Kicking Off Day 1 of the CEAg World Conference and Expo
September 5, 2024 Growers, researchers and industry professionals in controlled environment agriculture (CEA) all gathered in the Raleigh Convention Center for the inaugural CEAg World Conference and Expo on August 27, 2024. There wasn’t an empty seat in Ballroom A as everyone waited for Bob Jones, CEO and co-founder of The Chef’s Garden, to give his opening keynote speech.
Bob Jones giving his keynote speech at the CEAg World Conference and Expo.
Jones has been an ag industry leader for decades, garnering national attention for his farm in Huron, Ohio. As a grower who grows in outdoor fields and greenhouses, Jones appealed to the high- and low-tech operations attending the event. He takes pride in using regenerative farming practices, which can be applied in both indoor and outdoor operations.
“Regenerative farming is about healthy soils growing healthy plants, healthy people in a healthy environment,” he said. “And it doesn’t matter if you grow outdoors or indoors.”
Once he concluded his speech, attendees were eager to connect and network with each other during the networking break between 9 and 9:30 a.m. EST. Everyone seemed to take Jones’ biggest piece of advice: “Many times, the best information you’re gonna get is from the hallway conversations.”
Learning and Networking From Start to Finish
Following the allotted half-hour networking break, panel discussions and speeches began in both ballrooms. Some attended the production and technology sessions in Ballroom BC, others attended business sessions in Ballroom A, and conversations between exhibitors and fellow growers took place around the convention center.
Throughout the day, there were 13 sessions focusing on production, technology and business in CEA. In addition, there was an hour-long networking lunch, roundtable talks and opportunities to speak with 46 exhibitors.
Attendees mingle during the hour-long networking lunch.
“The CEAg World show has been great thus far,” said Peter Maher, director of global sales and marketing at Harvest Today. “It’s only the first day, but we’re getting lots of good leads and business to come.”
Meaningful connections were made for growers as well. “There have been a lot of great talks. I’ve been able to meet lots of different vendors and build relationships,” said Ben Sword, a grower at Greenswell Growers.
There were notable speakers and panelists on both sides of the convention center, many of whom were featured in CEAg World Insights. This includes Nadia Sabeh, Ph.D., Jennifer Waxman, Grant Anderson, and more. For a complete overview of each session and speaker names, check out the events page of our website.
The first day of the conference concluded with a happy hour from 5:20 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. For attendees hoping to network or extend their conversations from earlier in the day, there was an “after hours” meetup at 9:00 p.m.