Petfood Forum 2017 was held on April 3-5, 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. This year’s exclusive three-day conference and exhibition celebrated its 25th anniversary, and attracted approximately 3,000 pet food professionals, and close to 280 exhibitors, surpassing the 2016 attendance figures.
Industry professionals in attendance included representatives from Affinity Pet Care S.A., The J.M. Smucker Co., Blue Buffalo, Cargill, Champion Pet Foods, Diamond Pet Foods, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Mars Petcare, Merrick Pet Care, Nestlé Purina, Nippon Pet Foods, BrightPet, Perfect Companion Group, Royal Canin, Unicharm, and others.
During the event, attendees were provided numerous opportunities to network and conduct business during nightly receptions, time on the sold-out Exhibit Hall floor and through a new Connect feature on the Petfood Forum app. Attending and exhibiting companies were also able to make connections with students to discuss job or internship openings, during two receptions held in the new “Future of Pet Food Pavilion”. This year’s Student Program showed significant growth compared to previous years, with nearly twenty universities represented.
Year after year, attendees flock to Petfood Forum not only for the invaluable networking, but for the chance to learn from globally recognized experts. The 2017 lineup of educational sessions consisted of 40 different presenters, covering a variety of topics, such as tips to marketing to millennials, questions to ask novel ingredient suppliers, protecting your company against legal costs and financial losses, and much more. Included in the list of presenters were keynote speakers, Randi Zuckerberg and Temple Grandin, PhD. Zuckerberg opened Petfood Forum 2017 on April 4, with a session highlighting the significant role social media has on a company’s success. Grandin closed the show with her keynote on animal behavior at the end of the day on April 5.
In addition to the education gained through technical sessions at Petfood Forum 2017, a more interactive learning format was offered through Petfood Innovation Workshop, held on April 3. Nearly 200 attendees signed up to participate in six stations, led by top pet food industry researchers and suppliers, with each one focusing on sensory analysis, palatability or consumer insights. Stations were designed to spur high engagement, through activities such as a consumer insights panel experience in the form of a “Pet Family Feud” competition.
Event organizers have announced that Petfood Forum 2018 will once again be held in the Kansas City Convention Center in Kansas City, Missouri on April 23-25, 2018. Kansas City is at the heart of the Animal Health Corridor, which is home to more than 300 animal health companies. Be sure to mark your calendar and check back soon for event details!
Upcoming Petfood Forum events include: Petfood Forum Europe on June 13 in Cologne, Germany, Petfood Forum China in Shanghai on August 23, Petfood R&D Showcase on October 10-12 in Manhattan, Kansas, and Petfood Technology Workshop Mexico on December 4-5 in Mexico.
