The International Dairy Deli Bakery Association (IDDBA) signature event, IDDBA 2022, held in the city of Atlanta, concluded Tuesday after three days of activities that were memorable for exhibitors and attendees, who celebrated the return of the trade show in person after a nearly three-year absence due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The last few days have been invigorating for countless reasons. We are excited to announce that, by all early indications, attendance was 79% of our 2019 attendance,” said Whitney Atkins, IDDBA’s Vice President of Marketing.
“The show floor was a gateway for 1,600 exhibitors, 1,200 retailers, and thousands of attendees to come together for the first time since 2019. IDDBA’s mission and vision are about connecting buyers and sellers of products. We are so proud of how we were able to bring our mission and vision to life in the last few days during IDDBA 2022,” Atkins added.
In an interview with Abasto Media, Atkins highlighted the return of the “What’s in Store Live” section, which is a reflection of the “What’s in Store Trends” report. The section featured many of the latest trends, newest products, newest packaging, and latest technology.
Likewise, The IDDBA 2022 Shows added new digital components, one of which is the app that was initially introduced in January, but really took off during the three-day trade show held at the Georgia World Congress Center. It also debuted the digital show guide, which can be used through the app to find the booth, the category, find contacts, and will be available year-round through January 2023, both on the IDDBA.org website and on the app so dealers can continue to make connections.
Photo Gallery of the IDDBA 2022 Show
“Every IDDBA has held special moments. IDDBA 2022 will forever be one of, if not the most memorable. Our community came together after two of the hardest years many of us have faced. We all face challenges every day, but we will all leave IDDBA 2022 with a greater sense of overcoming them together,” said Atkins.
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For his part, Mike Eardley, president and CEO of the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association, in a dialogue with Abasto Media, commented on the growing interest of Hispanic entrepreneurs and brands in participating in the IDDBA Show and the strengthening of Hispanic businesses in the dairy, deli and bakery industry.
“First of all, the growth in attendees from Latin America, the Caribbean, South America, and Mexico coming here to Atlanta for the IDDBA Show has been tremendous,” said Eardley. “As you walk the exhibit floor here at the IDDBA Show, you can see that the Deli is reacting to the Hispanic influence on our markets. We have both U.S. retailers and Latin American retailers who are all directing the development of new products that are answering those customer needs and creating a whole new future for us here in bakery and Deli,” Eardley noted.
At the close of the IDDBA 2022 Show, hundreds of pounds of remaining products were donated to the Atlanta Community Foodbank on behalf of members and exhibitors.