From new shopper directions to emerging business opportunities, this year’s ABA Convention offered a wide range of actionable takeaways for the commercial baking industry.
Here are six of the most important ones.
1. Consumer Insights Spotlight Growth Opportunities
The consumer is king in the baking industry, driving demand and shaping the supply chain. They are the ultimate boss for everyone, regardless of where you sit in the chain. A presentation by Anne-Marie Roerink, President, 210 Analytics, spotlighted changing consumer behaviors, the growing impact of younger shoppers, and the important roles of well-being and sustainability. This member-exclusive research is based on ABA’s Bakery Playbook research series, underscores that consumers are now more discerning than ever, demanding products that align with their values and expectations.
Roerink incorporated a panel of executives from baking industry customer organizations who relayed their perspectives into the presentation. Here are key insights from the session.
- Sense and Sensibility: Consumers are working hard to balance their budgets —with ongoing marketplace shifts between channels, brands, items and sizes. The baking industry has opportunities to drive excitement and innovation, emphasize freshness, and leverage the growth of deli-prepared by focusing on the meal “plus” the roll, tortilla or dessert.
- Changing of the Guard: Millennials are now in the driver’s seat, as 40% to 60% of all new units in retail food and beverage sales were driven by millennials in 2024. Many of these shoppers exhibit different preferences than Baby Boomers — including more of a focus on food exploration by trying new cuisines, an important point for the baking industry to consider.
- Balancing Healthy and Happy: Consumers are balancing the functional benefits of food with pure enjoyment that supports mental well-being. Holidays and special occasions are important times for consumers to spend more.
- People, Planet and Prosperity: Gen Z and millennials care deeply about preventing food and package waste and the impacts of production on the planet. Their purchases are increasingly influenced by sustainability. Brands, retailers and restaurants have opportunities to relay sustainability messaging via packages, websites, social media and other channels.
ABA's Bakery Playbook series was launched to help the industry stay ahead of consumer trends and drive category growth. Two new Bakery Playbooks released during the 2025 Convention – Pizza and Flatbread, sponsored by Lesaffre, and Donuts, sponsored by Dawn Foods –can be downloaded by ABA members here.
2. Bakery Stars in a Tale of Two Markets
The Convention explored baking trends in Europe and North America and opportunities for companies to expand business across markets. Speaker JP Frossard, Analyst, Consumer Foods, Rabobank, said North American companies have more opportunities in Europe in aspects such as food service, niche products and ingredients. He emphasized the diversity of products across Europe by country, which indicates there is no such thing as a uniform European bakery market.
Meanwhile, he said European companies seek business in North America because of its market size and recent growth track record. He cited growing interest in North America for specific European baked goods, such as Danish pastries, croissants and brioches.
3. Artificial Intelligence Offers Realistic Benefits
The focus on artificial intelligence (AI) is growing in the baking industry as organizations see opportunities to enhance production, facilities and workforce. That was the takeaway from a panel featuring Gerald Holt, Senior Director of Global Power and Automation, Grupo Bimbo, and Oliver Haya, Business Manager, Rockwell Automation. The session was moderated by Eric Dell, ABA’s President and CEO.
Key panel insights included the following:
- Areas of impact in the baking industry range from operational efficiency to sales and marketing. Within factories, AI will help enhance process and production optimization, predictive maintenance, and quality and inspection.
- As one specific example of the quality and inspection benefits of AI, the technology can help ensure that “everything bagels,” which are marked by a wide assortment of toppings such as spices and seeds, appear correctly visually with all the elements evenly distributed.
- Companies exploring AI applications should start by identifying the problem they need to solve before focusing on the possible solutions.
- Organizations need to help associates become more comfortable with using AI tools while also staying aware of technology risk factors, such as those involving security.
4. ‘Champions’ Drive Baking Industry Excellence
The baking industry is fostering innovation, leadership and commitment — all of which were recognized by ABA’s newly launched Champions for a Better Tomorrow Awards. At the Convention, the association recognized baker and allied members for their contributions. ABA’s Dell said the program aims “to tell the positive stories of the industry, inspire others and reinforce the commercial baking industry as a force for positive change.”
ABA awarded both a baker and an allied winner in each of the three categories of Community, Workplace and Planet.
Community
Recognizing initiatives that support local communities through charitable efforts, food insecurity solutions, volunteerism, partnerships, or social impact programs.
