One of Petfood Forum’s primary draws is its educational sessions held throughout the tradeshow 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 2024’s opening keynote on April 30 will bring Daniel Levine, director of the Avant-Guide Institute, to the stage.
Author of more than 20 best-selling books and regular TV and radio guest, Levine’s insights will guide pet food producers and professionals in understanding approaching trends and turbocharging their innovation. A perfect way to kickoff your 2-day educational experience!
On May 1, Tamar Ghandour, founder of LaunchStreet, will take the stage for the Wednesday eye-opener session, “Moving at the speed of innovation: Amplifying human capital for business breakthroughs.” In her interactive session, she will show you how to harness your greatest competitive advantage — your unique Everyday Innovator style — to outmaneuver and outperform others in today’s high-pressure, cluttered landscape.
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.
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 30 and at 9:30 am on May 1.
Petfood Tech Talks were among the most well-attended sessions in 2023 with many presentations at standing-room only. In 2024, 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 17 sessions to choose from and they get started on Tuesday and Wednesday at 9:50 am. Stay and see them all or pick the ones most relevant to your job.
Educational tracks focused on the market, ingredients and nutrition, processing, and food safety and regulatory updates
After lunch, the learning continues. Petfood Forum 2024’s agenda includes four educational tracks taking place via five concurrent sessions each on the afternoon of April 30. If you are looking for specific knowledge in a single category (pet food market, ingredients and nutrition, processing, or safety and regulatory), you’re in luck! You can simply choose a room and settle in for the afternoon of education.
Concurrent sessions: Tuesday, April 30, 1:30-4:10 pm
- The pet food market and marketing innovations in room 2505
- Ingredients/nutrition: Alternative pet food proteins, the microbiome in room 2502
- Innovations in pet food processing in room 2504
- Pet food safety and regulatory updates in room 2503
But maybe only a couple of sessions in a given track sound interesting, or maybe you want to focus on two different topics: say processing and safety. No problem; the sessions for each track fall into standardized time slots, so you can easily attend the 1:30 pm processing session, “Enhancing pet food operational excellence and efficiency through innovative optimization approaches” and then sit in on the 2 pm regulatory session, “Pet food FSMA compliance: Glance to the past, look to the future.”
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. ARPAS members receive 9 credits for attending Petfood Forum and 6 credits for attending Petfood Essentials.
Ask the Pet Food Pro panel discussion: Making sustainable pet food
Stick around for the closing panel discussion on May 1 happening at 1 pm at the Tech Talk Stage. A panel of experts from Packaged Facts, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Wilbur-Ellis, Morris Packaging and Earth Animal will discuss best practices, success stories, challenges and consumer perceptions. This is your chance to ask questions about how to start or advance your company’s own sustainability journey. It’s a session you won’t want to miss!
BONUS CONTENT: Petfood Essentials
Want a full day’s education on pet treats? Check out Petfood Essentials. This interactive, informal educational pre-conference seminar, held the day before the opening of Petfood Forum, will take a deep dive into the pet treat market discussing what’s new and what’s next.
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 30. And once you’re at Forum, make use of the Guide available when you pick up your badge and the Petfood Forum 2024 mobile app, which gives you the ability to plan your day and set reminders so you don’t miss a session!
