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- Vertical Farming World Congress 2023
Vertical Farming World Congress 2023
Bringing together vertical farming operators, investors, suppliers and customers, this 4th 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 Vertical Farming World Awards 2023. For new entrants as well as industry leaders.
Sponsors
About
Zenith Global's Vertical Farming World Congress is the highest level and most significant dedicated industry event of the year.
Bringing together vertical farming operators, investors, suppliers and customers, the 4th annual event in London will again assemble key industry leaders from around the globe to debate and advance the industry's future.
There will be two days of conference sessions, where industry leaders, innovators, suppliers, advisers and investors will share their insights through a series of presentations, interviews and interactive panel discussions, in addition to a welcome drinks reception, industry policy round tables, extensive networking breaks and a gala industry dinner where the Vertical Farming World Awards will be presented.
Programme highlights include:
- Presentations and panel discussions with over 30 industry-leading operators, innovators, suppliers, advisers and investors, covering the latest industry trends and developments, profitability, new VF techniques and crop opportunities, sustainability, innovation, branding and marketing.
- Extensive opportunities for networking, including a welcome drinks reception and dedicated breaks across the three-days.
- Market development industry policy round tables to encourage the collaborative progression of the industry.
- Gala industry dinner with presentation of the 2023 Vertical Farming World Awards.
Speakers include
Monday 9 October
Tuesday 10 October
Peter Bachmann, Managing Director – Sustainable Infrastructure at Gresham House, United Kingdom
Professor Derek Stewart, Director of the Advanced Plant Growth Centre at James Hutton Institute, United Kingdom
Professor Francesco Orsini, Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences at Bologna University, Italy and Convenor of VertiFarm 2024
Questions and discussion
Refreshment and networking break around sponsor and exhibitor displays
Panel discussion on key industry issues such as market opportunity, consumer appeal, political support and sustainability
Tristan Fischer, Chief Executive Officer of Fischer Farms, United Kingdom
James Lloyd-Jones, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Jones Food Company, United Kingdom
Conrad Smith, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Stacked Farm, Australia
Panel discussion on key industry issues such as market opportunity, consumer appeal, political support and sustainability
Craig Ratajczyk, Chief Executive Officer of Crop One Holdings
Rick Vanzura, Chief Executive Officer of Freight Farms
Tisha Livingston, Chief Executive Officer of Infinite Acres and President of 80 Acres
Lunch and networking break around sponsor and exhibitor displays
Tom Könisser, Business Development Manager at Philips Horticulture LED Solutions
Kate Hofman, Co-founder and Director of Brand and Strategy for GrowUp
Farms, United Kingdom
Bob Gunn, Chief Executive Officer of Seinergy, United States
Masaru Iwase, Senior Manager of Business Development for Spread, Japan
Tom Stenzel, Executive Director of CEA Alliance, United States
Questions and discussion
Refreshment and networking break around sponsor and exhibitor displays
Shaun Peiffer, Commercial Innovation Manager International Space Station National Laboratory, United States
Robert Morrow, Lead Plant Scientist for Sierra Space, United States
Associate Professor Caitlin Byrt, Science Adviser to Lunaria One, Australia
Questions and discussion
Joakim Rytterborn, Chief Technologist for Swegreen, Sweden
Geraldo Maia, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Pink Farms, Brazil
Daniele Benatoff, Founder of Planet Farms, Italy
Questions and discussion
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Dr Philip Lee, Chief Executive Officer of Evolve International Dubai
Pilot Project review of all world’s vertical farm technologies
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Wednesday 11 October
Dr Philip Lee, Chief Executive Officer of Evolve Growing Solutions, United Kingdom
Questions and discussion
Dr Sairam Reddy Palicherla, Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of UrbanKisaan, India
Willem Jonkman, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Hortigold, Netherlands
James Dashwood Chase, Founder of BAZ & CO, United Kingdom
Dr David Meszaros, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Smartkas, Netherlands.
