Expert conversations designed for baking and food industry professionals — practical, relevant, and built for where your business is headed.
Upcoming Sessions
GLP-1 & the Bakery: What the Data Means for Your Business
GLP-1 medications are reshaping how Canadians eat — and baked goods purchasing is already changing. This isn't a warning. It's a working session. Ardent Mills brings large-scale quantitative research to the table, and we'll translate it into a practical roadmap your team can act on now.
What You'll Walk Away With
- The data that actually matters — findings from Ardent Mills' quantitative study on GLP-1's impact on baked goods purchasing in Canada and North America, with category-level specifics your team can use
- A reformulation roadmap — how Ardent Mills is innovating fortified and functional flour products to help bakeries build higher-protein, higher-fibre, lower-sugar offerings GLP-1 users will actually choose
- A strategic filter for your portfolio — a framework for evaluating which SKUs face real volume risk, where reformulation opportunity lies, and how to position for the health-conscious consumer shift already underway
- The long view on Canadian market penetration — who is adopting GLP-1s first, how fast generics will broaden the market, and what that means for your demand planning over the next 18–36 months
Featuring Tricia Ryan (Baking Association of Canada),
Reid McEachran (Ardent Mills),
and Derrick Lichti (rxfood.com)
Sponsored by: Ardent Mills
Trade Relations Between the United States, Canada, and Mexico: The Future of USMCA/CUSMA
The North American trade framework has evolved significantly, from NAFTA to the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) / Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). As economic and geopolitical factors continue to shift — especially in light of supply chain challenges, trade policy changes, and the approaching 2026 review — this session assesses key policy considerations and what they mean for the future of North American trade relations.
What You'll Walk Away With
- An insider perspective on how USMCA was negotiated and ratified — and what that history tells us about what comes next
- A clear-eyed assessment of the 2026 USMCA review: the key pressure points, likely outcomes, and what's at stake for Canadian and North American food producers
- Practical context for how shifting trade policy, tariffs, and cross-border supply chains may affect your business planning in the near term
Keynote: Ambassador Katherine Tai — in conversation with members of the American Bakers Association (ABA), the Retail Bakers of America (RBA), and the Baking Association of Canada (BAC)
Register NowTikTok & Your Bakery: How Short-Form Video Is Driving Real Foot Traffic
TikTok has become one of the most powerful discovery engines in food and beverage — and bakeries are among its biggest beneficiaries. Consumers are lining up for croissants, cookies, and cakes they found in a 30-second video. This session cuts through the noise and gives you a clear, actionable path to building your brand on TikTok, whether you're starting from zero or looking to grow what you've already built.
What You'll Walk Away With
- Why TikTok now — the data behind how short-form video is directly influencing food and beverage purchasing decisions and driving consumers to bakeries and restaurants
- Real examples from bakeries using TikTok effectively — what they're posting, how they're growing, and what's actually translating into sales and foot traffic
- A practical getting-started guide for your own brand — the content strategy, tools, and first steps to show up on TikTok with confidence and consistency
Featuring Dre Pao — social media expert and leading TikTok food influencer — in conversation with the Baking Association of Canada
Register NowPast Sessions
Decoding 2026: Food Trends That Will Actually Move Your Business
Consumer behaviour isn't just shifting — it's accelerating. The brands winning right now aren't the ones following trend reports; they're the ones who understand why people buy, what builds real loyalty, and how to read the signals before they become saturated. This is an intelligence-packed working session built to help you make smarter, faster decisions.
What We Covered
- The trends that actually matter this year — flavour, format, and consumer mindset shifts with real commercial momentum
- A deeper read on consumer psychology — understand the why behind purchasing decisions so you can anticipate demand instead of chasing it
- A practical strategic filter for evaluating which trends align with your brand, whether you're developing new products or optimizing what's already on shelf
Featuring Tricia Ryan (Baking Association of Canada) and Christine Couvelier (Culinary Concierge)
Listen to RecordingAI in the Bakery: Real Talk for Food Founders
No buzzwords, no complicated tech talk — just a candid conversation about how bakery owners and food founders are actually using AI to save time, reduce waste, and make better decisions. Especially relevant for BAC members, and for anyone in food and beverage at any stage of growth.
What We Covered
- What's working in real bakery operations right now
- The early mistakes others made — so you don't have to
- Simple ways to start, even if you're not a tech person
Featuring Matt Symes in conversation with the Baking Association of Canada
Listen to Recording