Let the count down begin! Only one month until the Food Incubation Summit! Check out the latest updates below. 
First, we are completely SOLD OUT. Thank you to our two Equity and Inclusion Sponsors – The Specialty Food Association and Whole Brain Consulting – which helped support registration for 10 non-profit kitchen attendees. If you decide you can’t make it, let us know as soon as possible so we can invite someone on our waiting list.
Second, the Agenda is posted! Check out the speakers and events and get excited to start planning your days.
Third, we are excited to announce the addition of MENTORING MADNESS at this year’s Summit. Get your specific shared kitchen questions answered by expert mentors in a 1:1 setting. The mentors will bring their critical skills and experiences to counsel and advise you on a variety of topics,
Next week we will send attendees an email to sign up for 30-minute, first-come-first-served, timeslots, so start reviewing your top picks today!
Note that the MENTORING MADNESS sessions will be held from 7:30 am to 9:00 am on Wednesday, October 23 before the Annual Meeting starts, so the early birds will get the worms!
And finally, keep checking out this blog for additional FAQs and information to prepare, including lodging and travel tips.
Warmly,
Ashley Colpaart
CEO, The Food Corridor
Event Chair
FAQs
Who should attend this Summit?
The Food Incubation Summit is designed to support food incubator and accelerator administrators, owners or operators of shared use or commissary kitchens, or ecosystem providers that service the food incubation industry. This event was created to service the largest network of shared use kitchens in the world.
Has the agenda been posted?
Yes! You can review the Agenda and start planning your Summit now!
What else is new this year?This year you can also expect a larger venue, more catered meals, a food system bus tour of Austin, 1:1 mentorship, and added pre and post-summit networking events to help maximize your learnings and your time together.
Will there be breakout sessions?
Yes! One of the highlights of last year was our breakout sessions! This year we will have two types of breakout sessions: peer-led and expert-led. This will allow for more conversational/group discussion and tangible takeaways.
Will there be mentoring?
Yes! This year we are adding a 1:1 mentoring session for folks to dig in deeper with experts, get specific questions answered, and build relationships. An email will be sent to all registrants in early October to sign up for sessions of your choice. These sessions will be held in the morning before the Annual Meeting begins.
How can I communicate with other attendees?Do you want to know who is attending, plan your lodging, or make dinner reservations with old and soon-to-be friends? This year we will be using the communication platform SLACK to encourage networking before, during and after the summit! Attendees will be invited to a shared SLACK community before the event with channels to receive announcements from the organizers, post to a bulletin board for coordinating, make introductions for networking, and ask clarifying questions for clarifying.
Here is a quick overview of how to use SLACK if you want to get a head start. SLACK invites will be sent to registrants in August.
Where is everyone staying?
Check out the Travel section of our website for details on lodging! The Guild East 6th has rooms avaialble att The Arnold, The Indie, and The Corazon. All rooms are a short ride to the venue and walking distance to other events. Make sure you take advantage of the discounted room rates we have up until September.
As a reminder, we have created a shared document to help you coordinate shared lodging with fellow summit attendees. Attendees are responsible for coordinating shared lodging amongst themselves but can use this information to get in touch.
Do we need a car?
We don’t recommend renting a car. Austin is difficult to drive and park in. We purposefully chose venues that were walking or a quick rideshare away. We recommend using ridesharing to get around.
Are there volunteer opportunities available?
Yes! We are in need of some day-of support to help with logistics, flow, setup, and break down. Note that volunteering may inhibit your ability to attend a session you are hoping to attend. To get your name on the list fill out this form.
Who are the current sponsors?
We are still finalizing some amazing sponsors but so far we have confirmed:
Presenting Sponsor
The Food Corridor
Summit Hosts
RPM Kitchens
Cooks Nook
Naturally Austin
Springdale Ventures
Equity and Inclusion Sponsors
Whole Brain Consulting – your outsourced operations experts
Specialty Food Association – create, connect, support, and share the extraordinary experience of specialty food with the world
Summit Sponsors & Partners
Ordermark – restaurant delivery platform
NextBiteBrands – franchisable virtual restaurants
USDA – Agriculture Marketing Service
Galley Solutions – inventory and food costing platform
Food Liability Insurance Program – insurance for food businesses
Foodbytes – discovery platform for food and ag innovation
Chobani Food Incubator – for small food startups with big missions
Dirty Hands Merchandising – servicing brands at the store and retail level
UNFI – distributor of natural and organic foods and specialty foods
EPAC Flexible Packaging – low minimum, finished pouches, and roll stock
PREP – shared and private kitchens
COSTARTERS – powers vibrant communities by equipping starters and leaders with the strategy, tools, and relationships
RemoteLock – any lock, any business – controlled from the cloud
Stonewall Robb Advisors – built for generations to come
Wonolo – fast, flexible staffing, reinvented
WeWork Foodlab – powering the future of food
Notley Ventures – change the rules. change the world.
Briggio Coffee – a coffee robot, yep.