Questions and discussion
Refreshments and networking break around sponsor and exhibitor displays
Andreas Wilhelmsson, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ljusgårda, Sweden
Kate Hofman, Founder and Chief Brand Officer of GrowUp Farms, United Kingdom
Questions and discussion
Dr. Jennifer Bromley, Chief Scientific Officer of Vertical Future, United Kingdom
Jack Farmer, Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of LettUs Grow, United Kingdom
Jack Leung, Founder of Agrician, Hong Kong
Questions and discussion
Lunch and networking break around sponsor and exhibitor displays
• Workforce skills
• New crops
• Energy costs
• New technology
• Distribution
• Nutrition and health
• Communications
• Sustainability
Plenary reports back from round tables
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Speakers
Professor Derek Stewart
Director of the Advanced Plant Growth Centre at The James Hutton Institute, United Kingdom
With a career initially as a drug designer at Fisons Pharmaceuticals, Derek has been embedded in natural products throughout his career.
For over 30 years Derek has worked at the industry-academia interface and has led (and continues to lead) multiple (inter)national multiparter projects that, to date, total ~£300M: all supported by a H index of 65. As director of the APGC he oversees the novel research, development and innovation around crops grown in CEA/VF. Allied to the APGC, Derek is also on the boards of several agritech SMEs.
Jack Leung
Founder of Agrician
Jack Leung is the founder of Agrician, a Hong Kong-based vertical farming company founded in 2021 providing premium fresh produce for local community with a subscription model and promoting urban farming social benefits to the public.
James Dashwood Chase
Founder of BAZ & CO, United Kingdom
Growing up on a farm in Herefordshire, James has a deep connection to his farming roots. Since Chase Distillery, he’s been on a mission to grow a new future for male skincare using the most potent ingredients grown in vertical farms.
Tom Stenzel
Executive Director of CEA Alliance, United States
Tom Stenzel is Executive Director of the Controlled Environment Agriculture Alliance.
• Strong food safety standards and best practices for indoor-grown produce
• Public policy advocacy to ensure legislators and regulators understand CEA production and support its growth as an important part of climate-smart agriculture and sustainability
• Education and training for CEA growers and supply chain partners
• Development of metrics and measurement tools for growers to communicate their sustainability and the benefits of their operations
• Communication of the benefits of CEA production to the media, retail and foodservice companies, and consumers
Tom served as President & CEO of the United Fresh Produce Association for 29 years, then helped launch the International Fresh Produce Association combining United Fresh and the Produce Marketing Association. He served as Co-CEO of IFPA through March 2022, before forming his own consulting business The Stenzel Group LLC.
Tom is a frequent speaker on industry issues, and currently works with industry leading companies and associations in strategic management, market development, government affairs, customer relations, and adoption of new technologies.
Craig Ratajczyk
Chief Executive Officer of Crop One Holdings (FreshBox Farms)
Craig Ratajczyk joined Crop One Holdings in 2020 as the Chief Executive Officer to lead this company to its next stage of growth and execution of its JV with Emirates Airlines to build the world’s largest vertical farm in Dubai, UAE.
Dr Philip Lee
Chief Executive Officer of Evolve Growing Solutions, United Kingdom
A commercial farmer in his early years with degrees in Waste Energy Food systems integration, Soil Science, and seven years PhD development of Advanced Sustainable Food production systems design.
Tristan Fischer
Chief Executive Officer of Fischer Farms
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.
Peter Bachmann
Managing Director – Sustainable Infrastructure at Gresham House, United Kingdom
Peter is Managing Director of Gresham House’s Sustainable Infrastructure division and Fund Manager for our British Sustainable Infrastructure Fund (BSIF) strategy.
Prior to Gresham House, Peter led the investment and exit of the Sustainable Infrastructure-focused Environmental Capital Fund (ECF) for SEP, one of Europe’s most successful VC firms.
With over 21 years of public and private equity investment, development and fund management experience, including two top-decile infrastructure fund exits, he has invested into and exited over 200 infrastructure and technology companies across all sectors with an equity value of over £1.7bn and capital value of c.£5.5bn.
