2023 Agenda
Wednesday, October 11, 2023
11:30 AM - 4:00PM
Exhibit Hall Installation/Move In
4:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Registration Open
6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Welcome Reception
Sponsored by
Thursday, October 12, 2023
7:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Registration Open
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM
Continental Breakfast
8:00 AM - 8:15 AM
Opening Remarks
Mike Leonard, Publisher, FOOD ENGINEERING
Derrick Teal, Editor-in-Chief, FOOD ENGINEERING
8:15 AM - 9:15 AM
Keynote:
The Art of the Possible
Billy Gillispie, Client Delivery Partner, Microsoft
Technology is advancing at a rapid pace, and the impacts it’s having on food manufacturing can’t be understated. Those that are able to keep pace will be able to create efficiencies that make all the difference in an industry where pennies can be the difference between success and failure. From the Metaverse to ChatGPT and beyond, companies are putting these technological tools to their benefit to improve employee training and productivity and increase value through less downtime. This provocative multifaceted presentation will delve into the technology affecting food manufacturing and how companies have put it to work for them. More importantly, this session will share how to implement it and make it work for you.
Sponsored by
9:15 AM – 10:00 AM
Speaker Session
Jayme Laser, Director of Engineering, ConAgra
10:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Morning Refreshments and Networking Break
10:30 AM – 11:15 AM
Panel Discussion: How HPP is Helping Manufacturers Meet Consumer Trends
One of the effects of the pandemic has been an increased consumer focus on health. As such, numerous companies have turned to high-pressure processing (HPP) to meet the requirements that heat pasteurization can't offer. This panel brings together food and beverage processors with HPP experts to share their stories and to explain the benefits of HPP.
11:15 AM – 12:00 PM
FOOD ENGINEERING’s 2023 Sustainable Plant of the Year Award Presentation
Vital Farms Egg Central Station
Vital Farms' expansion of its Egg Central Station doubled the facility's size, and continued to build on both the new technology and conservation features emblematic of its original construction. Members of the project team will outline how the plan they put forth improved energy efficiency by 50% and conserves more that 700,000 gallons of water annually on a project on course for LEED Silver certification.
12:00 PM – 1:15 PM
Luncheon
12:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Exhibit Hall Open
2:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Expo Refreshment Break
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Solutions Theater Track A:
Sponsored by
Solutions Theater Track B:
Sponsored by
4:05 PM - 4:35 PM
Solutions Theater Track A:Avoiding Cross-Batch Contamination in Toll Blenders: Saving Time and Money by Replacing a Stuffing Box
Matthew Potvin, Mechanical Engineer & Head of Research and Development, Meco Seals
How clean is clean? From allergies to flavors and bacterial growth, cross-batch contamination can cause serious problems. Strong seasonings can leach into delicate flavors. Allergens can contaminate entire batches. Wet-washing a stuffing box to FDA cGMP is challenging. See how upgrading from stuffing boxes to mechanical seals can help.
Sponsored by
Solutions Theater Track B:
Benchmark International is a global M&A firm that provides business owners with creative, value-maximizing solutions for growing and exiting their businesses. Benchmark International has handled over $9.4 billion in transaction value across various industries from offices worldwide. With decades of M&A experience, Benchmark International’s transaction teams have assisted business owners with achieving their objectives and ensuring the continued growth of their businesses. The firm has been named the Investment Banking Firm of the Year by The M&A Advisor and the Global M&A Network as well as the #1 Sell-side Exclusive M&A Advisor in the World by Pitchbook’s Global League Tables.
Sponsored by
4:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Expo Cocktail Reception
Sponsored by
5:15 PM
Expo Game Winners Announced
Play the Expo Scavenger Hunt! Rules to play: Visit all exhibitors and scan the QR codes located in their booth. The first attendee to complete visiting all booths will win 1st place. Runner up receives 2nd place. Winners will be announced at 5:15 pm on the Expo floor. Must be present to win.
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Dinner & Scotch Tasting
Sponsored by
Friday, October 13, 2023
7:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Registration Open
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM
Continental Breakfast
Sponsored by
7:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Exhibit Hall Open
8:00 AM - 8:30 AM
Solutions Theater Track A:
Sponsored by
Solutions Theater Track B:Avoiding Cross-Batch Contamination in Toll Blenders: Saving Time and Money by Replacing a Stuffing Box.
Ravi Subramanyan, Director of Industry Solutions Manufacturing, HiveMQ
How clean is clean? From allergies to flavors and bacterial growth, cross-batch contamination can cause serious problems. Strong seasonings can leach into delicate flavors. Allergens can contaminate entire batches. Wet-washing a stuffing box to FDA cGMP is challenging. See how upgrading from stuffing boxes to mechanical seals can help.
Sponsored by
8:35 AM - 9:05 AM
Solutions Theater Track A:
Sponsored by
Solutions Theater Track B:
Sponsored by
9:10 AM - 10:00 AM
Keynote How To Use Foresights To Navigate Technology Drivers That Produce Products Consumers Want
Suzy Badaracco, President and CEO, Culinary Tides, Inc.
New products and messaging should evolve ahead of consumer behavioral changes, so they hit when consumers are their most receptive. Upcoming technology trends will be showcased, along with why they are occurring, where they are coming from, and how long they will last so the audience can strategically navigate them in the coming year. Foresight allows you to strategically navigate trends to get you to your own best answers more quickly and confidently.
10:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Morning Refreshments and Networking Break
10:30 AM - 11:15 AM
11:15 AM – 12:00 PM
FOOD ENGINEERING’s 2023 Plant of the Year Award Presentation
Clemens Food Group Hatfield Facility
Clemens Food Group's Hatfield North pork processing facility is this year's FOOD ENGINEERING Plant of the Year. This session will detail the project team's goals and challenges to create a sanitary, employee-focused processing facility of both raw and RTE products that simultaneously improved throughput and value to the company and its clients.
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Plant of the Year Luncheon
1:30 PM - 2:15 PM
2:15 PM - 3:00 PM
Meeting New Recordkeeping Requirements for FDA’s Food Traceability Rule
Liz Sertzl,Senior Director - Community Engagement, GS1
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (U.S. FDA’s) new Food Traceability Rule requires companies handling certain “high-risk” foods to keep additional records for greater traceability and food safety. The rule applies to nearly twenty categories of common foods on the FDA’s Food Traceability List. During this session, Liz Sertl and a GS1 US member company will break down best practices for recordkeeping to meet new traceability requirements, including Key Data Elements (KDEs) and Critical Tracking Events (CTEs) in the supply chain (growing, receiving, manufacturing or processing, transforming and shipping).
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
