The Retail Bakers of America (RBA) on Dec. 2 will launch the RBA Roadshow at Kendall College in Chicago. Designed to bring bakers, cake decorators, vendors, students and educators together, this one-day event is the first of several regional educational programs to take place in the coming months.
The day will begin with bakery tours of Chicago bakeries Roeser’s Bakery, Delightful Pastries and Dinkel’s Bakery. Classes will be held on two different tracks from 1 to 5 p.m.: one track for cake decorating/baking and the other for business. A vendor showcase will run from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and a boxed lunch of European-style sandwiches will be prepared by Coupe de Monde de Boulangerie winner Jory Downer of Bennison’s Bakery.
Following the educational sessions, RBA and Chicago Area RBA (CARBA) will host a networking even from 5 to 8 p.m. with hors d'oeuvres, charcuterie and crudités made by Kendall students.
Ken Jarosch, president of CARBA, said in a statement that Chicago was chosen as the kickoff city for the RBA Roadshow because "Chicago is a great bakery town. We have numerous cupcake shops, boutique bakeries and traditional bakeries from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds. CARBA has hosted several conventions over the years and the member bakers gladly welcome any baker into their shops. We are thankful for the very generous use of the Kendall College facilities, providing an ideal setting for the educational seminars, demos and interactions with vendors."
More information is available at retailbakersofamerica.org/rba-roadshow-chicago-2012.