Peter has had board member roles on over 60 investee companies and is a Senior Associate of the Cambridge Institute of Sustainability Leadership (CISL). Peter is also an active investor in early-stage sustainability companies.
He holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) with honours and two further Bachelor degrees in Finance (BFin) and Commerce (BCom), all from the University of Adelaide, and is a proud graduate of CISL’s Business Sustainability Management programme.
Kate Hofman
Founder and Chief Brand Officer of GrowUp Farms, United Kingdom
Kate began her career in technology consulting with IBM. She founded GrowUp nine years ago after discovering vertical farming during her MSc in Environment Technology & Business at Imperial College London.
In 2019, they joined forces with a project partner, bringing together indoor growing with expertise in renewable energy integration and experience building large-scale infrastructure projects. The two teams combined and Marcus Whately took over the CEO role from Kate.
This made GrowUp unique - cracking the biggest challenge in vertical farming - energy. With an energy model that breaks the reliance on electricity, the business uses renewable heating and cooling for most of its energy requirements. At its latest farm, Pepperness, this represents a 40% reduction in operating cost compared to Unit 84.
In December 2021 the team closed an investment round exceeding £100m with Generate Capital, a sustainable infrastructure company, accelerating delivery of GrowUp Farms' energy-efficient vertical farms and their ability to bring their taster, longer-lasting salads to supermarket shelves at everyday prices.
Kate's personal passion, alongside food that doesn't cost the earth, is business as a force for social change. As Brand Director, she's responsible for the company's external brand and marketing, and also for creating a company that lives and breathes its values and is the best place to work in the industry.
Willem Jonkman
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Hortigold, Netherlands
Tisha Livingston
Chief Executive Officer of Infinite Acres and President of 80 Acres, 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.
James Lloyd-Jones
Founder and 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.
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Jack Farmer
Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of LettUs Grow, United Kingdom
Jack Farmer is the Co-Founder and Operational Lead of LettUs Grow, a start-up using innovative aeroponic technology to design the next generation of indoor farms.
Andreas Wilhelmsson
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ljusgårda, Sweden
Andreas Wilhelmsson, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Ljusgårda, and his team are reshaping sustainable agriculture with circular indoor ecosystems that consistently achieve best in class yields.
This year, Ljusgårda has reached another milestone by successfully launching an exciting new brand that clearly differentiates them from normal sallad and emphasizes their key advantages. Andreas is leading the company’s rapid growth journey, attracting a world class team of advisors, experts and investors.
Associate Professor Caitlin Byrt
Science Adviser to Lunaria One, Australia
Shaun Peiffer
Commercial Innovation Manager International Space Station National Laboratory, United States
Orchestrating Space-Age Partnerships to Elevate Life on Earth. As the Commercial Innovation Manager at the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, Inc., Shaun is not just a bridge-builder—he is an architect of revenue-generating alliances.
With a dynamic career spanning over two decades in military and public service, Peiffer has cultivated a diversified skill set in program management and business development. His illustrious experience includes tenures with the U.S. Departments of Justice, Defense, and State, as well as the Marine Corps, offering him unparalleled insights into navigating complex, high-stakes ecosystems.
Originally hailing from Philadelphia, Peiffer attended The George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs. His educational credentials also feature an honors bachelor's degree from American Public University and an MBA from George Mason University's School of Business.
Outside the professional arena, this Marine Corps veteran is a CrossFit enthusiast and avid outdoorsman, often seen adventuring with his faithful canine companion, Benji. A dedicated community servant, Peiffer continuously channels his leadership capabilities towards meaningful volunteer initiatives.
Geraldo Maia
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Pink Farms, Brazil
Meet Geraldo Maia, an industrial engineer who is passionate about innovation, sustainability, and food.
Tom Könisser
Business Development Manager at Philips Horticulture LED Solutions
Tom Könisser is Business Development Manager at Signify (Philips), specializing in Indoor Farming (City Farming).
Tom is a guest lecturer at HAS University and WUR University, the Netherlands, on the topic of Indoor Farming.
