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One of Petfood Forum’s primary draws is its educational sessions held throughout the trade show and conference each year. With multiple “tracks” available, the ability to attend sessions from more than one track, and the trends and data-focused keynote sessions and panel discussion, any Forum attendee is going to have a wealth of educational options at their fingertips.
Keynotes
Petfood Forum 2026’s opening keynote on April 28 will bring Kevin Ryan, Ph.D., CEO of Malachite Strategy and Research, to the stage.
is presentation, Next-gen premium: The consumer trends rewriting pet food innovation, will examine how premiumization has evolved beyond price points and ingredient lists to encompass purpose, experience and cultural values. Ryan will explore how trends from human food, wellness, beauty and luxury retail are reshaping consumer expectations for pet products, offering actionable strategies for innovation pipelines heading into 2026. A perfect way to kickoff your 2-day educational experience!
On April 27, Ryan Estis, a bestselling author and former Fortune 500 chief revenue officer, will demonstrate how category-leading companies have aligned employees around common purposes to deliver exceptional experiences that serve as competitive differentiators.His presentation, The art of standing out: Leveraging remarkable experiences and experimentation to create brand evangelism, will address how personalization, AI-enabled automation and on-demand services are transforming customer expectations.
More to learn on the expo floor
After the opening keynote sessions are over, head to the expo hall to visit with suppliers or continue learning.
Petfood Tech Talks were among the most well-attended sessions in 2025, with many presentations at standing-room only. In 2026, we’ve expanded the program to add even more sessions providing you with maximum opportunities to see what’s next in pet food technologies. There are 24 sessions to choose from and they get started on Tuesday and Wednesday at 9:20 am. Stay and see them all or pick the ones most relevant to your job.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, you can access the latest academic research paving the way for the pet food industry. Students will begin their presentations at 9:45 am on April 28 and at 9:30 am on April 29.
Educational tracks focused on the market, ingredients and nutrition, technolgy and food safety and regulatory updates
After lunch, the learning continues. Petfood Forum 2026’s agenda includes four educational tracks taking place via four concurrent sessions each on the afternoon of April 28. If you are looking for specific knowledge in a single category (pet food market, ingredients, nutrition, sustainability, safety or technology ), you’re in luck! You can simply choose a room and settle in for the afternoon of education.
Concurrent sessions: Tuesday, April 28, 1:30-4:15 pm
- Today’s pet food market. The first section will explore how pet owners’ eating habits influence what they feed their pets, the AI marketing advantage and what’s next in cat trends, while the second section will dive deep into the future of pet food retailing with a panel discussion with the experts.
- Alternative and sustainable pet foods. This track explores how the pet food industry is innovating through flexible feeding formats, freeze-drying technologies, clean-label preservation, and sustainable ingredient sourcing—including upcycled materials and whole-animal utilization—to create higher-value, efficient and environmentally responsible pet food products that align with evolving consumer preferences.
- Pet food regulatory, safety and technology. This session track examines how regulatory changes, clean-label preservation strategies, oxidation control, digitalized auditing, and AI-driven analytics are reshaping pet food safety, product development, and business decision-making across global markets.
- Pet nutrition and ingredient research. This track explores emerging science and supply considerations shaping pet health nutrition, including microbiome and gut–brain axis innovations, botanical and postbiotic behavioral support, nutrient supply chain risks, and evolving insights into the nutritional needs of aging pets.
But maybe only a couple of sessions in a given track sound interesting, or maybe you want to focus on two different topics: say ingredients and safety. No problem; the sessions for each track fall into standardized time slots, so you can easily attend the 1:30 pm ingredients session, “Calming canines naturally: A gut-brain axis approach using a Lactobacillus postbiotic” and then sit in on the 2 pm safety session, “Natural antimicrobial strategies for fungal control and shelf-life extension in semi-moist kibble.”
Whatever your educational goal is at Petfood Forum, we have you covered! Check out the full agenda ahead of time to see what sessions are under each track.
Petfood Forum is the only ARPAS-credentialed event for eligible professionals in pet food. In 2026, ARPAS members receive 14 credits for attending Petfood Forum and 8 credits for attending Petfood Essentials.
Closing panel discussion: Hot topics
Stick around for the closing panel discussion on April 29 happening at 1:30 pm at the Tech Talk Stage. Join representatives (panelists to be announced) as they discuss the industry’s hottest topics, and answer your questions. It’s a session you won’t want to miss!
BONUS CONTENT: Petfood Essentials
Want a full day’s education on optimizing your pet food business? Check out Petfood Essentials. This interactive, informal educational pre-conference seminar, held the day before the opening of Petfood Forum, will provide practical tips and suggest tools and technologies, including AI, to control costs, streamline operations, optimize formulations and supply chains, and manufacture efficiently, whether on your own or through a co-manufacturer.
A separate registration is required. Purchase the Petfood Forum 2-Day & Petfood Essentials Combo pass for the best value and the full educational package.
Making the most of it
Whatever you want to hear about at Petfood Forum, odds are there’s a track or a session for you. From overall trends data to a focus on a specific emerging trend, you can find what you need and fit it into your busy convention schedule. Make sure to check the full schedule online ahead of time so you can hit the ground running on April 27. And once you’re at Forum, make use of the Guide available when you pick up your badge and the Petfood Forum 2026 mobile app, which gives you the ability to plan your day and set reminders so you don’t miss a session!