A global network of food incubators, accelerators, and shared-use kitchens
When: September 13-14, 2017
InBIA, in partnership with the Rutgers Food Innovation Center, is excited to announce the formation of the Food Business Incubation Network (FoodBIN) and InBIA’s first-ever Global FoodBIN Conference.
The conference took place on September 13th with an optional second day tour to Rutgers University incubator programs on September 14th.
Event Overview
Join us for the inaugural FoodBIN conference and learn about best practices for servicing the food entrepreneurs in your community, region, state, or nation. This unique event is designed to highlight the tremendous diversity that exists within food business incubation programs around the world. More than twenty speakers will present their programs in “bite-sized” presentations, and powerful leaders from the food industry will also discuss industry trends and challenges that are shaping the future of our global food economy. There is an optional second day that will include a Food/Ag Industry and Clean Energy Business Incubators Tour where attendees will have the opportunity to visit two leading industry-focused programs at the Rutgers EcoComplex, New Jersey’s clean energy and environmental research, outreach and business incubation center, and the Rutgers Food Innovation Center, a globally-recognized food business incubation and economic development accelerator program.
Our press release, which provides additional information on the FoodBIN conference, can be viewed here.
In partnership with:
Proudly supported by:
Featured Speakers
Over twenty speakers who lead diverse incubator and accelerator programs from around the globe will present, including program leaders from across the US (including Hawaii, California, Oregon, Nebraska, Minnesota, Louisiana, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey) and from Canada, Nigeria, Uganda, Ireland, and Australia. Keynote presenters at the conference will include Carlos Barroso, SVP, Global Research and Development and Quality at Campbell Soup Company, who will present Food Innovation and the Future of our Industry, and Phil Kafarakis, President of the Specialty Food Association, who will speak about Trends and Growth Opportunities in the Specialty Food Industry.
Click on each speaker’s photo to learn more!
Attending Organizations
The global food industry is evolving and growing rapidly
Over the last decade, there has been a significant increase in the development of food business incubation centers as entrepreneurs have created many new startup businesses due to consumer demand for more local and specialty food options. In addition, there has been signifiant investment from the corporate and venture capital community, with billions of dollars invested over the past few years in food startups. Business incubators, accelerators, and shared-use kitchens provide critically-needed services that contribute to the success of food entrepreneurs and their local/regional economies. This conference will help you to identify best practices in food incubation that can be adopted and customized to your region.
FoodBIN is a global network of food incubators, accelerators, and shared-use kitchens with the mission to serve as the world’s leading voice for advancing best practices in food business innovation and incubation; and identifying programs, services, funding sources, and partnerships that can maximize impacts to food and agribusinesses within regional economies worldwide. To learn more about the FoodBIN network, click here.
Stay up-to-date with FoodBIN Conference information and
enter your preferred email below!
"Bite" sized programming
Program at-a-glance:
The program includes five-minute “bite” sized presentations from 20+ presenters from around the world who will showcase their programs focusing their insights on the following four topic areas:
- University Incubators
- Community & Non-Profit Food Entrepreneurship Models
- Food Accelerators
- Global Food Programs
Each featured program will share their unique organization’s perspective, achievements, and structure. There will also be an opportunity for a robust and engaging Q&A after each set of presentations.
Who's coming?
You can expect to meet, mingle, and engage with senior leadership and food professionals like:
- Food Incubators and Accelerators
- Investors seeking high-growth companies
- Food industry corporations searching for new models for innovation
- Service providers looking to access innovation programs and the respective clients
- Economic Development Organizations and Government Agencies looking to develop and enhance food entrepreneurship in their communities
Download the full agenda
Attendees of the conference will have the unique opportunity to participate in an optional second day tour on September 14th that will include visits to two leading incubator programs that are located at Rutgers University. Information about these two programs can be found in the agenda above.