Daniele Benatoff
Founder of Planet Farms, Italy
Born and raised in Milan, Daniele achieved a BSc in Economics cum laude at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
Bob Gunn
Chief Executive Officer of Seinergy, United States
Bob Gunn is enhancing ecological sustainability and business resiliency for controlled environment agricultural businesses. Equipped with an energy analyst background, Bob founded Seinergy in 2013 to test new ways of connecting industry with funding.
Robert Morrow
Lead Plant Scientist for Sierra Space, United States
David Meszaros
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Smartkas, Netherlands.
Dr. David Meszaros established SMARTKAS in 2020 to provide Food Security As A Service.
One month after establishing SMARTKAS, the agtech was awarded first prize in each of the three categories it entered – ‘Best Innovative Startup', 'Best Agriculture' and 'Best SME' – at the Startup Olé Innovation Against The Virus, organized by the Spanish government. In 2021, Dr. Meszaros ranked in the prestigious Forbes 30 under 30 list and the following year attended its coveted annual Residency Program in Bermuda.
Driven by a desire to feed the world, it is Dr. Meszaros’ goal for SMARTKAS to be present in all countries around the world; become a dominating power of plant artificial intelligence & data; and establish fully automated, community farms managed by local farmers in impoverished countries who are able to sell their proceeds independently.
Prior to establishing SMARTKAS, Dr. Meszaros led the successful completion of 43 projects with the European Union, providing solutions for renewable energy, smart cities, blockchain, drones, robotics and AI.
Masaru Iwase
Senior Manager of Business Development for Spread, Japan
After 10 years working for an FMCG company in Japan, Masaru moved to the vertical farm industry. Masaru started his career working in sales for five years, before moving into a new business team focussing on exports and imports.
Conrad Smith
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Stacked Farm, Australia
Conrad has over 30 years experience in the food service sector.
Joakim Rytterborn
Chief Technologist for Swegreen, Sweden
Joakim is a Vertical Farming Consultant with extensive knowledge in how to design, construct and run a vertical farm. He is currently working on designing and improving Swegreen's hardware, which is offered to its customers as Farming as a Service.
Previously, Joakim led the Plantagon R&D processes, managed R&D organisations, and ensured the transfer of new know-how and technology to staff, working-groups or departments. As Head of R&D, Joakim worked with research, development, and implementation of methods for growing food in closed loop systems, smart energy systems and reutilization of urban resources.
Joakim's expertise includes integration of connected systems within urban functions e.g. surplus energy, heat spillage, water efficient techniques and reuse of organic waste. He has a unique knowledge of what’s really working on the Urban Agriculture-arena and is the Swegreen technical challenge-solver.
Professor Francesco Orsini
Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences at Bologna University, Italy and Convenor of VertiFarm 2024
Dr. Francesco Orsini is a full professor at the Dept. of Agricultural and Food Sciences (DISTAL), University of Bologna, Italy.
Dr Sairam Reddy Palicherla
Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of UrbanKisaan, India
Dr. Sairam is a passionate researcher and entrepreneur, aimed towards developing environmentally safe and sustainable agricultural technologies.
He is the Co-Founder of Urbankisaan, a vertical farmning company, and currently he is leading the R&D and production oprations. Urbankisaan is specialized in growing Indian vegetables in Hydroponics and focussed primarily on decentralized micro-vertical farms attached to retail outlets. Urbankisaan is listed in the top 10 most influential projects in India for the year 2020 by Project Management Institute. Recently Urbankisaan was also awarded “Start-up of the Year 2021” by Economic Times."
Dr. Jennifer Bromley
Chief Scientific Office of Vertical Future
Dr Jen Bromley, Chief Scientific Officer at Vertical Future, has 17 years of experience in applied plant science. Her PhD from the University of Cambridge in Developmental Botany has led to a career spanning academia and industry.
Post-event access
For those of you who were unable to join us at this year's event in London, we are pleased to announce that post-event access for this year’s industry-leading event is now available!
With our post-event access packaged you can view recordings of all conference sessions and panel discussions on 10 & 11 October, and access PDF downloads of all presentations delivered at the event.
