Engaging face-to-face, creative interest and looking forward to seeing each other again in 2024

CAKE & BAKE:

Stars and international cake designers filling the hall

The CAKE & BAKE international cake show was also held at Messe Dortmund during the CREATIVA weekend. Wherever one looked in Hall 8, crowds of people were gathering to get ideas and news about baking and cake design – at the CAKE & BAKE Stage featuring stars from TV bake-off show Das Große Backen or at exhibition stands such as those of Dr. Oetker and Super Streusel, or in the CAKE ACADEMY which featured international cake designers such as Margherita Ferrara. “The atmosphere was unique, and visitors were 'show-hungry'. My products were almost sold out from Day 1,” said Patrick Dörner, owner of Padi's Backwelt and Germany's best amateur baker in 2017.Neuer Text

Entertainer and amateur baker Ross Antony was also a guest and presented his latest collection of sprinkles at the Super Streusel stand. He himself was completely surprised by the rush: “I have to say, I had heard that CAKE & BAKE is insane. A great community of baking maniacs, and I have to say it was even better than I thought it would be. Super Streusel and I really were welcomed with open arms and – you'll excuse the pun – our sprinkles collection really did sell like hot cakes. It was wonderful, and I'd love to come back!”

Talk of the town: high-quality programme and award-winning cake designs

The large number of stars, famous-name exhibitors and programme highlights for professional and amateur bakers once again underlined the importance of – and great interest in – baking, cake decorating, patisserie, praline-making and chocolaterie. In workshops, in the CAKE ACADEMY, on stage and with the international cake designers, CAKE & BAKE offered visitors a high-quality range of fit-for-purpose products which was well received according to Kristina Rado, cake artist and Director of The International Federation of Pastry, Ice Cream and Chocolate: “Covid unfortunately meant I was only able to give my courses online. CAKE & BAKE was the perfect opportunity to meet people in person. It was very nice for me to meet familiar faces and friends here. There was a great family atmosphere here. The courses I was able to give at the venue all went down very well too.”

Meanwhile, Hall 7 was home to an incredible display of cake designs that was second to none, with exhibits from the around 200 entrants to Germany's premier cake competition where the best show-pieces were awarded 'Best of' prizes in 16 categories for adults as well as three children's and youth categories. For example, one of the young talents won a 3D chocolate printer from mycusini as the 'Best of Show' prize for the best design by children and young people aged 7 to 16 in the category 'Novelty cake, My Birthday Cake'. Irina Althoff-Schmidtgall's Gothic novelty cake won Best of Show in one of the other 16 categories. Her prize was a 500 euro voucher from Styropor Products.

The next CAKE & BAKE complete with inspiration in all aspects of baking and cake design will take place on the weekend of the next CREATIVA, namely on 23 and 24 March 2024.

EXHIBITION AT A GLANCE 

CREATIVA – EUROPE'S LARGEST CREATIVE SHOW 

CREATIVA has enjoyed a firm place in the creative industry's diary for four decades, with what is Europe's largest creative show showcasing the whole world of creative work at Messe Dortmund once a year. With its uniquely wide range of new and proven products, individually designed items and innovative techniques, this is the hub for amateur and professional designers, artists and craftspeople, manufacturers and distributors. From handicrafts, arts and crafts, design, painting and drawing to felting, spinning, weaving, quilting and cake decorating, woodwork, metalwork, silk and glass painting and jewellery making – here, visitors find all creative products and technique ideas under one roof in an event lasting five days. In addition, a wide variety of workshops, creative exhibitions and an eventful stage programme ensure an unforgettable journey into a colourful creative world full of new ideas and inspiration. 

CAKE & BAKE – THE INTERNATIONAL CAKE SHOW 

The weekend of CREATIVA, Europe's largest creative show, holds a tasty treat in store for everyone who loves baking and cake decorating – Dortmund's very own international CAKE & BAKE show. Demonstrations, hands-on activities and numerous workshops by experienced and well-known cake experts and cake artists, plus Meet & Greet opportunities with well-known YouTubers and bloggers make Germany's largest cake show the meeting place of choice for the cake and baking scene. And Germany's premier cake competition offers passionate cake makers and icing artists a great opportunity to present their masterpieces to a wide audience. CAKE & BAKE also offers bakers – both amateur and professional – all the necessary products and technique ideas in the areas of baking, cake decorating, patisserie, praline and chocolate-making – all under one roof.

