Key Takeaways
- The fifth annual CEA Summit East takes place September 15–16 in Danville, Virginia, at the IALR Conference Center.
- For the first time, select conference sessions will be held inside a working greenhouse at the adjacent CEA Innovation Center.
- The program features four breakout tracks covering horticulture skills, business operations, technology, and food safety.
- Tabletop exhibits will feature confirmed suppliers including Priva, Dalsem, Rimol Greenhouse Systems, and others.
- Every conference pass includes a guided tour of the CEA Innovation Center's research facilities.
CEA Summit East Moves Sessions Into a Working Greenhouse for 2026
The fifth annual CEA Summit East will return to the IALR Conference Center in Danville, Virginia, on September 15–16, with a notable change to its format: several sessions will take place inside the greenhouse of the adjacent CEA Innovation Center. The event is co-hosted by Indoor Ag-Con and the CEA Innovation Center, a joint initiative of the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research and the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
The Danville facility houses an operational greenhouse alongside vertical growing systems, indoor growth rooms, growth chambers, and hydroponic production infrastructure. Scientists and industry partners use the complex for active research aimed at advancing controlled environment agriculture both domestically and abroad.
A Research Facility Doubles as a Conference Venue
By staging select sessions inside the greenhouse, CEA Summit East organizers are offering attendees direct access to a working research environment rather than a traditional lecture hall. Growers, educators, technology providers, and business leaders will be able to observe ongoing trials and engage with researchers firsthand.
Dr. Scott Lowman, Vice President of Applied Research at IALR and Co-Director of the CEA Innovation Center, said that hosting attendees inside the research facility aligns with the center's broader mission.
“Opening our greenhouse and research facilities as active learning spaces for Summit attendees is a natural extension of what the CEA Innovation Center is all about — connecting industry and academia in ways that create real impact,” Lowman said. “When a grower can stand inside a working research greenhouse and have a direct conversation with the scientist conducting that research, the value of that exchange is immeasurable. We're proud to offer that experience and look forward to welcoming the industry back to Danville.”
Four Breakout Tracks Anchor the Program
The 2026 agenda, still being finalized, will include keynote addresses, panel discussions, and four tracks of 90-minute breakout sessions. The tracks cover core horticultural skills — with hands-on learning held directly in the greenhouse — along with guidance for launching or scaling a CEA operation, technology and data management strategies, and food safety and pest management practices.
Rounding out the programming are the CEA Summit East Industry & Research Showcase Sessions, a series of short-format presentations spotlighting recent work from growers, researchers, and innovators across the controlled environment agriculture sector.
Industry Exhibitors and Networking at CEA Summit East
Tabletop exhibits at the summit will connect attendees with companies supplying the CEA industry. Confirmed exhibitors for 2026 include JASA Packaging Solutions, Dalsem Complete Greenhouse Projects, Priva, Jack's Nutrients, Rimol Greenhouse Systems, Moleaer, Pace 49, and Berger, with additional participants expected.
The schedule on September 15 includes morning coffee, a seated lunch, and an evening reception staged among the exhibits — structured to encourage interaction between growers, suppliers, researchers, government representatives, and educators.
Guided Facility Tours Included With Registration
All CEA Summit East conference passes include a guided tour of the CEA Innovation Center, covering the research greenhouse, automation systems, and current trials. Organizers noted that the tour has consistently ranked among the event's most valued features in prior years. Additional tour details and stops are expected ahead of September.
Registration and further information are available at www.ceasummit.com.
