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- Vertical Farming World Congress 2022
Vertical Farming World Congress 2022
Bringing together vertical farming operators, investors, suppliers and customers, this 3rd annual Vertical Farming World Congress is designed to help develop and advance the sector’s future. It is the most substantial dedicated event of the year, featuring two days of conference sessions, exhibits, local vertical farm tours, networking with key industry figures and presentation of the 2022 Vertical Farming World Awards. For new entrants as well as industry leaders.
Sponsors
About
Zenith Global’s Vertical Farming World Congress is the industry’s highest level and most significant dedicated event of the year.
After two successful years online, the 3rd annual Congress will be held in Brussels, Belgium – the heart of European policy-making.
Bringing together vertical farming operators, suppliers, investors, customers and advisers, the Congress will assemble key industry leaders from around the globe to debate and advance the sector’s future.
The three-day Congress will include presentations and panel discussions, visits to local vertical farming operations, a welcome drinks reception, extensive networking breaks and a gala industry dinner where the 2022 Vertical Farming World Awards will be presented.
Speakers include
Monday 19 September
Tours to local vertical farm facilities. Timings to be confirmed.
Informal social gathering around sponsor and exhibitor displays
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Tuesday 20 September
Sonny Ramaswamy, President Obama’s Director of National Institute of Food and Agriculture, United States, from 2012 to 2018
Professor Leo Marcelis, Head of Horticulture and Product Physiology Group at Wageningen University, Netherlands
Lambert van Horen, Senior Fresh Produce Analyst for Rabobank Research Food & Agribusiness, Netherlands
Erez Galonska, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Infarm, Germany
Questions and discussion
Refreshment and networking break around sponsor and exhibitor displays
Introduction by Thomas Zoellner, Secretary General of FarmTech Society, Belgium
Speaker to be announced
Questions and discussion
Panel discussion on key industry issues such as identity, standards, investment, growth, sustainability and communications
David Rosenberg, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of AeroFarms, United States
Darren Thompson, Chief Financial Officer of Bowery Farming, United States
Erez Galonska, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Infarm, Germany
James Lloyd-Jones, Chief Executive Officer of Jones Food Company, United Kingdom
Additional speakers to be announced
Lunch and networking break around sponsor and exhibitor displays
Speaker to be announced
Andreas Wilhelmsson, Chief Executive Officer of Ljusgårda, Sweden
Maarten Vandecruys, Founder and Chief Technology Officer off Urban Crop Solutions, Belgium
Rick Vanzura, Chief Executive Officer of Freight Farms, United States
Speaker to be announced
Questions and discussion
Refreshment and networking break around sponsor and exhibitor displays
Speaker to be announced
Tisha Livingston, Chief Executive Officer of Infinite Acres, United States
Hyeyeon Leo Kim, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of N.THING, Korea
Gary Grinspan, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Future Crops, Netherlands
Questions and discussion
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Wednesday 21 September
Conrad Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Stacked Farm, Australia
Tristan Fischer, Chief Executive Officer of Fischer Farms, United Kingdom
Alexandre Van Deun, Co-founder of Urban Harvest, Belgium
Andrew Carter, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Smallhold, United States
Questions and discussion
Gilles Dreyfus, Co-founder and President of Jungle, France
Clément Ray, Founder of InnovaFeed, France
John Diener, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Vertical Oceans, Singapore
Questions and discussion
Refreshment and networking break around sponsor and exhibitor displays
Thibaut Pradier, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of La Grangette, France
Jacob Pechenik, Founder of LettuceGrow, United States
Speaker to be announced
Speaker to be announced
Questions and discussion
Lunch and networking around sponsor and exhibitor displays
Join round tables of 5-10 delegates to discuss and advance policy debate on key industry issues of choice, such as Industry identity; Industry representation; Industry communications; Labelling claims; Key performance indicators and benchmarking; Recruitment and training; Nutrition; Sustainability
Plenary reports back from round tables
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Speakers
Sonny Ramaswamy
President Obama’s Director of National Institute of Food and Agriculture, United States, from 2012-2018
David Rosenberg
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of AeroFarms, United States
David Rosenberg co-founded and leads AeroFarms, an award-winning and mission-driven company revolutionizing agriculture through its advanced vertical farms and innovative technology platform.
