This year, our agenda is packed with even more ways for attendees to walk away with actionable tools and insights. For 2024 we’re helping you build your toolkit with:
Location: Agri-Food Hub, Lethbridge, AB
**THIS TOUR IS SOLD OUT**
Join us on a tour of the agri-food industry right in the heart of Canada’s Premier Food Corridor. This tour will include stops at three agri-food destinations with customized tours at each stop. Lunch and beverages are included.
12:00 p.m. | Tour Begins | Lethbridge & District Exhibition
Travel to Little Gem Winery
12:30-1:30 p.m. | Tour & Lunch | Little Gem Winery
Cultivating food is in their blood—Little Gem Winery is rooted in three generations of farming in Nobleford, Alberta. Born from the family’s love of haskap berries, the winery transforms them into distinctive wines and ciders. Because great food deserves exceptional wine.
Travel to Prairie Hill Farms
2:00-3:00 p.m. | Tour | Prairie Hill Farms
Prairie Hill Farms Ltd. (PHF), established in 2020 in Picture Butte, Alberta, is a food manufacturing facility specializing in processing a variety of food and beverages. Their core product line includes BBQ sauces, juices, jams, spreads, syrups, and other preserves. The facility also has the capability to freeze-dry and grind haskap berries into powder or package them as whole, sorted, and graded berries sourced from growers in Alberta and Saskatchewan. PHF packages these products in stand-up pouches and sachets and provides co-packing services to other local food manufacturers.
Travel to Lethbridge Polytechnic Greenhouse/ Aquaponics Centre
3:30-4:30 p.m. | Tour | Lethbridge Polytechnic Greenhouse/ Aquaponics Centre
Lethbridge Polytechnic has over 20,000 sq ft of controlled-environment agriculture facilities, including their internationally renowned Aquaculture Centre of Excellence (ACE) and their on-campus research greenhouse, the Centre for Sustainable Food Production (CSFP). Their unique facilities and technical expertise allow them to offer pre-commercial validation opportunities for commercial application and exploration of a variety of integrated food production techniques.
Travel to Lethbridge & District Exhibition
4:45-5:00 p.m. | End Tour | Lethbridge & District Exhibition
*The Pre-Conference Agri-Food Tour is a ticketed event. Click here to get tickets.
Proudly presented by:
As attendees are arriving to Lethbridge, we wanted to provide a list of local restaurants options for dinner.
Here is a list of great local restaurants we recomment to our attendees for dinners during your stay in Lethbridge:
• Italian Table – (403) 331-6909
• Bourbon and Butter – 587-425-2223
• The Owl – 403-942-1770
• The Slice – 403-320-0117
• Telegraph Taphouse – 403-942-4136
• Streatside Eatery – 403-328-8085
• Steel and Vines – 1-605-347-8463
• Lighthouse Japanese Restaurant – 403-328-4828
• O-Sho Japanese Restaurant – 403-327-8382
• Tacos Made in Mexico – 403-388-3627
• Antojitos – 403-942-3775
• Hudson’s – 403-942-7999
• Blanco Cantina – 403-942-7333
Registration & Continental Breakfast
The welcome address will set the tone for the event, highlighting the importance of Agri-Food Innovation Expo and the impact it will have on helping businesses build their toolkit in the agricultural and food industry.
There has been a lot of focus on the price of food and beverages. Cost increases in ingredients, labour, packaging, logistics and other inputs has forced price increases across almost every category. Consumers, retailers and even politicians are focused on the prices they see in grocery stores. Peter will share tactics and strategies to help you get customers and consumers to see the value in the innovation you bring to the market. Innovation costs money and you need to get a return on your investments.
Join us for an insightful panel discussion on the transformative topic of sustainability in the agri-food sector. As the world grapples with climate change, resource depletion, and food security challenges, the industry must innovate and adapt. Our expert panelists will explore innovative practices, technologies, and policies shaping the future of sustainable agriculture and food production.
