WASHINGTON — The American Bakers Association will change its 2020 Technical Conference, originally scheduled for late October in Kansas City, to a virtual event called ABA TechCon Beyond because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The virtual event will happen Oct. 27-29 and provide operations and manufacturing professionals from the around the world with networking opportunities and baker-specific education sessions.

“The education content this year will not only be the same as years past but will go beyond to deliver even more quality information for attendees to identify solutions to common manufacturing challenges and processes,” said Samantha Moore, senior director, meetings and education. “The interactive, virtual space gives attendees more flexibility to customize their experience and get the most value from the event.”

ABA TechCon Beyond will feature a keynote address at the start of each afternoon, three afternoons with multiple concurrent educational sessions, virtual coffee and happy hours, a virtual marketplace with tabletops, and Vander Heide Award and Phelps Award ceremonies. After it is over, the virtual event will be available to watch on-demand.

“While we understand the necessity of a virtual event this year for the health and well-being of attendees, we also know our program will deliver valuable content and help attendees build connections across the baking industry,” Ms. Moore said.

Further details about ABA TechCon Beyond will be announced at www.americanbakers.org in the coming weeks.