The world would be vastly different without the industry built around tortillas and flatbread. That is why the Tortilla Industry Association is ready for its Annual Convention 2024 And Trade Show, which will be held on May 8-10 at Horseshoe Casino Resort of Las Vegas, Nevada. This event is a unique opportunity for tortilla manufacturers, industry suppliers, and distributors to network, learn about the latest industry trends, and showcase their products and services.
Visitors will come from the United States, Mexico, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, England, Italy, and France, among other countries.
“We call it ‘A World of Tortillas’ because tortillas have become an international food everywhere and not just in the U.S., but in Europe and Asia and Africa,” said Jim Kabbani, CEO of the Tortilla Industry Association (TIA) to Abasto during an interview.
Kabbani said the convention is designed for all participants in the tortilla industry, regardless of the scale of their operation. This event is open to manufacturers, industry suppliers, distributors, and any company interested in the fast-growing industry.
TIA began in 1990 to serve the emerging tortilla industry. It is a non-profit organization based in Arlington, Virginia, aiming to assist manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors in the growing tortilla industry. TIA seeks to promote the consumption of tortillas, including alternative uses in mainstream American dishes such as sandwiches, soups, and desserts.
In 2019, approximately 21 billion tortillas were consumed in the United States, not including chips. Source: TIA
Tortillas are more popular today in the U.S. than all other ethnic breads, such as bagels, English muffins, and pita bread. Source: Food Chemistry
Related Article: Tortilla Demand Grows as a Better Food for Your Health
Annual Convention 2024’s Main Topics
TIA Annual Convention 2024 And Trade Show will spin around the news in the tortilla industry.
Kabbani said a couple of things are going on, and the goal is to provide attendees with the latest on sorting and conquering.
- Constant changes in regulations.
- Update information about market data (market statistics and sales are evolving).
- Consumers drive the industry, and it must keep up with the vast interest in things like gluten-free and clean labels.
Upcoming TIA Events
- Hands-On Tortilla Production – July 9-11 / Dallas–Fort Worth
Three days of small classes, 40 to 50 people, in which students mix their own dough. There is a machine to see how the corn or flour tortillas come out. The dynamic is to understand the science behind what happens if we add or don’t add a little more of a certain ingredient.
- TIA Europe – October 2-3 / Valencia, Spain
Started in 2017 in Barcelona, Spain, with 50 attendees. Amsterdam, Belgrade and Munich are other cities where they have replicated the event. For this year the plan is to visit a couple of factories and tour their bullpen area.
- TIA Tech – October 29-30 / Los Angeles, CA
This two-day Technical Conference revolves around educational sessions. There are small exhibits during the cocktail reception on the first day. The second day plans to visit tortilla or ingredient supplier factories.