Indoor Ag-Con, the premier trade show and conference for indoor vertical farming and controlled environment agriculture, welcomed growers, suppliers, tech companies, startups, and others back for its in-person edition held October 4-5, 2021 at the Hilton in Orlando.
Delighted by the chance to return to a face-to-face gathering, 398 industry members came to the 2-day event to explore the newest innovations in 52 booths on the expo floor; attend 17-panel presentations, keynotes, and fireside chats with 60 speakers; and enjoy a variety of networking events.
“As our first in-person event since the Covid pandemic, we're thrilled with so many aspects of this edition -- including a larger expo floor and notable upticks in our grower, supplier, start-up, tech, construction, and other attendee sector numbers,” said Brian Sullivan, owner and partner of Indoor Ag-Con. “The feedback we’ve gotten from our exhibitors around the meaningful contacts, connections, and new business they generated here has been incredible."
“The energy on the show floor, in the educational sessions, and networking events exceeded all our expectations,” adds Nancy Hallberg, owner and partner of Indoor Ag-Con. “Everyone was so happy to have the chance to step away from the computer screen, onto the expo floor, and into meeting rooms to see old friends and make new ones. There’s just nothing like a live event for fostering those chance meetings and encounters, quality networking opportunities, and invaluable information exchanges. It's good to be back!”
The many highlights of the 2021 Show in Orlando show included:
Indoor Ag-Con | Signify Welcome Party | October 3
Indoor Ag-Con and Signify lit up the October 2021 edition of Indoor Ag-Con on Sunday, October 3, with a Welcome Party at the Kalera Hycube Harvest Terrace in the World Marriott Center, Orlando. Attendees had the chance to network with industry friends, enjoy cocktails & hors d'oeuvres, and see and learn more about Kalera at the place where it all began.
Three CEO Keynote Sessions:
David Rosenberg, CEO of AeroFarms kicked off Indoor Ag-Con with the opening morning keynote with his session, "Indoor Agriculture and the Power Of Partnership." Later that day, Austin Webb, CEO of Fifth Season, led the keynote session, "A New Category of Freshness." Mike Zelkind, CEO of 80 Acres Farms, led the day two keynote session, "Maturing the Industry," on Tuesday, October 5.
Panel Discussions & Fireside Chats
Attendees were able to choose from an array of panel discussions featured within Business & Marketing, Science & Technology, and Alternative Crops tracks. Fireside chats included discussions with Ralph Fritsche, Space Crop Production Project Manager at NASA; Greg Ferrara, President of the National Grocers Association; and Don Taylor, CEO of AmplifiedAg, Inc. In addition, other sessions included a Women in Ag panel, a Hydroponics panel, a cannabis program moderated by Chris Walsh, CEO of MJBiz, and much more.
Sold Out Show Floor
The 2021 edition's sold-out show floor brought together some of the top brands in the business, as well as a number of emerging companies, representing everything from lighting and control systems to irrigation, substrates, pest management, and more.
Networking
From lunch and cocktail parties on the show floor to "After Parties" hosted by Native each evening at the nearby Pub Orlando, attendees and exhibitors had countless opportunities to mix, mingle and connect with each other during the 2-day event.
Check our photo report here.
Next edition
The next edition of Indoor Ag-Con will be February 28 - March 1, 2022 at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show will co-locate with the National Grocers Association (NGA) Show, the leading trade show and conference for independent grocers, offering even more networking and business opportunities. The NGA Show and Indoor Ag-Con visitors will have access to all exhibits, and discounts will be available for cross-over educational event attendance. Look for more details coming soon.
About Indoor Ag-Con
Founded in 2013, Indoor Ag-Con has emerged as the premier trade event for vertical farming, indoor agriculture, the practice of growing crops in indoor systems, using hydroponic, aquaponic, and aeroponic techniques. Its events are crop-agnostic and touch all sectors of the business, covering produce, legal cannabis, hemp, alternate protein, and non-food crops. In December 2018, three event industry professionals - Nancy Hallberg, Kris Sieradzki, and Brian Sullivan - acquired Indoor Ag-Con LLC., thus setting the stage for further expansion of the events.
