The 4th Annual CEA Summit East, co-hosted by Indoor Ag-Con and the CEA Innovation Center, is excited to announce its Day 2 Morning Keynote Panel: “Automation in Action: How Virginia Growers Are Putting Tech To Work.” This insightful session will be held on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, from 8:45 AM – 9:15 AM EST at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) Conference Center in Danville, Virginia.
Moderated by Paul Brentlinger, CEO of CropKing, the panel will feature:
- John McMahon, CEO of Equinox Growers
- Carl Gupton, CEO of Greenswell Growers
These industry leaders will share their firsthand experiences integrating automation technologies into their growing operations. From climate and fertigation controls to robotics and real-time monitoring systems, panelists will offer candid perspectives on what’s working, where the challenges are, and how technology is improving operational efficiency — without losing the human touch that defines successful growing.
“This panel is a true reflection of the mission behind CEA Summit East — bringing research and real-world practice together,” said Brian Sullivan, CEO of Indoor Ag-Con. “Our Day 2 keynote gives attendees a chance to learn directly from growers who are actively testing and scaling automation on the ground.”
Dr. Scott Lowman, Vice President of Applied Research at IALR and Co-Director of the CEA Innovation Center, added, “There’s a lot of hype around automation, but what’s most valuable to our attendees is seeing how it’s actually being implemented in real-time by growers in Virginia. This session will give them that clarity.”
This keynote follows the Opening Day Keynote on September 9: “Cultivating Sustainable Growth: Balancing Economics and the Environment in CEA” moderated by Inside Grower magazine’s Jennifer Polanz, and featuring participants, including Matthew Lohr, Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, and Ben Alexander, Project Director, Oasthouse Ventures.
ABOUT CEA SUMMIT EAST
Co-hosted by Indoor Ag-Con and the CEA Innovation Center—a partnership between IALR and Virginia Tech—the CEA Summit East returns September 9-10, 2025, for its fourth edition. The event offers two days of educational sessions, tabletop exhibits, networking, research showcases, and tours of the CEA Innovation Center, all designed to bring together stakeholders from across the indoor farming industry. Attendees include greenhouse growers, urban agriculture operations, vertical farms, outdoor growers exploring hybrid opportunities, educators, scientists, extension specialists, suppliers, engineers, tech specialists, architects/developers, government officials, and other industry members. For more information on the CEA Summit East and to register for the event, please visit www.ceasummit.com
ABOUT INDOOR AG-CON
Founded in 2013, Indoor Ag-Con is the largest trade show and conference for greenhouse, controlled environment agriculture and vertical farming. The event covers all crop types and brings together growers, tech providers, researchers, and business leaders to explore trends and innovations shaping the future of food production For more information, visit www.indoor.ag.
ABOUT THE CEA INNOVATION CENTER
The Controlled Environment Agriculture Innovation Center is a joint project between Virginia Tech, the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR), and industry that is working to advance the controlled environment agriculture (CEA) sector in Virginia, the U.S., and internationally through leveraging its collective resources, skills, and expertise by addressing the needs of the industry with research, education, and extension programs For more information, visit www.ceaic.org