David dedicates his time to several local and international organizations. As a member of the World Economic Forum, David co-founded and co-chaired the Young Global Leaders Circular Economy Taskforce and is a member of the World Economic Forum Global IoT Council. David was also a member of the U.S. delegation to the B20 Sustainable Food System Taskforce, which advises the G20. In addition, David serves as a Managing Trustee of New Jersey’s Liberty Science Center, a prominent U.S. interactive science museum, and is on the Board of Directors of Aspire, a leader in insect proteins, and Clara Foods, a leader in non-animal based egg proteins. David is a mentor at Endeavor, as well, where he helps impact entrepreneurs. David is the founder of Hycrete, a nano-technology company that he led between 2002-2009. David was previously an Adjunct Professor at the New York University Stern School of Business where he taught Entrepreneurial Finance. In 2017, David was privileged to co-chair New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s Agriculture Transition Committee. In 2020 David accepted an honor on behalf of AeroFarms for its leading work with the New Jersey Reentry Corporation in providing second chance opportunities to people previously incarcerated. David has been honored by the Liberty Science Center as a 2019 Genius Innovator, recognized as Ernst & Young’s (NJ) Entrepreneur of the Year (Food and Beverage) and was named one of the 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs at Goldman Sachs’ 2019 Annual Builders and Innovators Summit. In 2008, the World Economic Forum recognized David as Technology Pioneer for his nanotechnology company and in 2010 as a Young Global Leader.
David received his BA from UNC Chapel Hill and holds an MBA from Columbia University. He competed for the U.S. in fencing where he was a finalist at a world cup and represented the NYAC, winning three U.S. National Team Fencing Championships and two individual silver medals.
Darren Thompson
Chief Financial Officer of Bowery Farming, United States
Darren Thompson is the Chief Financial Officer of Bowery Farming, the Modern Farming Company on a mission to reimagine farming from the ground up.
By combining his passion for environmental sustainability and business, Darren plays a critical role in building and scaling Bowery’s business model so that the company can bring fresher, safer produce to more communities.
Darren brings with him more than 30 years of leadership experience in the financial services industry and building high-growth businesses. Before joining the Bowery team, he served as President of Spruce Finance, a leading tech-enabled consumer finance company working with the renewable energy industry. Darren was also a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs, where he raised more than $30 billion in capital for leveraged and emerging growth companies.
In addition to his role at Bowery, he frequently speaks on the subjects of global capital markets and entrepreneurial management. He appeared as a guest lecturer on entrepreneurial management at Cornell University’s The Johnson School of Business and spoke on financial markets at George Washington University’s graduate economics program.
Thomas Zoellner
Secretary General of FarmTech Society, Belgium
Tom Zoellner is a proven expert for innovative agri-tech initiatives in metropolitan spaces and has 25 years’ experience in agricultural consulting as well as in business development and sustainability in the food supply chain.
He is the co-founder and the secretary-general of the FarmTech Society based in Brussels after many years being part of the expert networks and policy development working groups in the US and the EU.
Tristan Fischer
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Fischer Farms, United Kingdom
Tristan Fischer is the green energy expert and visionary behind Fischer Farms, an independent business specialising in sustainable vertical farming.
The 4-acre site will house 25,000 m2 of growing space – enough to supply 6.5 tonnes of leaf salad, leafy herbs and other fresh produce to UK supermarkets every day – and will produce yields 250 times greater than conventional farms.
With a vision of transforming the future of farming through the latest vertical farming innovations, pioneering tech, and solar power, Tristan is set to achieve his ambition of delivering a scalable and more sustainable food production industry.
Throughout his career, Tristan has been involved in several large-scale clean energy infrastructure projects, and has worked with some of the world’s leading companies, such as Citigroup and Shell renewables. He has also supported some of the most promising SMEs, including Camco, which he listed on AIM, increasing shareholder value 6-fold.
Tristan was previously Chairman of University of Leeds spin-out, C-Capture, and Chairman and CEO of Lumicity, which developed over £145m of infrastructure assets in the UK agricultural sector, including solar projects and 179 biomass package plant rooms worth £25m for the poultry sector. He was board director of Dukosi Ltd, a smart battery company.
