Plant Based World Expo Europe, the largest 100% plant-based trade event in Europe, has announced its conference line-up for the Plant Based World Pulse Theatre at ExCeL London on 15 and 16 November 2023.
Featuring Veganuary’s 10th anniversary global film premiere, leadership addresses, and panels focusing on collective challenges affecting the UK’s vegan food industry, the theatre will bring together academics, regulatory advisors, thought leaders, and industry organisations to plan and implement change.
The line-up announcement comes as over 900 academics call for 100% plant-based meals at UK universities to help fight the climate crisis.
Visitors will hear from academics, institutions, innovators, retailers, award-winning activists, entrepreneurs, and investors, as well as some of the best-known journalists and broadcasters in the food and drinks industry.
The line-up includes:
Changing the Culture of Food on University Menus
16 November, 10:30am - 11:15am
Joanna Randall, Plant-Based Advocacy Specialist, Humane Society International UK, will explore whether establishments and operators can significantly reduce their carbon footprint.
She will showcase those taking steps to reduce the meat and dairy on their menus and demonstrating how others can get involved.
A Pragmatic Look at the Meat-Alternative Market and Where it Could Go
15 November, 11:30am - 12:15pm
This panel discussion will feature Rabinder Harrison, Commercial Director of Veg Capital, Prof Andrew Godley, Entrepreneurship & Innovation at University of Sussex Business School, and Scott King, Brands Strategy Manager at Waitrose.
Arguably one of the most competitive categories within plant-based, meat alternatives took retailers and menus by storm in the past five years. The panel will explore the next phase for the category, which has surprised everyone.
How Brands Can Navigate Foodservice for Long-Term Success
16 November, 2:00pm - 2:45pm
Jack Rutherford, Commercial Director at THIS, and Dean Wilson Hartles, Director of Food & Drinks at The Restaurant Group plc, will discuss how brands create long-lasting relationships with restaurant operators and contract caterers, inspiring them to integrate products onto their menus for more than one season to achieve foodservice success.
Can New Technologies like Cultivated Meat and Precision Fermentation Attract More Consumers to the Alternative Protein Category?
November 15, 10:30am - 11:15am
Carlotte Lucas, Senior Corporate Engagement Manager at The Good Food Institute, Oscar Zollman Thomas, Impact Manager at Formo, and Jago Pearson, Chief Strategy Officer at Finnebrogue Artisan, will look into the target consumers of concepts like cultivated meat and animal-free dairy and explore how to persuade new consumers.
Back To Basics: Putting Whole Food Plant-Based Products Centre of Plate
November 15, 2:00pm - 2:45pm
Chef and trained butcher Neil Rankin, Founder of Symplicity Foods, will discuss how to ensure simple-to-read ingredients lists and fewer additives to satisfy consumers' tastebuds and nutritional expectations.
Key Buyer Programme
A Key Buyer Programme and networking events at the Plant Based World Expo Europe will help ensure some of the decisions are put into action, connecting retail and foodservice decision makers with innovators creating the next generation of plant-based foods.
Reminding people of what’s possible, attendees will witness the premiere of It'll Never Catch On: The Veganuary Story 10 Years On on 16 November at 11:30am.
The short film marks 10 years from the creation of Veganuary, the global campaign that encourages consumers to 'try vegan' for January.
This will be followed by a Q&A featuring founders Jane Land and Matthew Glover, alongside Bosh! boys Henry Firth and Ian Theasby, who run the biggest plant-based online channel in the world.
Abigail Stevens, marketing director of show organiser JD Events, commented, "Our stage is home to more than just a conversation about where plant-based is going; it provides a platform for collaboration between change makers and has become a driving force behind Plant Based 2.0 – taking the industry to the next level."
Now in its third year, registration for the show is open to the food and beverage industry, including retailers, foodservice professionals and investors.
It is an opportunity to discover the latest and greatest products in the UK vegan food market, one of the largest in Europe, which is growing by 9.58%.
For further information and to register, please visit www.plantbasedworldeurope.com, or to exhibit, contact the show team on +44 1306 775 060.
