2025 BREAKOUT SESSIONS
OPERATIONS & PROCESS IMPROVEMENT
Role of AI in Food Manufacturing
Mike Welborn, Oxipital AI
Africa 70, 9:30-10:30AM
AI in quality inspection is set to transform the manufacturing landscape by significantly enhancing operational efficiency, improving product quality, and achieving substantial cost savings. However, many manufacturers encounter challenges with complex AI vision systems that require extensive resources to develop a functioning product model before ever implementing the technology. This process often necessitates machine learning expertise to train the models, curate large datasets, and manually label images, which can be both time-consuming and prone to errors. Furthermore, any changes to the product require retraining the model. Fortunately, there's a more efficient solution. Manufacturers can leverage robust, reliable pre-trained AI vision models that require no coding, training, or tuning. By bypassing the data preparation phase, manufacturers can immediately integrate AI vision into their quality inspection processes, achieving impactful results. Learn how manufacturers can overcome the typical barriers to deploying AI vision in their production processes for quality inspection and robotic picking.
Built to Grow: How Food Manufacturers Can Close the Growth Gap & & Scale w/ Clarity
Jen Fietz, CEO, Stoke RGA
Africa 70, 10:45-11:45AM
Many food & beverage manufacturers are investing in people, tools, and marketing, but revenue growth still stalls. This session breaks down why even high-demand segments struggle to gain traction and how the real barrier isn’t strategy, it’s execution. Attendees will learn how to identify the “Growth Gap,” align cross-functional teams, and install the operational clarity needed to drive consistent, measurable revenue growth.
Maximizing Warehouse Efficiency
Don Heemstra, Steel King
Africa 70, 1:30-2:30PM
On the surface, warehouse racking seems pretty straightforward: upright frames and horizontal beams assembled to store both palletized and non-palletized goods in your facility. You want to store as much product as you can in the space available, with product easily accessible. The most common way to do this is through traditional selective pallet racking. And while traditional selective pallet racking is a versatile option, it’s not always the best fit for facilities facing space limitations, growth, etc. If expanding your facility isn’t an option, figuring out how to store more within your existing footprint is the next step to take. This session will discuss various storage options to consider for new warehouses or as an alternative to traditional racking that can create space out of your existing footprint and offer key advantages like denser storage, improved efficiencies, safer operations and lower costs. Each comes with its own features and benefits, and all are applicable for nearly all industries. Among the most popular options this session will cover will be:
* Drive-in / Drive-through racking
* Push-back racking
* Pallet-flow racking
* Semi-automated, deep-flow racking shuttles
* Automated ASRS systems
Efficiency in Action: Practical Strategies to Optimize Material Flow
& Reduce Product Loss
Tiffany Putland, Smart Start Solutions
Africa 70, 2:45-3:45PM
In this session, I will share practical strategies to optimize material flow, reduce product loss, and improve overall efficiency in food manufacturing plants. I’ll discuss how conducting targeted gap assessments helps identify the root causes behind bottlenecks and inefficiencies, and how implementing clear processes and standard operating procedures (SOPs) can correct and streamline operations. Drawing on real-world examples, I’ll demonstrate how small, structured adjustments can unlock significant capacity and reduce waste. This session offers a practical, repeatable approach to continuous improvement designed specifically for food manufacturers.