DANVILLE, VIRGINIA (September 15, 2025) — The fourth annual Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Summit East welcomed 260 attendees from 34 U.S. states and 8 countries — including Brazil, Canada, El Salvador, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Uganda — to the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) in Danville, VA, September 9-10, 2025.
Co-hosted by Indoor Ag-Con and the Virginia Tech–IALR CEA Innovation Center, the Summit united a diverse audience of growers, educators, scientists, Extension personnel, suppliers, technology specialists, and government leaders for two days of high-value learning, networking, and industry exchange.
“We’re proud to see how the CEA Summit East continues to grow in the quality and diversity of participants and programming,” said Brian Sullivan, CEO, Indoor Ag-Con. “From growers and educators to technology providers and policy leaders, the connections made here are critical to advancing the industry.”
“Hosting the Summit alongside our partners at Indoor Ag-Con allows us to spotlight the groundbreaking research and collaborations happening right here at IALR and beyond,” added Dr. Scott Lowman, Vice President of Applied Research at IALR and Co-Director of the CEA Innovation Center. “The exchange of ideas and experiences at this year’s event was inspiring, and we look forward to building on this momentum.”
The event kicked off with a VIP Welcome Reception on September 8, hosted by Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matthew Lohr on the rooftop of the Historic Bee Hotel in downtown Danville. This exclusive gathering gave speakers, exhibitors, and invited guests the opportunity to connect ahead of the two-day program.
Engaging Keynotes & Educational Tracks
Day one opened with the keynote “Cultivating Sustainable Growth,” moderated by Inside Grower’s Jennifer Polanz, featuring Secretary Lohr and Ben Alexander, CEO, Pluck’d. On day two, “Automation in Action: How Virginia Growers are Putting Tech to Work” took center stage, moderated by Paul Brentlinger, CEO, Crop King, Inc., with insights from Carl Gupton, CEO, Greenswell Growers, and John McMahon, CEO, Equinox Growers.
Throughout both days, attendees could choose from deep dive breakout sessions across educational tracks, including CEA Skills, Business, and Education/Outreach & Workforce Training. Sessions covered timely topics ranging from farm operations and labor management, plant pathogen ID and food safety, to environmental controls and sensors, successful CEA degree programs, budgeting for CEA production, and more.
The always-popular CEA Industry & Research Showcase Sessions returned, offering quick-hit presentations spotlighting new research, grower success stories, and innovative solutions shaping the future of the sector.
Tabletop Exhibits
The Summit’s sold out tabletop exhibit space showcased a wide range of CEA solutions, from greenhouse structures and environmental control systems to automation technologies, packaging, lighting, and nutrient solutions. Attendees had ample opportunities to explore the offerings during coffee breaks, networking sessions and the opening day reception. Participating companies included Priva, GrowSpan, Dalsem, Koppert, Green Food Solutions, JASA, Jiffy, Berger, SGS, Jack’s Nutrients, and Sollum Technologies, among others. These displays gave participants hands-on exposure to the latest innovations supporting productivity, efficiency, and growth in controlled environment agriculture.
Networking & Grad Student Poster Competition
Networking highlights included daily lunch, coffee breaks and a reception at the close of day one, which brought attendees together with tabletop exhibitors for drinks and hors d’oeuvres in the Atrium of IALR.
The CEA Summit’s Annual Graduate Student Poster Competition continued its mission of supporting the next generation of talent, giving emerging researchers a platform to showcase their work and connect with industry leaders. Presented by Dr. Kaylee South, Virginia Tech and Praveen Gajula, Graduate Research Assistant, Virginia Tech, this year’s winners were:
• First Place: Success Okafor, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
• Second Place: Lauren Lindow, University of Florida
In addition to celebrating these outstanding students, the CEA Summit also featured a special Scholarship recognizing the contributions of Extension Personnel. The Cooperative Extension system plays a vital role in supporting greenhouse and vertical farm producers — identifying their needs, sharing research, and providing practical solutions that drive the CEA industry forward. The CEA Summit Extension Personnel scholarship program covered registration fees for 6 specialists to attend the 2025 edition.
Tours of the CEA Innovation Center
The Summit concluded with guided tours of the CEA Innovation Center, a collaboration between IALR and Virginia Tech. Attendees explored both greenhouse and vertical farming environments, gaining a firsthand look at the research, science, and technology that are fueling real-world CEA solutions.
Plans are already underway for the 2026 edition of CEA Summit East. Details and dates will be announced soon at www.ceasummit.com.
About Indoor Ag-Con
Founded in 2013, Indoor Ag-Con is the largest trade show and conference for greenhouse, controlled environment agriculture and vertical farming. The event covers all crop types and brings together growers, tech providers, researchers, and business leaders to explore trends and innovations shaping the future of food production. For more information, visit www.indoor.ag
About the CEA Innovation Center
The CEA Innovation Center is primarily housed in Danville, VA on the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) campus and in Blacksburg, VA on the Virginia Tech main campus. It is a joint project between Virginia Tech and IALR to serve the growing controlled environment agriculture industry. It addresses the needs of the industry with research, education, and extension programs. For more information, visit www.ceaic.org