Petfood Forum will return to Kansas City, Missouri, U.S., on April 27-29, 2026, with registration now open.
Early registration rates offer more than 20% discounts until December 1. The rates apply to both Petfood Forum and the pre-conference seminar, Petfood Essentials.
"The pet food market continues to experience several complex challenges, including volatility caused by high tariffs imposed on imported goods and services, and the need to streamline and control operational costs," said Steve Akins, executive vice president, global petfood and events, with WATT Global Media. "Pet food innovation is more important than ever today so feeding pets healthy and nutritious diets remains affordable and easy to access."
Petfood Forum 2026 will present dozens of expert-led technical sessions focused on the latest pet food product innovations, consumer purchasing behavior, ingredient and nutrition research, and emerging processing technologies, Akins noted.
"These valuable educational sessions are designed to inspire product development, kickstart R&D ideas, identify best practices and spark marketing strategies," he said.
Where the pet food industry connects
Akins added that Petfood Forum uniquely brings together over 400 top pet food suppliers to connect with leading pet food manufacturers and brands in one location. "Business takes place during receptions, meals and activities available on the show floor," he said highlighting the engagement opportunities. "The result of all these networking and education offerings throughout the show is an unmatched opportunity to take home actionable business strategies to implement."
Confirmed exhibitors include Alltech, Balchem, Coperion, Extru-Tech Inc., handtmann, H&M Trucking, Kerry, Morris Packaging, Peel Plastic Products, Symrise, Trouw Nutrition, The Peterson Company, Wenger Manufacturing and many more.
Education, development opportunities
The full agenda and speaker details will be released in January 2026. Planned activities include the Petfood Tech Talk stage, Women in Petfood Leadership programming and pet charity organizations. The Future of Petfood Pavilion will feature student presentations on companion animal research.
Petfood Essentials will take place April 27, the day before Petfood Forum begins and focus on business optimization. The one-day interactive seminar will cover cost control, operations, formulation and supply chain optimization, manufacturing efficiency and AI applications.
The First For Forum program offers complimentary registration to pet food professionals who have not previously attended Petfood Forum. Nominations must be submitted by November 3.
For more information or to register, visit PetfoodForumEvents.com.