- Baker Member Award – The Bama Companies
- Allied Member Award – Red Star Yeast by LESAFFRE
Workplace
Celebrating programs and practices that advance employee development, company culture and camaraderie, or employee well-being to create workplaces where individuals thrive.
- Baker Member Award – Klosterman Baking
- Allied Member Award – The Puratos Group
Planet
Honoring programs that minimize environmental impact through waste reduction, tree planting or garden development, sustainable employee transportation programs, sustainability education, or other eco-friendly programs.
- Baker Member Award – Bimbo Bakeries USA
- Allied Member Award – Ardent Mills
More details about the winning initiatives can be found here. Meanwhile, ABA’s Safety Recognition Program awarded 29 member companies across 190 facilities for their effective and successful safety programs in 2024. The details can be found here.
5. Advocacy Plays Essential Role
ABA is committed to championing the baking industry and advocating for its policy priorities across all levels of government. At the Convention, ABA’s Dell outlined recent successful efforts along these lines and members of the Government Relations team provided timely updates and outlooks.
The creation of the Congressional Baking Caucus, a bipartisan group dedicated to championing the baking industry on Capitol Hill, gives the baking industry a stronger, more unified voice in Washington.
Dell emphasized that advocacy isn’t about party lines. “It’s about working with leaders who understand and support policies that help our industry thrive.”
The Government Relations team updated members on key issues impacting the commercial baking industry. Their discussions ranged from state to federal level concerns around ingredient bans, immigration, tax reform, and tariffs. Find out more about this in media coverage by BakingBusiness.com and Commercial Baking.
6. Leaders Can Take Many Routes to Success
Convention Speakers offered valuable insights for leadership success. Erica Dhawan, a leadership expert and author, explained how leaders can build stronger connections across teams, suppliers and customers through “Connectional Intelligence.” This concept focuses on fully maximizing the power of networks and relationships. Another speaker, leadership expert Simon T. Bailey, said outstanding leadership is about inspiring teams, driving innovation and creating a culture where people can thrive. He emphasized the need to foster employee experience and help associates understand their future career paths. Baking industry leaders were among speakers at the convention, and they relayed how they are supporting workforces, investing in communities, and striving to stay on top of emerging trends.
ABA's NextGenBaker brunch welcomed a record 133 first-time attendees, fostering valuable connections from the start of the Convention. Focused on professional growth, public policy, relationship building, and industry education, it offered a platform for rising talent to connect with and learn from top leaders. Aligned with ABA's strategic goal of creating an exceptional workplace, the keynote featured a speaker from the Disney Institute, who shared insights on how Disney’s approach to employee engagement shapes organizational culture. Attendees said they took away actionable insights on building employee engagement and new ways to approach creating a strong internal culture.
What’s Ahead from ABA
The Convention is over but members have a lot of opportunities to take advantage of ABA resources in the months ahead:
- Front Line Supervisor Leadership Training will be held April 22 to 24 in Cincinnati, OH
- Future-Proofing Commercial Baking: Workforce Trends and Challenges Webinar will be held May 5
- CAPC Professionals Group Hybrid Conference will be held May 21 in Washington, D.C.
- FTRAC Professionals Group Hybrid Conference will be held June 11 to 12 in Washington, D.C.
- Bakers Fly-In and Policy Summit will be held November 3 to 5 in Washington, D.C.
- IBIE 2025 will be held September 13 to 17 in Las Vegas, NV.
- ABA’s 2026 Annual Convention will take place April 19 to 22 at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
The full list of ABA’s activities can be found here. ABA is excited to welcome the baking industry community to these upcoming events, creating opportunities for meaningful engagement that will drive growth and success for both businesses and professionals alike to benefit them and their businesses.
About the American Bakers Association
The American Bakers Association (ABA) is the largest, most established, and diverse trade association for the commercial baking industry in the United States. ABA’s community includes more than 370 member companies representing over 1,200 commercial baking facilities and the extensive industry supply chain.
Since 1897, ABA has served as the voice of the baking industry, offering compelling advocacy, insightful thought leadership, and comprehensive research on industry trends. ABA members also benefit from extensive business services including premier networking events, impactful knowledge sharing, and effective workforce development programs and training resources. ABA is committed to enhancing its mission by growing the category and promoting the industry as the destination workplace.
