Key Takeaways
- Indoor Ag-Con 2025 welcomed 1,657 attendees from across the globe, including North America, Europe, Latin America, Africa, and the Caribbean.
- The event featured over 300 exhibitors, making it the largest expo floor in Indoor Ag-Con history.
- The inaugural Cultivating Excellence Awards (CEAs) recognized achievements in CEA innovation, stewardship, and operational excellence.
- The conference included keynotes, panel discussions, and educational sessions featuring over 90 speakers across five tracks.
- Indoor Ag-Con 2026 is scheduled for February 11–12, 2026, at Westgate Las Vegas.
Indoor Ag-Con 2025 Expands Global Reach and Industry Impact
The 12th annual Indoor Ag-Con, held March 11–12, 2025, at Westgate Las Vegas, brought together growers, investors, C-level executives, researchers, and technology providers from across the controlled environment agriculture (CEA) sector. With 1,657 attendees, the event reinforced its role as a key networking and educational platform for indoor and vertical farming professionals.
The expo floor was the largest in the event’s history, featuring 300+ booths showcasing advancements in lighting, automation, hydroponic systems, climate control, and precision agriculture technologies.
Brian Sullivan, CEO of Indoor Ag-Con, commented on the success of the event: “At its core, Indoor Ag-Con is about fostering collaboration, idea-sharing, and networking—and this year’s event truly delivered. The conversations and connections made here will help shape the industry’s future.”
Key Conference Highlights
Growing Industry Association Participation
The event saw increased participation from CEA industry associations, with several groups hosting events alongside the main conference:
- CEA Alliance: Hosted its annual meeting during Indoor Ag-Con.
- International Sprout Growers Association (ISGA): Held its 33rd Annual Convention alongside the event.
- GLASE (Greenhouse Lighting and Systems Engineering Consortium): Hosted the Vivid Canopy Panel & Networking Event.
- Women in CEA Luncheon Networking: A new initiative that brought together professionals for collaboration and resource sharing.
- Aquaponics Association: Led a session in the Expo Theater and provided networking opportunities.
- The FarmTech Society: Welcomed both current and new members to the event.
New Cultivating Excellence Awards (CEAs)
Indoor Ag-Con introduced the Cultivating Excellence Awards (CEAs) in 2025, in collaboration with Inside Grower magazine and sponsored by bpgrower.com. The awards recognized achievements in CEA innovation, stewardship, and operations.
The 2025 winners were:
- Operational Excellence: Little Leaf Farms (Devens, Massachusetts & McAdoo, Pennsylvania)
- Good Stewardship: 80 Acres Farms (Hamilton, Ohio)
- Product Innovation: Dramm – CE-Line
Keynote Sessions & Conference Programming
The event featured two keynote sessions, educational tracks, and pre-event workshops:
Morning Keynote – “CEA State of the Industry”
Presented by CEA Alliance, this session featured:
- Tisha Livingston, President, 80 Acres & CEO, Infinite Acres
- Skip Hulett, VP & General Counsel, NatureSweet
- Abby Prior, Chief Commercial Officer, BrightFarms
Day 2 Keynote – “Trends in Canada: Insights from Leading CEA Growers”
A panel discussion moderated by Trina Semenchuk, Founder, Little Greenhouse That Could, featuring:
- Bahram Rashti, CEO & Co-Founder, UP Vertical Farms
- Gabriel Forero, Head Grower, Sunterra Greenhouse
- Valérie Terrault, Sales & Marketing Director, Gen V
Pre-Event Workshops & Educational Tracks
- Ceres University hosted Food Safety Workshops to help attendees meet GFSI scheme requirements.
- The conference featured over 90 speakers across five educational tracks:
- Technical Grower
- Trends
- Planning & Operations
- Cannabis Cultivation
- International Sprout Growers Association Annual Convention
Expo Theater Sessions
Held on the expo floor, topics included:
- “Growing Minds: Integrating CEA in K–12 Education”
- “Not All Hope Is Lost: Vertical Farming’s Future and Lessons from the Past”
Networking & Special Events
Indoor Ag-Con 2025 offered multiple networking opportunities, including:
- Expo Hall Happy Hour
- Daily conference luncheons
- “That’s A Wrap” Closing Session & Celebration
Indoor Ag-Con | Philips VIP Welcome Party
Philips Horticulture LED Solutions hosted the VIP Welcome Party at Atomic Golf in Las Vegas. Conference speakers and industry professionals attended for an evening of networking, food, and entertainment.
Looking Ahead: Indoor Ag-Con 2026
The next edition of Indoor Ag-Con is scheduled for February 11–12, 2026, at Westgate Las Vegas. For more information, visit www.indoor.ag.
