Event Brings Academia and Greenhouse, Vertical Farm, Urban Ag, Other CEA Business Sectors Together To SpurIndustry Collaboration, Innovation
DANVILLE, VIRGINIA (April 16, 2024) — The Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Summit East returns to the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) Conference Center in Danville, Virginia from October 1-2, 2024. Co-hosted by Indoor Ag-Con, the leading trade show and conference for the vertical farming | greenhouse | CEA sector, and the Virginia Tech-IALR CEA Innovation Center, a joint project of the IALR and Virginia Tech’s School of Plant and Environmental Sciences and Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center, the summit continues to serve as a premier platform for industry collaboration and innovation.
Building on the success of its 2023 edition, which attracted attendees from 33 US states, Canada, the Netherlands and Sweden, the 3rd Annual CEA Summit East is set to unite professionals once again from academia, business, and technology within the CEA industry. Attendees include greenhouse growers, urban agriculture operations, vertical farms, outdoor growers seeking hybrid growing opportunities, educators, scientists, Virginia Cooperative Extension personnel, suppliers, engineers, tech specialists, architects/ developers, government officials, and other industry members.
“Our partnership with the Virginia Tech-IALR CEA Innovation Center underscores our commitment to fostering an environment where industry leaders and academia come together to drive innovation and explore new opportunities within the CEA sector,” says Brian Sullivan, CEO, Indoor Ag-Con.
With a focus on facilitating meaningful connections and knowledge exchange, the summit will feature keynote presentations, panel discussions, networking/breakout sessions, and tabletop exhibits highlighting the latest advancements in CEA technology and practices. Attendees can also look forward to research facility tours, providing firsthand insights into cutting-edge research and development initiatives.
“The CEA Summit serves as a platform for showcasing the collaborative efforts between industry and academia in advancing CEA research and education,” adds Dr. Scott Lowman, Co-Director of the Virginia Tech-IALR CEA Innovation Center and Vice President of Applied Research at IALR. “We are eager to continue driving the momentum of the CEA industry and providing attendees with valuable opportunities for learning, networking, and growth.”
For more information on the 3rd Annual CEA Summit East, including registration, speaking and exhibit opportunities, visit the event website at www.ceasummit.com.
ABOUT INDOOR AG-CON
Founded in 2013, Indoor Ag-Con has emerged as the largest trade show and conference for vertical farming | greenhouse |controlled environment agriculture. Its events are crop-agnostic and touch all sectors of the business, covering produce, legal cannabis | hemp, alternate protein and non-food crops. More information, visit www.indoor.ag.
ABOUT THE VIRGINIA TECH – IALR CEA INNOVATION CENTER
The Virginia Tech-IALR Controlled Environment Agriculture Innovation Center is a joint project between IALR and Virginia Tech’s School of Plant and Environmental Sciences and the Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center. By developing strategic partnerships with both industry and academia, the goal of the Innovation Center is to conduct research and educational programming to develop, promote and advance the CEA sector in the U.S. and internationally. More information www.ialr.org/cea