21 Jul CEO Insights: BEMA Convention 2024 Reflection

Convention is over…it’s a wrap on the biggest BEMA Convention to date. That statement always makes me feel a little sad. Make no mistake, preparing for Convention is a huge job, and the BEMA team is always somewhat relieved when it’s over. It does mean a few more hours of sleep each night and the unavoidable unpacking of the suitcases and “shoe-cases”.   

The end of Convention also means we all go home after spending the week with our baking family, catching up, sharing milestones, and examining what the future holds for our industry. It’s a whirlwind week of making new memories with great people and conducting business in an environment made to do so.  

Convention Designed for Everyone

The BEMA team works to design Convention to be beneficial for everyone. We start the week a mix of first-timers, middle-timers, and old-timers.  This year’s convention we were able to collectively experience our inspirational keynote speaker, Alex Weber, and insightful baking industry panels where the content was powerful.   

Let’s not forget the Nautical Nights theme dinner and Sneaker Soiree held at the Chairman’s dinner and dance.  BEMA Cup golfers had the opportunity to play on an ocean-view, Billy Bell-designed course. And for those not interested in golfing, goat yoga was an experience to remember…the pictures really do tell the story! 

When these Convention elements are brought together, under beautiful sunshine and epic views, something happens. We are no longer first-timers or old-timers, but one collective group, the BEMA family, connected by our shared experiences.  

For me, and for many of the business attendees, the best part of Convention is the connections. I love seeing entire families embracing old friends at the Welcome Reception and then contact information being exchanged at BEMA Connect on the final day of programming. 

Convention Highlights

Convention week goes by so fast, but the pictures captured help slow it down. We recently sent out an email with a link to all of the photos taken at Convention. Personally, spending some time with those photos is good for me. I can slow down and appreciate what we did collectively. We connected, learned, laughed, and gave back. We stretched ourselves, met someone who would help grow our business and broke bread together.     

This is the essence of BEMA Convention. We have these memories captured so we can take the time to be grateful for our shared experiences. 

Convention Collaboration

This year, without a doubt, I felt a shift in attendee and staff mentality. The baking industry was all-in for connection and collaboration. The demand for small-group dinners was the highest in history. The education sessions were packed. The committee meetings and breakfast breakouts often had standing room only. BEMA Connect, which started a few years ago with 15 tables and bakers had 40+ this year. BEMA members, bakers, and our industry partners were all in. From a staff perspective, that makes every late-night planning session, the hours, and the effort worth every ounce of energy.  

Our community building and collaboration doesn’t stop after Convention. We hope to see many of you at NEXUS this fall in Washington, D.C. October 1-3. I am already excited to see all that awaits us.