DANVILLE, VIRGINIA (September 15, 2025) — The fourth annual Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Summit East welcomed 260 attendees from 34 U.S. states and 8 international locations — together with Brazil, Canada, El Salvador, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Uganda — to the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) in Danville, VA, September 9-10, 2025.
Co-hosted by Indoor Ag-Con and the Virginia Tech–IALR CEA Innovation Center, the Summit united a various viewers of growers, educators, scientists, Extension personnel, suppliers, expertise specialists, and authorities leaders for two days of high-value studying, networking, and trade change.
“We’re proud to see how the CEA Summit East continues to grow in the quality and diversity of participants and programming,” mentioned Brian Sullivan, CEO, Indoor Ag-Con. “From growers and educators to technology providers and policy leaders, the connections made here are critical to advancing the industry.”
“Hosting the Summit alongside our partners at Indoor Ag-Con allows us to spotlight the groundbreaking research and collaborations happening right here at IALR and beyond,” added Dr. Scott Lowman, Vice President of Applied Research at IALR and Co-Director of the CEA Innovation Center. “The exchange of ideas and experiences at this year’s event was inspiring, and we look forward to building on this momentum.”
The occasion kicked off with a VIP Welcome Reception on September 8, hosted by Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matthew Lohr on the rooftop of the Historic Bee Hotel in downtown Danville. This unique gathering gave audio system, exhibitors, and invited friends the chance to attach forward of the two-day program.
Engaging Keynotes & Educational Tracks
Day one opened with the keynote “Cultivating Sustainable Growth,” moderated by Inside Grower’s Jennifer Polanz, that includes Secretary Lohr and Ben Alexander, CEO, Pluck’d. On day two, “Automation in Action: How Virginia Growers are Putting Tech to Work” took middle stage, moderated by Paul Brentlinger, CEO, Crop King, Inc., with insights from Carl Gupton, CEO, Greenswell Growers, and John McMahon, CEO, Equinox Growers.
Throughout each days, attendees might select from deep dive breakout classes throughout instructional tracks, together with CEA Skills, Business, and Education/Outreach & Workforce Training. Sessions coated well timed matters starting from farm operations and labor administration, plant pathogen ID and meals security, to environmental controls and sensors, profitable CEA diploma applications, budgeting for CEA manufacturing, and extra.
The always-popular CEA Industry & Research Showcase Sessions returned, providing quick-hit displays spotlighting new analysis, grower success tales, and modern options shaping the way forward for the sector.
Tabletop Exhibits
The Summit’s bought out tabletop exhibit house showcased a variety of CEA options, from greenhouse constructions and environmental management techniques to automation applied sciences, packaging, lighting, and nutrient options. Attendees had ample alternatives to discover the choices throughout espresso breaks, networking classes and the opening day reception. Participating firms included Priva, GrowSpan, Dalsem, Koppert, Green Food Solutions, JASA, Jiffy, Berger, SGS, Jack’s Nutrients, and Sollum Technologies, among others. These shows gave individuals hands-on publicity to the most recent improvements supporting productiveness, effectivity, and progress in managed setting agriculture.
Networking & Grad Student Poster Competition
Networking highlights included each day lunch, espresso breaks and a reception on the shut of day one, which introduced attendees along with tabletop exhibitors for drinks and hors d’oeuvres in the Atrium of IALR.
The CEA Summit’s Annual Graduate Student Poster Competition continued its mission of supporting the subsequent technology of expertise, giving rising researchers a platform to showcase their work and join with trade leaders. Presented by Dr. Kaylee South, Virginia Tech and Praveen Gajula, Graduate Research Assistant, Virginia Tech, this 12 months’s winners had been:
• First Place: Success Okafor, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
• Second Place: Lauren Lindow, University of Florida
In addition to celebrating these excellent college students, the CEA Summit additionally featured a particular Scholarship recognizing the contributions of Extension Personnel. The Cooperative Extension system performs a significant function in supporting greenhouse and vertical farm producers — figuring out their wants, sharing analysis, and offering sensible options that drive the CEA trade ahead. The CEA Summit Extension Personnel scholarship program coated registration charges for 6 specialists to attend the 2025 version.
Tours of the CEA Innovation Center
The Summit concluded with guided excursions of the CEA Innovation Center, a collaboration between IALR and Virginia Tech. Attendees explored each greenhouse and vertical farming environments, gaining a firsthand have a look at the analysis, science, and expertise which can be fueling real-world CEA options.
Plans are already underway for the 2026 version of CEA Summit East. Details and dates might be introduced quickly at www.ceasummit.com.
About Indoor Ag-Con
Founded in 2013, Indoor Ag-Con is the most important commerce present and convention for greenhouse, managed setting agriculture and vertical farming. The occasion covers all crop varieties and brings collectively growers, tech suppliers, researchers, and enterprise leaders to discover developments and improvements shaping the way forward for meals manufacturing. For extra info, go to www.indoor.ag
About the CEA Innovation Center
The CEA Innovation Center is primarily housed in Danville, VA on the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) campus and in Blacksburg, VA on the Virginia Tech major campus. It is a joint undertaking between Virginia Tech and IALR to serve the rising managed setting agriculture trade. It addresses the wants of the trade with analysis, schooling, and extension applications. For extra info, go to www.ceaic.org