Charlie Negaro is chief executive officer of Chabaso Bakery, New Haven, CT, a wholesale bakery supplying artisan breads to grocery stores in the Northeast and the United States. Mr. Negaro has worked in the baking industry for 16 years and attended the International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE) four times. 

In this second installment of IBIE Point of View, Baking & Snack checks in on how the International Baking Exposition (IBIE) is meeting Mr. Negaro's expectations.

What have you seen at IBIE that has surprised you?

I was pleasantly surprised to see so many people from different parts of the baking industry who came out to IBIE eager to reconnect with their peers.

What has been the most exciting thing you’ve seen at IBIE so far?

The educational talks were very engaging. It was great to be attending sessions with very smart people from our industry sharing their learnings and struggles. 

What were your goals, and how do you feel about the progress you’ve made in reaching them?

Our main goal coming into the show was to have a handful of valuable conversations with customers and partners and we feel like we accomplished that.

How has your team been benefitting from IBIE 2022?

Even though we're not looking to make major purchases in the short-term it was good to refresh our minds about available technologies as we strategize how to evolve our manufacturing processes.

How does IBIE 2022 compare to previous IBIEs you’ve attended?

Although there were a ton of valuable attendees that we ran into, there seemed to be less equipment on display than previous shows. 

How did you maximize your time at IBIE?

We maximized our time by setting up the bulk of conversations we wanted to have in advance and sticking to a tight schedule.

How will you be spending your remaining time at the show?

We actually only attended the show for a day and a half, so we're already back! It was a fun whirlwind of valuable conversations and brainstorming.