NEXT DATE: 

CREATIVA: 20 – 24 March 2024 

CAKE & BAKE: 23 + 24 March 2024

ORGANISER: 

Messe Dortmund GmbH 

VISITOR TARGET GROUPS: 

CREATIVA is for all amateur and professional creatives, and for people on the look-out for individually designed objets d'art. 

CAKE & BAKE is aimed at everyone whose heart beats for baking and cake decorating – amateurs and professionals alike. 

HALLS OCCUPIED: 

CREATIVA: Halls 4 – 7 

CAKE & BAKE: Halls 7 (Cake Competition) and 8 

VISITORS: 

65,000 visitors (approx.) 

EXHIBITORS: 

440 exhibitors (approx.) from 17 nations 

CREATIVA PROGRAMME 2023
Entire programme: 

messe-creativa.de/en-gb/programm
Highlights
• CREATIVA STAGE

• Heart for Ukraine: Artists and handicrafts from Ukraine

• 'stickstoff Lounge', Stage & Workspace

• Master-classes with Janine Heschl

• 'Bastelzirkus' handicraft circus: Manufacturers' workshops

• Trends & Inspirations: Exhibitors' Products & Exhibits (2023 trends)

• bla.bla.cafe

• Cutting Academy by Plottertante

Focal points

• Handicrafts & Construction

• Fabrics & Textiles

• Painting & Drawing

• Arts & Crafts

• Design & Decorations

• Fun & Games

• Fashion & Accessories

• Living & Design

• Education & Business

Events

• LandGarten (country garden)

• PerlenExpo (pearl exhibits) with Design Village

• CREATIVA NEO

• Puppen&Bären (dolls and bears)

CAKE & BAKE PROGRAMME 2023 Highlights

• CAKE & BAKE Stage

• Workshops

• CAKE ACADEMY powered by Margherita Ferrara & Team

• Cake competition: Exhibits in approx. 19 categories of Germany's premier cake competition plus prize-giving

Stars
• Ross Antony x SUPER STREUSEL

• TV bake-off Meet & Greet with champion Raheem

Further information / Further information
Download images 2023 / Download images 2023

CREATIVA – what partners and exhibitors had to say

Elke Dohmann, Marketing Manager, DORTEX

“CREATIVA 2023 was a resounding success for us. The show has evolved wonderfully and gained a lot in structure. As a partner to the show, and as a company based in Dortmund, we naturally always feel particularly at home here. Especially our involvement in the supporting programme, such as our appearance on the 'stickstoff Stage' or our presentation in the trends area, attracted lots of interested people to our stand each time afterwards. Our innovations in particular were much in demand. We always get suggestions and feedback in our exchanges with customers and interested parties at the show – this can only happen in person, and CREATIVA is the ideal meeting place for that.” 

Barbara Burchardt, co-publisher of 'stickstoff-Magazin' and co-initiator of the 'stickstoff Lounge'

“CREATIVA is a great venue for our 'stickstoff Lounge' which is making its début here this year. On an area of around 360 square metres, we and our partners are getting to meet an interested, creative and good-humoured clientèle that's delighted by our propositions. Our 'stickstoff Stage' with its various talks on all aspects of machine embroidery is especially well received. All the feedback we're getting is favourable, and way ahead of our expectations. It's great that we've been able to set up the 'stickstoff Lounge' together with the hard-working trade show team.”

Miriam Jug, entrepreneur and blogger a.k.a. 'Plottertante'

“Normally, the only contact I have with my viewers is via social networks. Thanks to CREATIVA, I had the chance to engage directly person-to-person. That was really nice. Visitors to the new Cutting Academy asked lots of questions and watched my programme with great enthusiasm. Above all, though, I must praise the organisation and support. I felt like I was in great hands.”

Sabine Maier, Store Manager, Albstoffe 

“The show's a magnet for creative professionals and attracts a diverse range of visitors from near and far. We especially value the personal proximity to our customers, the ability to present our fabrics to them up close, giving them the direct impression they're looking for. Overall, we're very happy with the show.”

Silvia Darius, owner of Beadpoint 

“We felt the show got off to a great restart after the three-year break. The visitors were also very happy and found CREATIVA to be a great experience. We were able to introduce our new products and present them here particularly well. The location of CREATIVA is great. This is our home turf, so to speak. You always meet familiar faces, and the atmosphere was exuberant, so naturally we'll be back next year.”