With a highly respected background in Agritech, other commercial interests have included FishFrom Ltd, a land-based salmon company; and Great British Prawns Ltd, a land-based shrimp company, both of which use Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) technology.
Tristan speaks passionately about resource depletion and climate change, the global balance of power, and the economic and societal challenges that face the world. His personal website, History Future Now explores these overlapping themes, looking at current events from a historical perspective, and contemplating the future.
As a sustainable farming evangelist, Tristan can provide thought leadership and commentary on topics including green energy, vertical farming and sustainable food production.
Rick Vanzura
Chief Executive Officer of Freight Farms, United States
Rick Vanzura is the CEO of Freight Farms, the pioneer and global leader in hydroponic vertical container farming technology.
Gary Grinspan
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Future Crops, Netherlands
Gary Grinspan is the Co-founder & CEO of Future Crops, a leading Israel-founded, Netherlands-based Vertical Farm.
Gary has 25 years of extensive experience in the food industry starting his career at Unilever and moving on to PepsiCo in senior positions. Gary’s driving force is about change and impact. He is passionate about technology and innovation and started researching Vertical Farming as of early 2014. In 2016, Future Crops was founded as a mission driven company with the ambition to establish a radically different sustainable food supply chain.
The roots of Future Crops are embedded into deep plant science. Researchers from the worldwide known Israel’s Agricultural Research Organization (ARO) were an integral part of the team that developed Future Crops’ cutting-edge technology, which is currently operating one of the largest vertical farms in Europe, while expanding globally.
Furthermore, Gary is also an active social entrepreneur on a volunteer basis. He has been promoting collective impact projects to solve large national challenges in partnership with Governmental institutions, mainly in the medical sector.
Erez Galonska
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Infarm, Germany
Erez is co-founder and CEO of Infarm, the world’s largest cloud-connected farming network.
Today, the Infarm network produces millions of plants a month for 50% of the world’s largest retailers in Asia, Europe and North America. Infarm’s tech-driven, modular approach tailors production to customer demand, uses 95% less land and 95% less water, and travels 90% less than industrial farming.
Under Erez’s leadership, Infarm has recruited an industry-leading team and developed cutting-edge R&D to help cities become self-sufficient in their food production, while significantly improving the quality and environmental footprint of food.
Erez has been recognized by the European Commission as one of Europe’s top innovators in agriculture and technology.
Tisha Livingston
Chief Executive Officer of Infinite Acres, and Co-founder of 80 Acres Farms, United States
Tisha Livingston began her career in the food industry over twenty years ago. Since then, her roles have introduced her to every aspect of the industry—from finance to logistics and operations to engineering to research and development.
Clément Ray
Founder of InnovaFeed, France
Clément Ray is Co-founder and CEO of Innovafeed, an innovative biotechnological company that produces a new source of proteins from insects (Hermetia Illucens) for animal feed in general and for aquaculture more specifically.
Prior to founding Innovafeed, Clément worked as a project leader at McKinsey & Company where he specialized on economic development in Europe and Africa and more specifically on agricultural growth strategies.
He is a graduate from Columbia University (US) and Ecole Centrale Paris (France).
James Lloyd-Jones
Chief Executive Officer of Jones Food Company, United Kingdom
James founded Jones Food Company in October 2016 having been introduced to technology via a feature on ‘Tomorrow’s World’.
The JFC growing estate continues to expand as the company broke ground last year on what will become the world’s largest vertical farm.
James does not have a traditional horticultural background, allowing him to come to the field with a pragmatic business mind, priding himself on trying lots of things very quickly and scaling on a phenomenal level. He predicts that vertical farming could provide 70% of the UK’s fresh produce within the next 10 years.
Gilles Dreyfus
Co-founder and President of Jungle, France
Thibaut Pradier
Chief Executive Officer of La Grangette, France
Thibaut Pradier is a visionary entrepreneur with a track record of professional success in various fields such as the music industry, hotel and event management services, and the construction industry before creating La Grangette.
Since then, society has changed considerably: today, few people are willing to put in that much effort and there’s much less space available. I’m convinced that, one day, our kitchens will have indoor vegetable gardens and that these will become standard features – just like fridges and washing machines are today."
Jacob Pechenik,
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of LettuceGrow, United States
Jacob Pechenik is a passionate entrepreneur who’s built a career around questioning and improving industry status quos.