Programme highlights include:
- Market overview and outlook with Bologna University, Gresham House and James Hutton Institute (Advanced Plant Growth Centre)
- America leadership panel with 80 Acres, Crop One, Freight Farms and Infinite Acres
- International leadership panel with Fischer Farms, Jones Food Company and Stacked Farm
- Realising profitability with Resource Innovation Institute and Spread
- New techniques for space exploration with International Space Station (NASA), Lunaria One and Sierra Space
- World tour - key developments with Pink Farms, Planet Farms and Swegreen
- Sustainability and Circularity with Evolve Growing Solutions
- New crop opportunities with BAZ & CO, Hortigold, Smartkas and UrbanKisaan
- Branding and marketing with GrowUp Farms and Ljusgårda
- Elevating innovation with Agrician, LettUs Grow, Pigmentum and Vertical Future
To register, please click here or contact events@zenithglobal.com.
| Pay by 9 Oct Standard booking rate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Livestream conference sessions (10 & 11 October) | Each delegate | £240.00 |
| Student* | £120.00 |
As a post-event access attendee, you can view recordings of all conference sessions and panel discussions on 10 & 11 October and access PDF downloads of all presentations.
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*A student rate is available for attendees with a valid student ID. Students will need to be registered through their University or sponsored by a company due to VAT regulations. For more information and to book at this rate, please contact events@zenithglobal.com
Testimonials
"Not just another 'conference' but a diverse curation of cutting edge thinking and hard hitting ideas. This is THE industry event." Jay Desan, BoomGrow
“A great event with an excellent organization team behind and a good choice of topics. Outstanding moderator in the Q+A sessions.” Christine Zimmermann-Loessl, Association for Vertical Farming
“A great gathering of industry leaders to discuss innovation, challenges and future steps. Excellent opportunity for networking and identifying market opportunities.” Pavlos Poullaidis, Viscon Group
“Insightful. Pertinent. Will definitely be back! Great job to the organising team.” Pierre Swaelas, Yasai
“A must for anyone in the vertical farming space” Ron Mitchell, Clayco
"Great conference for high levels of information, as well as, detailed information on CEA.” Melanie Corey-Ferrini, 3.14DC
“I found the conference very valuable and the level of speaker’s world class. Great work.” Fotis Fotiadis, Better Origin
“A truly excellent and well organised event, with a great line up of speakers and topics, not to be missed.” Harriet Duncalfe, Berrygardens Ltd
“Excellent service delivery. Focused on achieving more with less.” Akan Ukwak, EnvisioGlobal
“I attended this event for gaining knowledge on CEA for my automation company serving the auto and fulfilment industry. Should we peruse this opportunity? Yes.” Robert Rodriguez, Alternative Engineering
“The organisation of the Congress was spotless. Richard is an outstanding MC, keeping the discussion engaging and interesting.”
"A great incite to the vast differences between the world of vertical farming and how each company has a lot of differences and at the same time a lot of similarities. Good to network with other people. Can't wait for it to be in person." Linzi Naisbitt, Light Science Technologies
“I've attended the Congress as an external operator (not currently involved in VF) and found it extremely informative. Excellent platform to establish connections and networking too.” Martino Picotti, Proriented
"It was an amazing experience to meet the industry leaders and understand the current trends of the industry."
“The host from Zenith asked clear and concise questions and it was enlightening to see vertical farmers of all business sizes and technologies bring experience, expertise and skills to the screen.” Innovation Agri Tech.
"We got sound feedback from the speakers, fund managers as well as industry leaders and start ups of their challenges and the information guided by Richard Hall's unique way of brining the best out of everyone. It simply works." Leo Lobato Kelly, Karma Verde Fresh
"It was my first time at Vertical Farming World Congress and it was amazing. A well planned event and good panellists/presenters. Lots of great takeaways. Thank you very much!"
