GreenTech North America conference taking shape with leading CEA voices

Source: GreenTech North America 2026

GreenTech North America is launching a dedicated two-day conference during the Expo on Wednesday 23 and Thursday 24 September at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. The conference focuses on innovations and developments shaping horticulture across North America. The conference program will bring together industry leaders to share insights through high-level knowledge sessions on Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), including topics such as energy, human capital, digital growing, AI technologies, and increasing costs.

Conference Program

The first specific topics of the program have been revealed, featuring speakers and sessions set to drive the next phase of horticulture. A selection:

Day 1:

• Wednesday 23 September, 9:45 AM – 10:30 AM: ‘The State of the CEA Greenhouse Industry in North America: Grower’s point of view’: Trends, Challenges, and Outlook for the Future’ by Paul Sellew (Little Leaf Farms), Abby Prior (Bright Farms and Mucci), David Einstandig (Mastronardi) and Tom Stenzel (CEA Alliance)

• Wednesday 23 September, 10:20 AM – 11:30 AM: ‘Greenhouse artificial lighting management and tips for higher yields’ by Aad van den Berg (Delphy) and Octavio Perez (Nature Fresh)

• Wednesday 23 September, 10:20 AM – 11:30 AM: ‘Labor, Talent Acquisition, and Developing Domestic Expertise: Understanding Human Capital Challenges in the CEA greenhouse and Vertical Farming Industry’ by Jonathan Grode (Green & Spiegel)
• Wednesday 23 September, 12:40 PM – 1:30 PM: ‘Data Centers: Competition or opportunity for energy cost?’ by Derek Smith (Resource Innovation Institute)

Day 2:

• Thursday 24 September, 10:40 AM – 11:30 AM: ‘Innovative Produce Crops: Growing What the Market Demands’ by Cole Mucci (Kingsone)
• Thursday 24 September, 10:40 AM – 1:30 PM: ‘Hydro Leafy Greens in North America: Designing for Efficiency, Profitability, and Scalable Succes’ by Sonny Moerenhout (Cultivators), Laura Batista (Wageningen University and Research), John McMahon (Taylor Farms) and Jenn Frymark (Gotham Greens)
• Thursday 24 September, 9:00 AM – 9:45 AM: ‘Growing the CEA Greenhouse Ecosystem in North America: Advancing Technology, Scaling Operations, and Building Talent’ by Peter Ravensbergen (Wageningen University & Research) and Qinglu Ying (University of Kentucky).

Industry engagement

Reflecting the strong industry engagement and international connections surrounding the event, Tom Stenzel, Executive Director of the Controlled Environment Agriculture Alliance, says: “The CEA Alliance is looking forward to holding our Board meeting at the GreenTech North America show in Philadelphia this September. Many of us were also at GreenTech in Amsterdam in June, where we held our annual reception.” Agritecture will also be joining the event with panel sessions to be announced soon. 

Exhibition sold out

With strong interest from across the industry, the exhibition hall is already sold out, with only a limited number of entrance spots still available. GreenTech North America is well on track to welcome around 90 exhibitors and 1,000 visitors. Companies looking to showcase their solutions and connect with leading growers, experts and decision-makers are encouraged to secure one of the final opportunities to participate.

Registration

Visitor registration is open and offers the option to attend both the Conference and the Expo, or the Expo only. More information is available via www.greentech.nl/north-america/registration.

About GreenTech North America

GreenTech North America is part of the GreenTech portfolio with the focus on the region of the USA and Canada. The goal is to meet the specific needs of growers, breeders and suppliers. GreenTech North America enables a greater exchange of knowledge, experiences, and success stories of the horticultural industry in this region. The show is organized by RAI Amsterdam and will take place Wednesday 23 and Thursday 24 September 2026 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. Please find more information at https://www.greentech.nl/north-america.