A personal reflection of the 2026 American Bakers Association Annual Convention by Johann de Wet, visionAI Chief Revenue Officer.
Attending my first American Bakers Association (ABA) Annual Convention in Colorado Springs was more than just an industry event – it felt like being welcomed into a community.
In our first year of membership, the support from the ABA and its members has been remarkable. From opportunities to present at IBIE to spending a few days engaging with leaders of a $100bn industry, it’s clear this ecosystem values participation, contribution, and trust.
Why I love working with bakers
There are three attributes I consistently see in this industry – and ones I genuinely admire:
1. Passion
I have a real admiration for how deeply bakers care about their craft. They’re not just producing at scale – they’re creating products that nourish people and bring moments of joy to everyday life.
2. Grit
No two days are the same in baking. Variabilities in environment, ingredients, equipment, and demand means operations are constantly being tested. And yet – lines keep running.
3. Hustle
From shifting consumer preferences to margin pressure and a highly competitive landscape, bakers are always adapting. There’s a powerful resilience in how they operate.
A highlight: the thought-provoking keynote
One of the highlights was hearing Jon McNeill, former President of Tesla.
His message focused on how companies unlock growth in environments where it’s hard to do so. A few themes stood out:
- Speed matters more than perfection
- Simplification drives scale
- Focus on what truly moves the needle
- Remove friction – internally and externally
A subtle contrast
In many conversations throughout the convention, I heard a phrase repeated:
“It’s a marathon, not a sprint.”
It reflects the realities of the baking industry: long-term thinking, measured decision-making, and a strong bias toward stability.
But it also highlights a tension between protecting operational continuity and unlocking new forms of growth and efficiency.
The AI opportunity…and the challenge
There’s clear interest in AI across the industry.
But the path forward isn’t always obvious. There is a common theme of blockers to adopting AI as part of the baking industry process:
- Where do you start?
- What’s low risk?
- What actually delivers value?
In a tightly connected ecosystem like this, trust and proof matter more than promises.
Bridging the gap with simplicity and speed
This is where I see a meaningful opportunity.
Not in pushing rapid transformation – but in enabling practical, low-risk progress that aligns with the industry’s “marathon” mindset.
Taking a page from Jon McNeill’s principles:
- Start simple
- Move faster than feels comfortable – but safely
- Focus on measurable outcomes
For us at visionAI, that means:
- Using existing infrastructure (existing CCTV investments in factories and across supply chain that observe critical operations but currently sit dormant)
- Avoiding disruption to production lines
- De – risking large Capex investment (for Continuous improvement initiatives)
- Solving operational problems that were previously impossible to measure (and therefore very difficult to solve)
Why this matters now
Efficiency is no longer just an operational metric – it’s a strategic advantage.
It impacts pricing competitiveness, adaptability, and workforce effectiveness.
The ability to see and understand what’s really happening – in real time – will increasingly define how bakeries compete.
Final reflection
The baking industry doesn’t resist change – it adopts it carefully.
And that’s not a weakness. It’s a great strength.
The opportunity ahead is to combine that discipline with speed where it counts, simplicity in execution, and clarity of value.
