Schedule

• 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.

Breakfast Buffet and registration

• 8:05 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Combating Turnover and Retaining Top Talent

Frank Niles, Ph.D., BSM Partners

The pet food and treat industry is highly competitive, which makes sourcing great talent difficult. By building a strong culture and investing in leadership training, you can reduce turnover and keep your workforce strong.

• 9:00 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.

THE INNOVATION CHALLENGE: PUTTING THE CONSUMER AND PET AT THE CENTER OF PRODUCT DESIGN

Greg Kean, Wellness Pet Company

The pet food landscape has evolved — from ingredient trends, product forms and nutritional science to the rapidly shifting expectations of pet parents. With consumer behavior increasingly mirroring that of human food trends, this session will examine what today’s pet owners are really looking for and how to meet those demands with purposeful, science-backed innovation.

• 9:45 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

Coffee and Networking Break

• 10:15 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

The Quest for Sustainable Packaging

Allison Reser, Pet Sustainability Coalition

With the vast majority of pet food packaging ending up in landfills, it’s crucial for the industry to explore solutions to reduce its environmental impact. This session will translate key sustainability initiatives into achievable action items, focusing on the role of packaging in creating a more sustainable future.

• 11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

Supply Chain Logistics and Industry Economics

Jim Ritchie, RedStone Logistics

The pet food supply chain is a complex network encompassing raw ingredient sourcing, manufacturing, quality control, logistics and distribution. Discover what economic factors are influencing the industry and how manufacturers can better navigate market fluctuations.

• 11:45 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.

Lunch and Networking

• 1:15 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Biotic Ingredients and Their Influence on Pet Wellness

Marcial Guevara,, Ph.D., Novonesis

Prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics are important emerging ingredients being incorporated into a range of pet foods and treats, offering benefits for digestion, skin health, mood, cognition and overall wellbeing. Find out what makes these ingredients so important and how formulators are incorporating them into new pet products.

• 2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.

Prioritizing Food Safety, Quality and Compliance

Lindsay Meyers, Primal Pet Foods

Keeping pet foods safe for its four-legged consumers is a top priority for all pet food processors. But how can food safety, quality and compliance work together to strengthen a pet food processing operation?

• 2:45 p.m.– 3:15 p.m.

Coffee and Networking Break

• 3:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

State of the Industry Panel: Key Challenges Facing Pet Food and Treat Producers

Moderator:
Michael Johnson, BSM Partners

Panelists:
Jim Holdrieth, Muenster Milling
Worth Turner, CompletePet

From labor shortages and immigration issues to food safety concerns and evolving ingredient and labeling regulations, a range of challenges are keeping pet food and treat manufacturers up at night. Join industry representatives as they share insights on these pressing issues in a dynamic panel discussion, followed by audience Q&A.

• 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Cocktail Reception