Schedule

• 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.

Continental breakfast and registration

• 8:05 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Shaping the Future of Pet Nutrition and Consumer Expectations

Consumer expectations, retail dynamics and ingredient innovation are rapidly reshaping the pet food landscape. This keynote address explores the macro trends influencing product development — from functional nutrition and premiumization to sustainability, transparency and the evolving definition of the modern pet parent.

• 9:00 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.

AI’s Role in Modern Pet Food Production

Artificial intelligence (AI) is being applied across pet food production to improve consistency, enhance food safety, reduce waste and drive smarter decision-making. This session offers practical insights into real-world use cases, emerging technologies, and key considerations for implementing AI in manufacturing operations.

• 9:45 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

Coffee and Networking Break

• 10:15 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

From Prevention to Response: Managing Food Safety Incidents in Pet Food Manufacturing

Food safety incidents demand fast, coordinated action across operations, quality, legal and communications to protect pets, brands and business. This session delivers practical guidance on recall prevention, mock recall execution and real-time response planning, including how processors can align internal teams and communicate effectively to maintain trust during a recall. Processors will leave better equipped to manage both the execution and the external response to any food safety incident.

• 11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

Protecting Margins in a High-Cost Environment: Smarter Investment and Operational Tradeoffs

This session examines how pet food and treat manufacturers can make smarter business decisions to balance automation, expansion, efficiency, capacity and product mix while protecting profitability in today’s high-cost environment. Attendees will gain actionable insights into aligning financial investments with long-term operational performance and competitive positioning.

• 11:45 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.

Lunch and Networking

• 1:15 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Tariffs and Trade Barriers: Navigating Global Pet Food Commerce

International commerce presents a powerful avenue for brand growth and market diversification in the pet food industry. This session examines how shifting trade policies, tariffs and geopolitical pressures impact ingredient sourcing and finished goods distribution around the globe.

• 2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.

Beyond Extrusion: Emerging Capabilities in Pet Food Manufacturing

As consumer demand and product innovation expand beyond traditional kibble, pet food manufacturers are investing in new processing technologies that enable greater flexibility, differentiation and quality control. This session will explore these advancements and demonstrate how they can impact throughput, food safety, capital investment and product innovation.

• 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: Challenges, Pressures and the Path Forward

Pet food and treat manufacturers are navigating a dynamic landscape shaped by labor constraints, food safety requirements, evolving ingredient and labeling regulations, and increasing sustainability pressures. In this State of the Industry panel, industry leaders will offer candid insights on the forces influencing operations, profitability and growth — and what they see ahead for the future of the pet food sector.

• 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Cocktail Reception