“The congress was well organized -everything went smoothly. Topics were diverse and engaging, and they managed to conduct virtual tours of the farms which I found fascinating." Semillar Translations
"Great line-up of speakers and topics"
"Richard is a great panel leader. He knows his subject, lets panellists talk without disruption and allows them to exchange opinions without overlapping the subject or allocated time. Very impressed.” Josephine Favre, The African Association for Vertical Farming (AAVF)
"An excellent platform to interface with the leading companies globally in this new industry." Porohita Projects Ltd
Photos
Location and accommodation
Location
The Vertical Farming World Congress 2023 will be hosted at the Leonardo Royal Hotel London City, located in the heart of London, just a stone's throw from the Tower of London and Tower Bridge.
The 4-star venue offers panoramic views of the city, a smart, modern interior and unbeatable transport connections, along with two contemporary-style bars, two restaurants, a fully equipped gym and spa facilities, a 25m swimming pool, and a virtual golf simulator.
Accommodation can be booked here, by selecting the hotel from the drop-down list or by calling +44 (0)207 863 3700.
Leonardo Royal Hotel London City, 8-14 Cooper's Row, London EC3N 2BQ
Visas may be required from source countries. Zenith will be happy to help with visa support documentation where possible.
| Pay by 9 Jun Super saver | Pay by 11 Aug Early booking rate | Pay by 9 Oct Standard booking rate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full Congress | Each delegate | £890.00 | £990.00 | £1,090.00 |
| Concession* | £490.00 | £540.00 | £590.00 | |
| Separate elements | 9 Oct reception | £340.00 | £390.00 | |
| 10 Oct conference | £590.00 | £690.00 | ||
| 10 Oct awards dinner | £150.00 | £200.00 | ||
| 11 Oct conference | £440.00 | £540.00 |
*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 11 August. Bookings are subject to Zenith Global Event Terms and Conditions, available here.
Visas may be required from some countries. Zenith Global will be happy to help with visa support and documents where possible.
e events@zenithglobal.com t +44 (0)1225 327900
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 24 May and run until 1 September 2023. Winners will be announced at a gala industry dinner on 10 October, during the Vertical Farming World Congress 2023 in London.
The categories
- Best Crop Innovation
- Best Crop Enhancement
- Best Yield Improvement
- Best Technology Development
- Best AI/Automation Development
- Best Farm Design Innovation
- Best New Vertical Farming Facility
- Best Product Marketing
- Best Packaging Innovation
- Best Business Diversification/Development
- Best New Business
- Best Sustainability Initiative
Initiatives can be entered into multiple categories.
For full details, 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
For information and pricing, please contact Francesca Hall, Events Director
e fhall@zenithglobal.com t +44 (0)1225 327900
Identity Statement & Industry Manifesto
Leading vertical farming companies have committed to a Vertical Farming Identity Statement and Industry Manifesto. An unprecedented industry momentum to contribute jointly to a sustainable transformation of global food systems.
Signing companies are
The Vertical Farming Manifesto was first signed at the Vertical Farming World Congress in Brussels (September 19-21 2022), with additional organisations having since joined.
Contact info@zenithglobal.com to enquire about joining this important industry movement.
Brussels, September 20, 2022 – Leading vertical farming companies signed the first Vertical Farming Manifesto and Identity - both clear and bold industry standards. They highlight the impact and contribution the industry intends to make to transform current food systems and help to solve one of humanity’s toughest challenges of providing food for a growing population in a sustainable, circular way.
The Vertical Farming Identity and the Manifesto describe the urgency of transforming current food systems and explain how vertical farming systems can contribute significantly to designing food systems which are resilient and future-proof. Through technological innovation, indoor vertical farming decouples food production from external factors like climate or public health crises. By localising production and controlling the growing environment, vertical farming provides pesticide-free produce, uses significantly less land and water, and requires fewer transportation miles.
Toward the industry’s goal of driving the transformation of food systems, the companies strive to set high standards by aligning with globally accepted impact frameworks, for example, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), B Corp, or the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Furthermore, the industry is dedicated to continuously investing in research and development to improve vertical farming technology and grow even smarter and more sustainable food systems.
