Petfood Forum is a global event, drawing pet food industry members from all over the world. Over three days, attendees can attend interactive pre-conference seminar, walk the trade show floor, sit in on educational sessions, and participate in several formal and informal networking opportunities.
For a first-time attendee, it can be overwhelming to decide just how to get the most out of such a multifaceted experience.
Getting started
Have you registered yet? If not, there are multiple options to ensure you get to experience everything you’re aiming for. Whether you want full access or are just visiting for a day to check things out, Petfood Forum has the right registration for you.
Among the options:
- Petfood Forum and Petfood Essentials Combo Pass: This is the complete package, giving you access to the full calendar of Forum and Essentials events.
- Petfood Forum 2-Day Pass: Can’t make it to Essentials? Get a pass to Forum alone, and gain access to all networking events, the trade show floor and educational sessions for the entirety of the conference.
- Petfood Essentials Only: If you’re on a tight schedule and want to participate in a day of interactive sessions focused on “Pet treats on the rise: What’s new and what’s next,” this one’s for you!
- Petfood Forum Day Pass: Choose a day and attend all the available education sessions, as well as having full access to the trade show floor.
- Petfood Forum Exhibit Hall-Only 2-Day Pass: If you aren’t interested in the educational sessions but would still like to hit the trade show floor, you can get this pass and spend a day of your choosing during the show interacting with more than 375 industry exhibitors, including suppliers, co-packers and service providers.
- Student 2-Day Pass: Interested in learning what the pet food industry is all about? If you’re a student, you can gain access to everything Petfood Forum has to offer, including all networking opportunities, speakers, educational sessions and the exhibit hall.
Once you’ve registered, you’ll need to turn your attention to logistics. We have an entire section devoted to ensuring you can quickly and easily make hotel accommodations (with links to take advantage of our special conference room rates), plan for transportation once you’re on the ground in Kansas City, and find the best area parking.
Managing your time at Petfood Forum
Petfood Forum is an immersive mix of networking and education. If you want to do it all, it will take some planning to ensure you don’t miss out. For pre-planning purposes, the full agenda and speakers list is published, with a day-by-day breakout of sessions and a separate tab for the Petfood Essentials schedule.
Prior to the show, Petfood Forum will release a downloadable mobile App that includes the full show schedule, along with the option to create a customizable personal schedule to ensure you don’t miss anything.
Education for all skill sets and job functions
You’ll want to take particular note of keynotes and general sessions — they tend to be quite popular and if you want a good seat, it’s best to show up a few minutes early!
The conference will kick off on April 30 with an opening keynote by Daniel Levine, director of the Avant-Guide Institute, a global trends consultancy, who will provide insights for pet food producers and professionals to help them understand approaching trends and turbocharge their innovation.
Continuing the focus on innovation, on May 1, Tamara Ghandour, founder of LaunchStreet and creator of the Innovative Quotient Edge assessment, will guide audience members in using this tool to unlock their innovative minds.
The concurrent session tracks for 2024 are The pet food market and marketing innovations; Ingredients/nutrition: Alternative pet food proteins, the microbiome; Innovations in pet food processing; and Pet food safety and regulatory updates.
If your interest is strongly in one of these categories, you can settle in the appropriate room and spend the day learning about the latest information and research on your chosen topic. But make sure you take a look at the sessions happening on each track, just in case — the timing of the sessions ensures that you can jump tracks as much as you’d like, sitting in on a nutrition session and then switching rooms to a processing talk if it catches your eye.
And be sure to stay until the end because the closing panel discussion is one not to be missed! Hear from industry experts as they discuss pet food sustainability including the best practices, success stories, challenges and consumer perceptions. This is a great opportunity to ask questions about getting started or advancing your company’s sustainability journey.
Navigating the expo hall
Find everything you need, from ingredients that cater to the latest nutritional trends to packaging that will make your brand stand out. In the exhibit hall, you’ll see firsthand the most advanced resources for pet food ingredients, packaging, processing equipment, safety, quality and sanitation solutions, services and software, and testing available.
Start by making a list of which companies are a must-visit! Pro tip: reach out to these companies ahead of Petfood Forum to introduce yourself and schedule a time to meet in their booth.
If you’re not sure where to begin, start in the first aisle (Aisle 600) and walk your way across the show floor ending in aisle 2800. Be sure to wear comfy shoes!
See what products and capabilities will give your brand the competitive advantage in the Tech Talk Stage. 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 attendees with maximum opportunities to see what’s next in pet food technologies.
And that’s just the start to all the things happening on the the show floor. You’ll also have the opportunity to meet with students who are conducting companion animal research, support pet charities, and network during an evening reception, coffee breaks and lunches.
Additional pre-show planning musts
- Set your goal(s) for your time at Petfood Forum. Is networking your primary aim? Take note of all the social opportunities Forum provides so you can make the most of them. Are you looking for education? Stay on top of the various session tracks and plan your time accordingly. Whatever your focus, having a goal will help you navigate the show in the most effective way possible.
- Set up appointments ahead of time. Petfood Forum provides plenty of networking opportunities in larger group settings, but both the convention center and the surrounding area of Kansas City’s Power & Light District also provide endless opportunities for smaller group or one-on-one meetings. Whether you prefer to do business over drinks, in a conference room or at a restaurant, your options are abundant.
- Plan some time for yourself. If it’s your first time at Petfood Forum, there’s something to be said for just taking it all in. Make sure you give yourself time to walk the trade show floor, enjoy a good meal at one of the many excellent restaurants in the surrounding area and wander the conference center layout. There’s a lot to see and do at both the show and in Kansas City — take advantage!
