“New Product Development Journey” theme of 2018 Petfood Innovation Workshop

“New Product Development Journey” has been announced as the theme for the interactive 2018 Petfood Innovation Workshop, focusing on the process that a business experiences during new product development with an emphasis on the stages of innovation. This unique hands-on workshop will take place the day prior to the commencement of Petfood Forum on April 23, 2018 at Kansas State University Olathe in Olathe, Kansas.

During Petfood Innovation Workshop 2018, attendees will learn the tricks, tips and traps to avoid during the product development cycle, for the successful launch of new products. Suppliers of ingredients, equipment and technologies, along with their expertise, can provide a needed boost to speed to market. These supplier-sponsors will provide interactive technical and creative thoughts on how to best deal with some of the key challenges in getting the product from the drawing board to store shelves and into pets’ homes. The 2018 Petfood Innovation Workshop sponsors include AFB, Diana Pet Food, Extru-tech, Ingredion, IsoNova and The Peterson Company.

The event activities will kick-off at the Kansas City Convention Center with an opening session presentation by James Restivo, director of client development at Nielsen. Restivo will share insights on how health and wellness trends are shaping pet innovation and renovation. Then, Greg Aldrich, PhD, research associate professor and coordinator for the pet food program at Kansas State University will discuss the new product development map in pet food.

Here’s a quick preview of the hands-on stations:

  • Learn how pet food flavor validation influences product launch – presented by AFB
  • Creating “feel good” recipes to please pets and parents – presented by Diana Pet Food
  • Developing new products for extruded production – presented by Extru-tech and The Peterson Company
  • Discover how adjustments can be utilized to address issues, problems and trends – presented by Ingredion
  • Selecting, testing, implementing and validating functional ingredients – presented by IsoNova
  • Mapping the path forward to successful new product development – presented by NQV8 and Kansas State University

View the Workshop agenda.

Registration is available now for Petfood Innovation Workshop and Petfood Forum. To ensure the quality of the workshop demonstrations, space is limited.

Petfood Forum is scheduled for April 23-25, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. This must-attend event, includes a three-day agenda packed with opportunities to network on a global scale, learn the latest in pet food trends and conduct business.