Andreas Wilhelmsson
Chief Executive Officer of Ljusgårda, Sweden
Andreas Wilhelmsson is the CEO of Ljusgårda. He started his first company at 17 and by the time he hit 20, he was appointed one of Sweden’s 101 super talents by the esteemed Swedish magazine Weekly Affairs.
In the end of 2017 Andreas was invited to visit a vertical test farm in a garage on the Swedish countryside, where basil and thyme was growing and thriving out of a rainwater pipe. That was the start of what was to become Ljusgårda. Today Andreas is leading the impressing upscaling of the lettuce factory attracting a world class team of advisors, experts and investors.
Hyeyeon Leo Kim
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of N.Thing, Korea
Leo Kim is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of N.Thing.
It developed the world’s first modular vertical farm ‘CUBE’ which is easy to expand. N.THING CUBE is a modularized farm with mass productivity where a dedicated OS provides the most optimized environment for each crop so as to create maximized efficiency.
N.THING is the world’s first smart farming company that won the iF Design Award, Architecture in 2020. Also, it is a winner of Best of Innovation at the CES 2020 for its excellence in technology, which is the first ever in the agricultural field. N.THING is planning to expand its business on a large scale this year after it successfully completes the PoC process in the U.A.E.
Prior to founding N.Thing, Leo Kim worked as an Associate Researcher at KETI (Korea Electronics Technology Institute) and was an International Business Development Manager at MSC, a Korean greenhouse manufacturer.
Lambert van Horen
Senior Fresh Produce Analyst for Rabobank Research Food & Agribusiness, Netherlands
Lambert van Horen is working as a RaboResearch senior analyst in Utrecht. His focus is on CEA and floriculture.
Before joining Rabobank, he worked at the Agricultural Economics Research Institute of Wageningen University) and the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture. Lambert holds a master’s degree in horticulture from Wageningen University.
Andrew Carter
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Smallhold, United States
Andrew Carter is Co-Founder and CEO of Smallhold, a commercial mushroom farm in Brooklyn, Austin and soon California that leverages technology to distribute its growing footprint into retail, grocery and hospitality settings.
Andrew is widely regarded as a thought leader in indoor agriculture, with focus on mushrooms, commercial hydroponics, and greenhouse production.
Conrad Smith
Chief Executive Officer of Stacked Farm, Australia
Conrad has over 30 years experience in the food service sector. As CEO of Alpha Flight Services Australia, he presided over Australia’s largest airline caterer with revenue of $500million, a national footprint of 13 kitchens and over 2,000 staff.
Maarten Vandecruys
Founder and Chief Technology Officer off Urban Crop Solutions, Belgium
Maarten Vandecruys is the Founder and CTO of Urban Crop Solutions. After graduating from Vlerick Business School in 2014, he started-up Urban Crop Solutions.
As the industry advances into more sectors beyond directly-for-consumption plants, the time is already ripe for the indoor farming pioneers to scale their businesses. Today, Urban Crop Solutions offers complete end-to-end indoor farming solutions, supporting their clients with contract research trials, business planning, as well as the engineering and construction of indoor farms. Their own award-winning indoor farming solutions can be commissioned and scaled anywhere in the world, from remote islands to crowded metropoles. The state-of-the art UCS Research Centre houses multiple growth chambers in which the team of plant scientists develop recipes for applications ranging from staple foods to space exploration missions.
Alexandre van Deun
Co-founder of Urban Harvest, Belgium
Alexandre is the co-founder of Urban Harvest, an engineering company active in the development of vertical farming technology with a focus on strawberries, cutting propagation and leafy greens.
After his law degree, Alexandre pursuit a master’s in general management and a master’s in finance. Before launching Urban Harvest, he was active in supply chain and treasury at a multinational company.
John Diener
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Vertical Oceans, Singapore
John Diener is a driven entrepreneur with a passion for food sustainability. In 2020 he co-founded Vertical Oceans, a vertical aquaculture system revolutionizing seafood production using cutting-edge technologies.
John completed his BA in Economics with Honors from the University of Chicago in just three years. He later obtained an MSc in Sustainable Aquaculture from the University of St. Andrews while working full time as CEO of Gold Coin / SyAqua. With an insatiable curiosity, John constantly explores new technologies applied to food sustainability. He lives in Singapore with his wife and two young girls equally passionate about the ocean and its conservation.
