $150 per session.

Questions about registration? Call 866-734-6736, or email: registration@eshow2000.com.