Mike Terry will teach you how to Figure Pipe. He has a fresh way to look at it along with insight on figuring out figures. Frogs, Alligators, Fish, Clowns and more..

Mike Terry is a pastry artist instructor with more than 25 years experience. He has demonstrated at industry events such as the International Baking Industry Expo, Retail Bakers of America, International Dairy Deli Bakery Association, and the ICES. He was a pastry artist for the 1999 U.S. Open and spent 14 years as a regional trainer for a leading bakery manufacturer.  Mike recently competed in TLC’s 'Ultimate Cake-Off’.

Learn from the masters of cake sculpture. The Winbeckler's will share their
knowledge on which cakes and icings work best for sculptures, how to shape
and sculpt cake, and how to create the details that make their sculptures
"come to life." Each student will sculpt and decorate a basic cake sculpture
(with no internal stand) during class.

Deerfields have expanded their sales by adding gluten free products baked in a gluten free production area. Hear about the benefits and challenges of baking gluten free products.

Rich will give an overview of the 10 x 10 program developed by RBA to help bakeries increase their sales by 10% in 2010.

Ashley Vicos, owner of Sweet Ashley's, will show you how you can produce and market tiered and sculpted specialty cakes for your customers. Ashley, who has competed in  6 Food Network and TLC Cake Challenges, will entertain you as she teaches you practical tips and ideas that you can use in your own bakery.

Learn the advantages of having an up to date, dynamic website to help market your bakery.

Master bread baker and author, Klecko, will show how you can add more bread varieties to your product line and increase efficiency by using a "mother dough" as the basis for your bread production. Klecko will share formulas and production tips.

Fran Greene, founder of Cakes Across America and Wedding Cakes Across America, will look at the best ways to reach brides through on-line marketing. She will share the research and statistics on the why and how you can use on-line marketing effectively.

This session is SOLD OUT.  Pre-registration was required.

Tired of turnover? Tired of retraining? Who wouldn't be! This workshop is jam packed with tools to help you hire, orient and successfully train your team to be productive and positive assets to your company! Topics of discussion will include The hiring process: The impact of using an "application" that is right for you! Hiring for the position not the "person" – developing excellent interview questions: The orientation process: What to cover, How to cover – one person at a time vs. groups. The training process: How people learn, How to make training active, Create a plan for your company

Learn how to work with fondant. Learn tips and tricks to improve your productivity.

Linda Shonk is the developer of Choco-Pan rolled icing and an A.C.F. certified Executive Pastry Chef. Linda has owned and operated both retail and wholesale bakeries since 1974 and is a highly sought after culinary instructor. She teaches students at Sweet Art, Inc. (her place of business in Indianapolis) and Ivy Tech Community College in Indianapolis.  She travels around the United States giving classes and seminars on a wide variety of topics and techniques. She has also been a guest instructor at Indiana University, Purdue University, International Sugar Art in Atlanta and Cal-Java International in Los Angeles. Linda has received many awards and much praise for her work as a culinary artist, including A.C.F. gold, silver, and bronze medals and the prestigious Concepts-In-Food award. In addition to her work as an instructor, Linda has appeared on Food Network Challenge, and her Choco-Pan product has made an impact on the rolled icing market and has shattered the stereotypes of rolled fondant in general.  Linda recently competed as a team member on two TLC’s 'Ultimate Cake-Off’ competitions with Norm Davis and Mike Terry.

Roland and Marsha will teach you how get the most from your airbrush and how to create special effects on your cakes. Students will learn how to operate and care for the airbrush, what exercises to practice to gain better control, and how to cut and use custom stencils. Class will be a combination of demonstration and hand-on with the airbrush. Students will leave class feeling more comfortable with the airbrush and ready to use many designs and techniques learned in class.

Roland and Marsha Winbeckler have been a husband/wife decorating team for 25 years, and both were decorators and instructors prior to meeting. They teach professional cake decorating classes around the U.S. and have also taught or demonstrated in Canada, Jamaica, and Australia. They have both taught at the Wilton School in Chicago, and Roland also taught at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in New York. 

Roland was a double gold medal winner at the World Culinary Olympics held in Frankfurt, Germany, and was inducted into the Cake Decorating Hall of Fame in 1992.