Professor Leo Marcelis
Head of Horticulture and Product Physiology Group at Wageningen University, Netherlands
Professor Dr Leo Marcelis is head of the chair group Horticulture and Product Physiology at Wageningen University, The Netherlands.
Location
As the administrative centre of the European Union, the Belgian capital of Brussels is at the heart of European policy-making. Not only is it a major focus for international politics, but the city also offers an inspiring mix of historic architecture and modern-day attractions.
The Steigenberger Wiltcher’s is a 5-star hotel located on the exclusive shopping promenade Avenue Louise. With 267 rooms and suites, it features stylish interiors and high-class comforts, a fitness room, swimming pool and spa.
For delegates wishing to book accommodation, an allocation of rooms is available at negotiated rates on a first-come, first-served basis. Please book online via this link.
The Steigenberger Wiltcher’s is located 17 kilometres from Brussels Zaventem Airport - a journey which takes between 20-40 minutes – and 3 kilometres from the Brussel-Centraal train station.
Address: Steigenberger Wiltcher’s, Av. Louise 71, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium
| Pay by 22 Jun Super saver rate (limited) | Pay by 22 Jul Early booking rate | Pay by 19 Sep Standard booking rate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full Congress | Each delegate | €990.00 | €1,090.00 | €1,190.00 |
| Concession* | €390.00 | €440.00 | €490.00 | |
| Separate elements | 19 Sep tours/reception | €390.00 | €440.00 | |
| 20 Sep conference | €690.00 | €790.00 | ||
| 20 Sep awards dinner | €190.00 | €240.00 | ||
| 21 Sep conference | €490.00 | €590.00 |
*A concession rate is offered to start-ups and early-stage entrepreneurs. To be eligible, you must have annual sales below €1 million. For more information and to book at this rate, please contact events@zenithglobal.com
Substitutions will be accepted at any time. Cancellations will be subject to €150 + VAT administration charge per delegate and cannot be made after 22 July. Bookings are subject to Zenith Global Event Terms and Conditions, available here.
All delegates must pay VAT at the prevailing rate in Belgium. The rate may be subject to change.
Visas may be required from some countries. Zenith Global will be happy to help with visa support and document where possible.
Awards
The industry's only Vertical Farming World Awards are designed to celebrate excellence and innovation across the global industry.
The awards are a great way for you to attract validation for present and potential future investors, enhance your brand and ensure your product, concept or campaign is recognised on an international scale.
The awards will open for entries on 18 May and run until 5 August 2022. Winners will be announced at a gala industry dinner on 20 September, during the Vertical Farming World Congress 2022 in Brussels.
The categories
Crops
- Best Crop Innovation
- Best Crop Enhancement
- Best Yield Improvement
Technology
- Best Lighting Development
- Best AI/Automation Development
- Best Climate Control Innovation
- Best Farm Design Innovation
Sustainability
- Best Energy Efficiency
- Best Sustainability Initiative
- Best Community Initiative
Commercial
- Best Brand Marketing
- Best Retail Innovation
- Best at Home Innovation
- Best New Business
Products can be entered into multiple categories.
To register your interest in the awards, please visit the awards page on our website or contact awards@zenithglobal.com.
Sponsorship
Our event and awards sponsorship packages offer a unique and effective opportunity to showcase your brand and services to a highly relevant audience.
You can choose from our Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze sponsorship packages, or we can create a custom sponsorship package to suit your specific needs and budgetary requirements.
Sponsorship opportunities include:
- Presentation within the main event programme
- Opportunity to host a workshop, roundtable or drinks reception
- Exhibit display in the networking area
- Distribution of marketing material / product samples
- Delegate passes
- Discounted delegate access for your clients
- Branding across event collateral, including stage backdrop, lectern and programme
- Logo on event webpage hyperlinked to your website
- Sponsored email communication to all attendees
- Sponsored social media posts
- Regular mentions in Zenith Global's event marketing and press releases
- Discounts on Zenith Global market reports and discounted access to our Globaldrinks.com database.
For information and pricing, please contact Francesca Hall, Associate Director - Events
e fhall@zenithglobal.com t +44 (0)1225 327900