Matthias Koch, owner of Bell Trade 

“We were at CREATIVA for the first time and were overwhelmed by the atmosphere. Our products were in great demand, and we sold a lot at the show. With the aid of CREATIVA, we've really achieved our goal of creating a brand presence. We'd certainly like to come back again next year.” 

Felix Ottke, founder of betonell 

“The name CREATIVA is loaded with special associations. It is internationally known, has a really impressive variety of exhibitors, and above all everything's related to the practical side of creative crafts. As a newcomer to the show, we're particularly happy with the interpersonal aspects – the visitors, who show a lot of appreciation for our products, and also the show organisers. We were very well looked after. It was very well organised, and the atmosphere was great. We are absolutely delighted to be part of the CREATIVA family.” 

Dominique Köster, owner of JUKI Sewing Machines Schwaaba 

“We and especially our customers are delighted that CREATIVA is finally taking place again. As we're not a bricks-and-mortar retailer, CREATIVA is a great opportunity to engage and interact with customers in person. We were also able to present our products to great effect. Visitors proved to be very interested in them and were also able to test them out then and there. We're very satisfied.” 

Jaroslaw Milinewski, owner of Klötzchenmann 

“The visitors are enthusiastic. “After two hours, our display was sold out. As a Dortmund-based company, we were lucky enough to be able to make regular journeys to replenish stocks. It's just really fun to get to know the visitors. They have lots of interesting questions, connect with each other, join our social media platforms and demonstrate their enjoyment of the show. “We're already planning for the next CREATIVA. We got to know some exhibitors who are a great fit for us and sat down together to develop ideas on how various types of partnership might work. Visitors to the next CREATIVA will be able to see at first hand what that ultimately leads to. We're definitely looking forward to it.” 

Matthias, Designer and Managing Director of leonid matthias 

“The turnout took us completely by surprise because this is the first time we've been active at the show and in this part of Germany. Lots of visitors – and other exhibitors too – approached us, having heard and read about us in the show's preview reports, and were interested in specific products or generally curious. At this point, we want to say a big thank-you to the organisers who've taken great care of our needs and concerns in a friendly and helpful manner, answered all the questions we had and were responsible for the excellent publicity surrounding the show, something we've really benefited from. Our aim was to become better known as a brand and, of course, to sell product. We certainly achieved that in style at CREATIVA.” 

Kim Höweler, Product Designer at LIEBESREH PAPERCRAFT 

“I've wanted to exhibit at the show for years. Unfortunately, Covid ruled that out, but it meant we were looking forward to the show all the more this year. The CREATIVA NEO area offers a special place for smaller exhibitors and brings even more variety to the show. For me, CREATIVA is the best show in the Ruhr conurbation.” 

Ivonne Kraljevic, owner of PFAFF Husqvarna Singer Sewing Machines 

“We've been exhibiting at CREATIVA for 13 years now and are very happy that the show is finally being held again. The public footcount was very high. The visitors had a lot of catching up to do and were therefore very talkative. We feel totally at home here and will of course be back again next year.” 

Patrick Lingen, Business Unit Manager at Poil-Tape 

“CREATIVA is very exciting for us because we are normally active in the B2B sector, and this show gave us the opportunity to enter into contact with our ultimate consumers. That in particular was a nice change and was very interesting for us. CREATIVA enjoys a broad clientèle and covers many areas. We really liked it here.” 

Holger Dämmer, Sales Manager at Royal Talens 

“The visitors here are ready to buy and extremely hungry for knowledge. They have lots of questions about our products and are eager to get tips on craftsmanship, try everything out right away and take things home with them. As we offer free workshops, this is naturally a great fit, and the fact that many of the other exhibitors use our products gives us even more placement value. The organisation of the show was also surprisingly straightforward, from booking to stand support. That's not something we can say of other show venues. This year was our first time here, but we'll be very happy to be back in future.” 

Tim Töpfer, Customer Experience Manager at Schmetz 

“CREATIVA, gave us a great opportunity to create a presence for our company. We've been able to present ourselves to good effect here and cultivate contacts. Above all, we found talking with customers to be one of the great aspects. They were very inquisitive and were actively looking to talk. We enjoyed it very much and will be happy to come back next year.” 