“Day in, day out, the work of producing food is still one of the hardest, messiest, most all-consuming, inconvenient, and financially risky occupations.” – Lynne Curry, author of Pure Beef
“The heart of a true business incubation program is the ongoing, personalized, and comprehensive services that are provided to clients. By following best practices, an incubator will customize its mission, clients targeted, services provided, and infrastructure that is required in order to integrate its program into the fabric of the community and the broader economic development goals of the region. A best practice incubator will provide the expertise, networks, tools, and a social capital environment that will dramatically enhance the success of a new entrepreneurial venture.” – Lou Cooperhouse, Executive Director, Rutgers Food Innovation Center, in presentation to US House of Representatives Committee on Small Business
About Rutgers University
As the global economy evolves and competition increases, the need for new business creation throughout local communities has become ever more critical. InBIA’s partner in this initiative, Rutgers University, recognizes the importance of establishing new means of economic growth and has developed unique resources such as incubators, accelerators, research centers, mentorship networks, entrepreneurship clubs, and other supportive tools which help increase small business scalability.
Rutgers Food Innovation Center
The Rutgers Food Innovation Center (FIC) is a globally-recognized food business incubation and economic development accelerator program that supports both domestic and international food companies. The Rutgers FIC provides business technical training, customized mentoring services, and two USDA and FDA-inspected facilities that enable design, development, analysis, commercialization, and manufacturing of value-added food products for sale to retail and foodservice markets. The Center has served over 2,000 companies since its formation in 2001.
The Rutgers FIC has been awarded “Incubator of the Year” and also “Food Incubator of the Year” by the InBIA. In addition, InBIA has awarded the center a prestigious Soft Landings designation due to its focus on international business attraction. It currently is the only food industry-centric Soft Landings facility in the world. The Rutgers FIC has worked with clients who originate from Greece, Spain, France, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Switzerland, and Colombia.
The center’s capabilities will be dramatically expanded with the construction of a 30,000 s.f. Specialty Foods Commercialization Center in Bridgeton, NJ, which will be located adjacent to the 23,000 s.f. Rutgers FIC and managed by the Cumberland County Improvement Authority.
Rutgers EcoComplex
The Rutgers EcoComplex, is the state’s clean energy and environmental research, outreach, and business incubation center. Its mission is to promote economic development in the environmental and alternative energy innovation arenas and the compatible sectors of food and agriculture. It also promotes the remediation and protection of environmental quality.
It is an InBIA Soft Landings designated center that offers domestic and foreign businesses with business and technical expertise, access to applied research capabilities, and unique facilities – including a research and demonstration greenhouse. The Rutgers EcoComplex received a U.S. EDA I6 grant in 2016 to launch an accelerator program, EcoIgnite, which provides a comprehensive network of resources for the clean technology sector and will assist clean energy companies in successfully maneuvering the innovation pathway from discovery to commercialization.
The Rutgers EcoComplex, is the nation’s first research, technology development, teaching, and outreach center that is dedicated to enhancing the environment and agriculture through education, outreach, and “green” business development. In addition to its original charter, the EcoComplex is expanding its mission by including alternative energy innovation into its activities.
Travel and accommodations
Conference Venue and Address
The conference will be held on the Rutgers University campus at the Rutgers Student Center.
The Rutgers University College Student Center is located at: 126 College Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08091.
Limited parking will be provided adjacent to the Student Center in lot #30. For directions to Rutgers Student Center and parking information, click here.
Lodging
There are several lodging options near Rutgers University. Click here to check rates and availability and reserve your room today.
NOTE: There is no official room block for the FoodBIN group. Attendees are encouraged to make reservations as soon as possible.
The Rutgers Student Center in New Brunswick, NJ is only a 5-10 minute walk from the New Brunswick train station. NJ Transit services the New Brunswick train station, and their schedule can be found here.
Airfare
InBIA has partnered with Delta Air Lines to provide discounted rates to/from Newark International Airport.
The discount code is NMQEZ.
Click here to book online. Be sure to enter the discount code into the box marked “Meeting Event Code.”
To reserve by phone, reservations may also be made by calling Delta Meeting reservations at 800-328-1111, Monday – Friday 7am – 7pm CDT. Be sure to tell your customer services representative the meeting event discount code.
Visas
Do you require a visa invitation to attend? Please Email: [email protected] and include the following information:
- Full Name
- Title, Company/Organization
- City/Province
- Country
- Organization’s website information