CEA Summit East 2026 announces conference program for September event
CEA Summit East has released its 2026 conference program, featuring four educational tracks, greenhouse sessions and industry panels Sept. 15-16.
Indoor Ag-Con and the CEA Innovation Center have announced the conference program for the Fifth Annual CEA Summit East, scheduled for Sept. 15-16 at the Institute for Advanced Learning & Research (IALR) in Danville, Virginia.
The conference will feature four educational tracks spanning 12 breakout sessions, with each track consisting of three 90-minute presentations across the two-day event. Topics include launching a controlled environment agriculture (CEA) operation, core horticultural skills, technology selection and data management, and food safety and pest management.
TRACK 1: Launching a CEA Operation
• Session 1: Market Research & Defining My Target Market
• Session 2: Building My High Tunnel or Greenhouse: Regulations, Siting and Funding
• Session 3: Starting an Indoor Vertical Farm: Exploring the Models, the Options and What It Really Takes
TRACK 2: Getting Back to Our Roots – Core Horticultural Skills
Held inside the Greenhouse of the CEA Innovation Center.
• Session 1: Matching Substrates to Crop & Production System (Soilless & Hydroponic)
• Session 2: Tools For Fertility Management
• Session 3: Lighting Fundamentals: Measurements, Metrics and DLI
TRACK 3: Technology Selection & Data Management
• Session 1: Data Collection & Environmental Monitoring
• Session 2: Data Management & Cybersecurity in CEA
• Session 3: Practical Examples of AI and Automation Integration in CEA Production
TRACK 4: Food Safety & Pest Management
• Session 1: Cleaning & Sanitization Protocols for Food Safety and Plant Health
• Session 2: Insect & Disease Identification in CEA Systems
• Session 3: Building an IPM Plan: Beneficial Insects & Biocontrol Tools
Several horticultural sessions will take place inside the CEA Innovation Center greenhouse, allowing attendees to participate alongside active research projects.
The program also includes keynote presentations each morning, panel discussions on workforce development and crop breeding, and the return of the CEA Industry & Research Showcase Sessions. Keynote speakers will be announced at a later date.
One session will examine strengthening the CEA workforce ecosystem, while another will focus on breeding and variety development for future CEA crops.
The event concludes Sept. 16 with a guided tour of the CEA Innovation Center, where attendees will visit the research greenhouse, automation systems and ongoing production trials.
According to the organizers, additional speakers and tour stops will be announced in the coming weeks. Registration and the conference schedule are available on the CEA Summit East event website.
Photo courtesy of Indoor Ag-Con.