Stefan Goldschmidt, owner of Salzwerk Berlin 

“Our focus is on selling. Here, we find new customers and also get to meet the regular customers again each year who want to renew their stocks. That's why CREATIVA's already in our diaries next year – as always.” 

Michael Weuthen, owner of Smart-Thread Meisterhafte Maschinengarne 

“We're completely thrilled with CREATIVA! Our aim was to raise awareness of our online brand, attract new customers and engage with the industry. This worked really well on the stand, and on top of that we were also able to give a presentation which was a great way to showcase our business. We love CREATIVA.”

Irene Katballe, Managing Director of Talens Denmark / Schjerning Farver 

“For us, CREATIVA was a good opportunity to position our brand on the German market. In this vein, we launched a new product during the show, and it was a huge success. The visitors were excited and inspired to try it out right away. The support from the organisers was also great, and we're over the moon with how it all went. We look forward to coming back next year.” 

CAKE & BAKE – what partners and exhibitors had to say 

Ross Antony 

“I have to say, I had heard that CAKE & BAKE is insane. A great community of baking maniacs, and I have to say it was even better than I thought it would be. Super Streusel and I really were welcomed with open arms and – you'll excuse the pun – our sprinkles collection really did sell like hot cakes. It was wonderful, and I'd love to come back!”

Margherita Ferrara, Cake Designer 

“The visitors were very happy with the courses I was able to give at CAKE & BAKE. I also enjoyed it very much. It feels like we're all one big family here. The atmosphere's been great. The visitors were very grateful for tips, and it's been really nice talking to them. But I want to say a special thank you to the team. The organisation was superb. They're all very understanding, open and always willing to help with questions. I've been part of CREATIVA for 5 years now, and I'm looking forward to next year.” 

Raheem Haidar, Cake Designer and Winner of TV bake-off show 'Das Große Backen' 

“CAKE & BAKE was a real highlight for me. It was just incredible. People were very interested, and you could tell how passionate they were about baking. The room was full of love, and the atmosphere was terrific. CAKE & BAKE is the best place to engage with other people. My recommendations and products were gratefully received. I was very touched by that. I'm really delighted with the way it all went.”

Kristina Rado, Cake Artist and Director of The International Federation of Pastry, Ice Cream and Chocolate 

“Above all, I am interested in the stories behind the people. Covid unfortunately meant I was only able to give my courses online. CAKE & BAKE was the perfect opportunity to meet people in person. It was very nice for me to meet familiar faces and friends here. There was a great family atmosphere here. The courses I was able to give at the venue all went down very well too. The show is just as great as it was before Covid.” 

Andrea Stieg, Senior Executive Manager at Dr. Oetker 

“We enjoyed CAKE & BAKE very much. We've been able to showcase our classic products and new products to great effect here. Customers were delighted with our proposition and were very eager to buy. That in particular is somewhat atypical in this day and age, and was a very pleasant surprise. They were particularly interested in our new products. The show we were allowed to put on was also very well received and well attended. We had a lot of fun and will definitely be back next year.” 

Patrick Dörner, Cake Maker and owner of Padi's Backwelt 

“The atmosphere was unique, and visitors were 'show-hungry'. My products were almost sold out from Day 1. But everyone was very friendly throughout and demonstrated patience during short waits at the stand. I also enjoyed the show very much, and the clientèle was very interested. It really couldn't have gone any better.” 

Steffen Kunz, Cake Engineer at SARACINO 

“Visitors had great appetites following the Covid pandemic and were really hungry for direct contact. They were in a great mood, and our products were very well received. The atmosphere was brilliant, and we're absolutely delighted with CAKE & BAKE.” 

Paul Willems, owner of Styropor Products 

“When we first exhibited at CAKE & BAKE, our goal was to increase brand awareness. We have achieved this objective. The visitors know us, and the atmosphere is great. This time we came with the intention of simply flying our flag, and that too has been a great success. We're really more than happy with the way the show went.” 

Diana Sichting, owner of Super Streusel 

“For us, CAKE & BAKE is really up there. With its location in Dortmund and the large catchment area, it really has the perfect location. At the show, we've been able to present our stand as we had imagined it. This layout was especially well received by visitors, and that's delightful, of course. Above all, the show was the perfect opportunity to present our new collection with Ross Antony in person. In combination with CAKE & BAKE, it was a match made in heaven. CAKE & BAKE was a superb show once again, and visitors were also extremely happy. We'll definitely be back next year.”