Research conducted after this year’s NEC shows resulted in a clear majority of exhibitors saying they wanted British Baker and publisher William Reed to run a bakery show for the industry.

William Reed Exhibitions said it is therefore proud to launch a major new event, The Baking Industry Exhibition (BIE), at the NEC from 6-9 April 2008.

This exciting new event will run alongside Food & Drink Expo, the Convenience Retailing Show and Foodex Meatex, which in 2006 attracted well over 70,000 visitors to see the largest gathering of exhibitors in the UK.

Charles Reed, group MD of William Reed, said: "The UK bakery sector is diverse covering craft, plant bakers as well as supermarkets. It is therefore vital for our industry to have a truly focused event with British Baker and The Grocer leading the way. I feel confident that we will be able to convert the industry enthusiasm for a quality marketing platform."

Big investment is planned for BIE with many new visitor benefits such as a demonstration theatre, artisan master classes and competitions, a fully functional bakery, and industry trend update analysis.