Last updated on June 12th, 2023
David Haaf, the new president of the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association, said he is pleased with the organization’s show in Anaheim, California. The Shelby Report caught up with him Sunday on the expo floor.
“We’re most excited that we have actually hit our 2019 retail registry numbers,” he said. “And 2019 in Orlando was a record year for us. So that’s exciting for the industry.”
He said it also is exciting for the exhibitors, as there are more than 9,000-plus registered for the event, which continues through Tuesday.
Haaf recently took over as president of the association, following the retirement of Mike Eardley. Haaf has more than 30 years of retail foodservice and culinary experience, most recently serving as VP of foodservice and Starbucks operations for K-VA-T Food Stores in Abingdon, Virginia.
Haaf has embraced his new role as president. While he has been in retail for several years, he said watching the show from behind the scenes has been a revelation.
“To actually come now and see it all come together – and all the hard work that the exhibitors put into it, and just the teamwork that happens to put it all together – is exciting. I can’t brag enough about our staff, about the supporting teams and setting it all up.”
Haaf said this year’s show boasts great speakers, noting Sunday’s keynote by Padma Lakshmi and the What’s In Store Live presentation by IDDBA’s Whitney Atkins, VP of marketing, and Heather Prach, VP of education. “Our team did a great job providing trends and where we’re headed with things.”
Monday’s speakers included Alton Brown and Tom Hanks.
As to what comes next after the show closes in Anaheim, Haaf said he’s looking forward to planning the 2024 show in Houston, Texas.
“I think there’s been so much excitement that people are already pre-registering for Houston in 2024.”
He added that the association’s focus is on “IDDBA, 365 days a year.”
“We love being the premier show in the industry. That’s still our ultimate goal,” he said. “But we also want everybody to understand – and I think what we’re trying to communicate is – hey, we’re not just the show once a year. We’ve got great resources for networking, education, job aid, supporting things that can help the industry and retailers and manufacturers alike all year long. We’re here 365 days.”
Haaf said the IDDBA team will spend a lot of time focusing on spreading that message, “whether it’s marketing it or whether it’s coming up with more things we can do for the industry.”
For more information about the show, visit iddba.org/iddba-show/about/iddba-2023.