Coffee Break, Networking & Exhibits
Breakout 1
Breakout 2
Breakout 3
Breakout 4
Lunch, Networking & Exhibits
Presented by:
This discussion will explore the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities within the co-packing landscape, specifically focusing on how innovations are transforming the way agri-food companies operate, collaborate, and grow.
In today’s digital landscape, false messaging relating to the agri-food industry fueled by celebrities and conspiracy theorists is a growing challenge across sectors. This panel will explore the dangers of misinformation and its rapid spread through influential voices, particularly in social media. It will discuss practical strategies for combating misleading statements, including collaboration with fact-checkers, fostering transparency, and leveraging trusted voices to counteract harmful narratives.
Coffee Break, Networking & Exhibits
Presented by:
Not sure how to take your business to the next phase? Have an idea that you need a second opinion on? Back by popular demand from 2023, these sessions will give you access to experts in the industry. Get one-on-one feedback to help you take the next step in your business.
Information on our mentors and how you can book your session will be coming soon.
These can’t-miss sessions will give you hands on experience, allowing you to walk away with insights, tools or assets that you can immediately integrate into your business.
Workshop 1
Workshop 2
Workshop 3
Workshop 4
We’re ending day one of the Agri-Food Innovation Expo off by bringing the agri-food industry together. The first tool in your toolkit is your network. Here you will have the opportunity to create a deeper connection with like-minded professionals and exchange ideas and enjoy a selection of a locally sourced selection of light snacks and beverages. Cash bar available.
Registration & Continental Breakfast
Presented by:
The welcome address will provide attendees with a recap of Agri-Food Innovation Expo day one while highlighting what our guests can expect for the rest of the day.
Jo-Ann McArthur
Nourish Food Marketing
The Nourish 2025 Trend Report will be hot off the press. What trends of the future can you leverage for your business? What blue ocean opportunities still exist from ongoing trends?
Join Jo-Ann as she gives you plenty of food for thought and real-world examples to future-proof and grow your business.
How do you boost your agribusiness’s recipe for success with financing? Join this panel for insights on what can increase the appetites of lenders to finance and how their advice can support your business at all stages of growth. Bianca Parsons, Executive Director, Alberta Food Processors, moderates the discussion with Doug Wilson, Assistant Vice President, Corporate Financing and Senior Accounts, FCC; Anton Bellot, Director, Agribusiness & Agri-Food Sector, ATB; and Kevin Chanut, Vice President, Lending, AFSC.
Doug Wilson, FCC
Bianca Parsons, AFPA (Moderator)
Coffee Break, Networking & Exhibits
Breakout 1
Breakout 2
Breakout 3
Lunch, Networking & Exhibits
Presented by:
These can’t-miss sessions will give you hands on experience, allowing you to walk away with insights, tools or assets that you can immediately integrate into your business.
Workshop 1
Workshop 2
Workshop 3
Not sure how to take your business to the next phase? Have an idea that you need a second opinion on? Back by popular demand from 2023, these sessions will give you access to experts in the industry. Get one-on-one feedback to help you take the next step in your business.
Information on our mentors and how you can book your session will be coming soon.
Coffee Break, Networking & Exhibits
This panel will explore the transformative trends shaping the future of the agri-food industry in Canada. From technology-driven innovations to shifting consumer preferences and the growing importance of food security, our expert panel will discuss the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. Join us as we delve into how the agri-food sector is evolving to meet global demands, and what it means for producers, consumers, and stakeholders across the supply chain.
This session will reveal how scaling next-gen agrifood innovations can unlock trillions in value while addressing critical food system challenges. Drawing on experience working with startups, industry leaders, and farmers worldwide, Christine will share how specific technologies, such as decarbonization solutions for crops, AI-powered tools for regenerative agriculture, and healthy ingredients made with the tools biotechnology, are poised to create $4.5 trillion in economic opportunities annually. Christine will dive into the barriers preventing these innovations from scaling—such as fragmented value chains and lack of investment—and offer concrete strategies to overcome these hurdles. Attendees will gain insights into building impactful collaborations, leveraging new investment models, and unlocking market-ready solutions that can drive meaningful change for people, planet, and profit.
