First Of Its Kind Plant-Based World Conference Draws Nearly 4,000 Attendees In NYC

Ben Davis, Content & Communications Director Of Plant-Based World

Last weekend, close to 4,000 people, including business professionals, medical experts and consumers gathered at the inaugural Plant-Based World Conference which took place at the Javits Center in New York City.

“We had attendees who traveled from all 50 states and countries throughout the world to be a part of this first-of-its-kind event. A healthcare, business and food conference open to the general public all rolled into one epic gathering of humans with the common belief that what we eat, how we feel, and the world we share are all integrally connected,” Ben Davis, Content & Communications Director of Plant-Based World Conference, said in a statement sent to WAN. “We received positive feedback from exhibitors on the quality of attendees that they met, and from the attendees on the content in three education tracks, including the general keynote presentations. We thank our exhibitors, sponsors, speakers, attendees, media partners, supporting organizations and partners who helped to make this launch event a huge success.”

Trade show management company JD Events announced that 3,737 attendees participated in the launch of the event which also featured 125 exhibitors and was supported by founding partners: Plant-Based Foods Association, Eat for the Planet, The Plantrician Project and Follow Your Heart.

In addition to the exhibit hall, the opening keynote presentations first provided an informative and insightful presentation with experts discussing the double-digit growth of the industry, catering to the one third of Americans who now identify as “flexitarians,” aiming to reduce their meat and dairy consumption, causing the plant-based industry to reach into the mainstream.

There was also an important conversation with Seth Goldman, Executive Chair of Beyond Meat on turning a purpose-driven business into a mainstream revolution. Goldman, who is also co-founder of Honest Tea, shared his journey, and discussed what the next step is for Beyond Meat, as well as his thoughts on the growing plant-based food industry and innovative new food trends he expects to emerge in the decades to come.

Educational sessions also included The Eat for the Future Business Forum which was designed for retail, food service, product manufacturers, plant-based food companies and food industry professionals to learn about the growth in consumer demand for plant-based foods, while The Food Solutions for Human Health Summit featured a line-up of leading doctors, dietitians and nutritionists who talked about the biochemical, physiologic and disease specific effect of a whole food plant-based diet.

During the Siddhi Speaker Series, standing room only crowds’ heard from presenters who offered the latest details on a wide range of topics about marketing for vegan business success, health benefits for optimal human performance, and breakthroughs in plant-based nutrition.

At the close of the event, NFL Linebacker Derrick Morgan and his wife Chef Charity Morgan presented a dynamic discussion on their transition to a plant-based lifestyle and the benefits Derrick and his Tennessee Titan teammates experienced.

“Great closing session at #PlantBasedWorld with NFL Linebacker Derrick Morgan @dmorg91 and Chef Charity Morgan @ChefCharity,” in a post on the Plant Based World Facebook page.

Other speakers who shared their stories with the general public included vegan Olympians and bodybuilders such as Dostie Bausch and Nimai Delgado, among many others.

The 2020 Plant-Based World Conference & Expo is scheduled to take place June 5-6, 2020, at the Javits Center in New York City.