Roland and Marsha have appeared on the Food Network and TLC's Ultimate Cake Off. They are both authors of cake decorating books and DVDs and have each written articles for trade magazines. Marsha was the editor of two international cake decorating newsletters for many years. Together they own and manage CakeSuppliesPlus.com, from which they offer classes and sell their books, DVDS, and other decorating supplies.

SOLD OUT

This session will focus on ways to be more efficient and more profitable in your cake decorating area by using tools and products available commercially. The panel will discuss the use of items made both specifically for cake production and items borrowed from art and craft supplies.

Hear about the latest trends in baked foods based on research done by Modern Baking. Find out how to capitalize on these trends to increase your sales.

Learn how to make the necessary changes in your formulas to bake with trans fat free shortenings.

Ron Ben-Israel will demonstrate his latest decorating techniques and how he uses them to decorate a  stunning wedding cake.

Learn how to work with fondant. Learn tips and tricks to improve your productivity.

Linda Shonk is the developer of Choco-Pan rolled icing and an A.C.F. certified Executive Pastry Chef. Linda has owned and operated both retail and wholesale bakeries since 1974 and is a highly sought after culinary instructor. She teaches students at Sweet Art, Inc. (her place of business in Indianapolis) and Ivy Tech Community College in Indianapolis.  She travels around the United States giving classes and seminars on a wide variety of topics and techniques. She has also been a guest instructor at Indiana University, Purdue University, International Sugar Art in Atlanta and Cal-Java International in Los Angeles. Linda has received many awards and much praise for her work as a culinary artist, including A.C.F. gold, silver, and bronze medals and the prestigious Concepts-In-Food award. In addition to her work as an instructor, Linda has appeared on Food Network Challenge, and her Choco-Pan product has made an impact on the rolled icing market and has shattered the stereotypes of rolled fondant in general.  Linda recently competed as a team member on two TLC’s 'Ultimate Cake-Off’ competitions with Norm Davis and Mike Terry.

SOLD OUT!

Ron Ben-Israel will demonstrate his latest decorating techniques.  This class will be covering all stages of the sugar Rose, as well as techniques for filler flowers that require no cutters.

Named the King of Cakes by Modern Bride magazine, Ron Ben-Israel have been a favorite among celebrities and the style-conscious since 1993. A popular guest on TV, Ron often appears on Martha, the Late Show with David Letterman, and the Food Network. His cakes have been featured in The New York Times, New York magazine, In Style, and Vogue, among others.

Ron has received numerous gold medals and awards in culinary competitions, and shares his passion, techniques, and secrets with the students of the French Culinary Institute in New York. His students there complete an intensive hands-on, six to nine months’ classic pastry program. In that professional setting, Ron teaches the fine points of cake decorating.

How do small, relatively unknown businesses create world class brands? What branding activities can small firms and underdogs use to compete against larger opponents? Find out how creating a world class bakery brand can grow your bottom line.

In this session you'll...
- Learn what goes into making a world class bakery brand.
- Find out how branding can lead to long term strategic growth.
- Learn about successful branding techniques.
- Learn how to create a customer brand experience – that keeps them coming back for more.
- Identify branding techniques that will protect your business from competitors.
- Identify steps you need to take now, for business growth

Protect your business by developing a wedding cake contract. This session will explore the difference between an order form and a wedding cake contract and why you need to have a contract. Learn the basic information that should be included in a contract and how to develop your own the protects both you and the bride.

What key marketing activities build loyal customers? What marketing strategies and tactics really work?  Find out how successful retail bakeries market and compete effectively by adopting strategic marketing techniques.

In this session you'll...
- Identify new ways to successfully market your business.
- Learn about typical and expensive marketing mistakes.
- Learn about successful marketing techniques and strategies for any size budget.
- Discover ways to avoid unnecessary marketing expenses.
- Find out ways to drive customers to your door.
- Identify immediate steps that can bolster business.

See the very latest in cake art technology as Jennifer Atwood demonstrates how a machine made for the scrapbooking world has been transformed for cutting gum paste and fondant. Atwood's Bakery has been using the Cricut machine for the past year to cut delicate and repetitious patterns for wedding and specialty cakes. Save time and increase your cake decorating profits by taking advantage of this latest cake art technology.

It’s not enough to just have a website. Aleksandra will explore ways to coordinate your on-line presence and marketing through Facebook and Twitter