Salinas Valley Ag Tech Summit offers competitive insights

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(Contributed)

January 15, 2019 — Salinas, CA

Panels to feature innovation in technology and decision-making

Speakers, panels and exhibitors at the 2019 Salinas Valley Ag Technology Summit on March 26-27, 2019 will highlight how industry players can leverage innovation for increased productivity and strategic advantage in an era of rapid change.

With a theme of “Tomorrow’s Technology You Can Use Today,” the summit at Hartnell College in Salinas will focus on how to incorporate emerging technologies in all aspects of fresh produce growing, processing, sales, marketing and distribution.

Educational tracks in ag production and ag business feature such topics as the latest in precision crop management, “big data” to accelerate decision-making, traceability to tackle the food- safety challenge, and initiatives to meet California’s workforce needs in 2020 and beyond.

“Each one of our sessions will offer distinct insights,” said summit chair Nick Pasculli, a Salinas-based leader in produce industry marketing. “And taken together, the entire experience will make our attendees excited about all they can achieve with new tools and new thinking.”

Keynote speakers also will zero in on hot-button themes. The morning keynote on the summit’s main day, March 27, will be delivered by Dr. Bob Whitaker, chief scientific officer for the Produce Marketing Association, and the luncheon address will be made by Glenda Humiston, vice president for agriculture and natural resources at the University of California.

As always, the sixth annual event will provide unique opportunities for learning and networking while supporting agribusiness students and programs at Hartnell College. It also will spotlight the Salinas Valley’s emergence as an incubator and hub for innovation and development in Ag tech.

“The Salinas Valley Ag Tech Summit is one of the most important events of the region,” said Pasculli, founder, president and creative director of TMD, a creative services agency with many clients in the produce industry. “It brings together the brightest minds in ag production and technology, all for the benefit of increasing sustainability and strengthening this industry as we feed the world and build a thriving economy.”

The summit will open on March 26 with a President’s Opening Reception from 6-8 p.m., featuring local wines and hors d’oeuvres and participation by esteemed industry leaders. The main Ag Tech Summit program on March 27 will begin with a continental breakfast at 6:30 a.m. The morning schedule will feature three educational tracks: ag business, ag production and pest control. Ongoing throughout the day will be a vendor trade show, hands-on demonstrations and more.

Event admission ranges from $30 for the main day and $60 when combined with the President’s Opening Reception. Community members, ag industry members, growers, PCAs, CCAs, QALs, pilots, students and participants in ag tech and software industries are encouraged to attend. The event is organized by the Hartnell College Agriculture Business and Technology Institute in collaboration with the Monterey Bay Chapter of the California Association of Pest Control Advisers (CAPCA).

As a Feb 15, 2019 deadline for exhibitor and sponsorship registration approaches, opportunities remain for prime visibility and location within the summit’s physical space and the conference agenda.

This year’s event will be bigger and better than ever, Pasculli said, with more than 1,000 participants expected, as well as more than 100 exhibitors and a talented group of dynamic and thought-provoking speakers.

Exhibitor options include single indoor and outdoor booths and double indoor booths, including one or more tickets to the March 26 reception. Non-profit and start-up packages are available.

A wide range of sponsorship levels also are available, beginning at the $1,000 Gold Level and ranging up to the $10,000 Presenting Level, which includes a program logo, double booth space, website acknowledgment, two-minute stage commercial, six tickets to the March 26 reception and 25 tickets to Main Day events. Additionally, opportunities also exist for special sponsorship of keynote addresses and more, with sponsorship levels from $500 to $10,000.

Exhibitor, sponsor and other program information can be found at: http://svagtechsummit.com/.

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Tagged agtech, Hartnell College, Salinas