| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 2, 2008
CONTACT:
Huyen (Wen) Dang
1.800.638.0924
hdang@rbanet.com
McLean, VA – Bakers and decorators, along
with industry students and educators, will converge September
21-23 at the 2008 American Bakery Expo at the Atlantic City
Convention Center. The event will be sponsored by the Retail
Bakers of America (RBA), New Jersey Bakers Board of Trade
(NJBBT) and the New York State Association of Manufacturing
Retail Bakers (NYSAMRB), and will provide a combination of
live competitions, demonstrations, sessions and trade show.
Phil Lembert - author, syndicated columnist,
talk show host for Sirius Satellite Radio and WOR Radio Network,
and food trends editor for NBC’s Today – is scheduled
to speak at the General Session, Sunday, September 21 at 9:00
a.m. ET. Lempert is also the founder and editor of two industry
newsletters, XtremeRetail23 and Facts, Figures & the Future,
and creator of SupermarketGuru.com, an online trend watcher
for the food, health and beauty products industries. Lempert’s
books include “Being the Shopper, Healthy Wealthy &
Wise”, “Phil Lempert’s Supermarket Shopping
& Value Guide”, “Top Ten Trends for Baby Boomers
and Phil’s Picks: The Guide to Supermarket Products”.
Competitions will be hosted LIVE at the American
Bakery Expo. Bakers, pastry chefs and decorators will compete
in the 3rd National Bread & Pastry Team Championship and
the 8th Annual Pillsbury Grand Champion Creative Decorating
Competition sponsored by the Retail Bakers of America. New
to the 2008 Expo is the Cake & Bread Extravaganza, where
contestants enter completed cakes and breads in the categories
of wedding cakes, novelty/specialty cakes, tiered cakes and
decorative breads.
Following are program highlights of the American
Bakery Expo. As speakers and demonstrators continue to be
confirmed, the most current program, lodging information and
registration details are available at www.2008abe.com.
Sunday, September 21 and Monday, September
22 (concurrent sessions)
8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Rolled Fondant – Simplified
Techniques for the Professional, Busy Bakery!
Learn tricks of the trade that guarantee success with efficiency
and flair. Learn a variety of elegant, quick and simple designs
for the busy bakery, whilst maintaining high standards of
work. This hands-on session is suitable for the novice and
experienced decorator. Presenter: Julie Bashore, Master Confectioner,
of the House of Clarendon, Inc.
Sculpted Cakes - This session covers the
basics of cake-sculpting, fondant-sculpting, and airbrushing
effects. Presenter: Bronwen Weber, celebrated on the Food
Network as one of the top pastry chefs in the nation; Grand
Prize winner of the 2005 Oklahoma State Sugar Art Show, the
most prestigious wedding cake competition in America; and
whose cake designs and living-out-loud approach to sugar and
spice have been published in Bride’s Magazine, American
Cake Decorating Magazine, England’s Cakecraft Magazine,
and Here Comes the Cake, among others.
Tuesday, September 23
8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Contemporary Decorating Techniques -
Obtain the secrets of decorating with a focus on sugar flowers.
Presenter: Ron Ben-Isreal, Master Decorator, Chef-Owner of
Ron Ben-Isreal Cakes in New York City, which began after a
fifteen-year career as a professional ballet and modern dancer.
Ron’s confectionary traditions have been featured in
countless publications such as The New York Times, New York
Magazine, Town and Country, People, NY Post, NY Daily News,
many times doming their covers.
Tuesday, September 23
8:00 a.m. – 12 :00 p.m.
Chocolate for the Baker - If
you bake quality baked products, find out how you can make
your product line extraordinary by the addition of quality
chocolate items. Learn from Robert Ellinger, CMB, owner and
pastry chef of Baked to Perfection, who will focus on chocolates
designed for the traditional retail bakery. Robert held positions
as Head Pastry Chef for The Metropolitan Opera, The United
Nations, The Water Club and The Garden City Hotel in New York.
Robert held positions as Head Pastry Chef for The Metropolitan
Opera, The United Nations, The Water Club and The Garden City
Hotel in New York. In 1997 he successfully completed his Certified
Master Bakers Exam and Certified Executive Pastry Chef Exam.
Registration and Press Credentials
These sessions are fee based with limited availability. The
$30 registration fee includes three days of admission to the
show floor, sessions and demonstrations. Members of the working
press can request press credentials by emailing Rob Casper
at rob@abe2008.com. All news media will be asked to show photo
identification and current press credentials or a letter from
an assigning editor.
About the Retail Bakers of America
Founded in 1918, the Retail Bakers of America (“RBA”)
is a 501(c)6 not-for-profit trade association committed to
the success of the retail baking industry. RBA is the nation’s
premier source for industry information serving its 1,100
retail bakeries, industry suppliers, educators, schools and
student members. RBA provides educational opportunities designed
to bring together retail bakers, decorators, suppliers and
industry leaders to share the latest in trends, techniques
and networking opportunities. For additional information,
please visit www.rbanet.com.
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