NEW ORLEANS – A record-breaking IDDBA show (more than 1,000 exhibitors, 238 of them first-timers) kicked off June 1 with a pro-growth message from association CEO and president David Haaf and an inspirational one from celebrity chef Carla Hall. 

“We’re bringing back the I in IDDBA,” Haaf said. “Expanding our global reach is more than a   goal; it’s a priority.”

It was a message of hope in a time of economic uncertainty, driven in large by the Trump Administration’s approach to tariffs, and particularly affecting relations with international trading partners. 

IDDBA will not only seek to bring more foreign companies into the fold, through connecting them with brokers, distributors and retailers, Haaf said. The association will also aggressively pursue opportunities for US companies in foreign markets. 

“There’s no doubt that 2025 has started off with turbulence, both globally and in our industries. In these not-so-certain times, IDDBA aims to be a steadying force.”

Haaf also announced that IDDBA will be partnering with Dale Carnegie on new professional development tools for its members. 

And he told attendees to keep a close eye on continued tremendous growth in retail foodservice and other ways of “thinking outside the aisle.”

Carla Hall, who has also become a TV and awards show host and author following her appearances on Top Chef, talked about the influence of her grandmother’s cooking and how she started making food for friends who let her sleep on their couches when she was an up-and-coming model.

Hall, who thinks of every human encounter as either a lesson or a blessing, often asks rideshare, car service and taxi drivers what countries they’re from and what their favorite dishes from home are. The answers become inspirations for her own cooking. 

When asked what one piece of cooking advice she’d give audience members, Hall said everyone should know how to make biscuits.

And in 2026, she said she’ll release a baking cookbook.