Bakery Equipment Manufacturers and Allieds (BEMA) plans to pack a lot of information and opportunity into a short amount of time at its 2017 Summit (formerly Winter Summit) from Feb. 25-26 at the Hilton in downtown Chicago. 

On Saturday, Feb. 25, Emily Bowers, BEMA’s director of education and professional development, will present a hands-on preview of the newest BEMA-U offering: Insights Discovery.  

“We feel we are bringing best-in-class training to the industry in a turnkey and affordable way,” Ms. Bowers says.  “This preview is the best way to determine how BEMA-U and Insights Discovery can work for your team.  We’re inviting managers and their up-and-coming talent to attend and see for themselves.”

Registration for this session is complimentary for Summit attendees through the BEMA Summit web page.

The 2017 Summit also will feature a panel on “Sustainability for Equipment, Plant and Supply Chain.” Elysa Hammond, director of environmental stewardship, Clif Bar, Emeryville, Calif., and Tracie Sheehan, chief health, quality and sustainability officer, Aryzta, Los Angeles, will share how a commitment to sustainability affects their companies’ equipment and ingredient needs. 

Todd Dewett, Ph.D., will deliver a keynote address at BEMA’s luncheon on Sunday, Feb. 26, on using the power of “more” to bring authenticity to team relationships.

“Recent industry research through BEMA and our sister associations has indicated the need to attract and retain employees, and that comes down to culture,” says Allen Wright, BEMA chairman of the board.  “We felt that Dr. Dewett’s message can inspire and complement our members’ efforts in this area.” 

BEMA’s Summit also will feature an industry-wide welcome reception on Saturday, Feb. 25, as well as committee meetings, an IBIE recap and events for first-time attendees.  A full schedule and more information may be found here.