Evolving pet owner expectations demand new models of engagement. Susan Groeneveld shares how Sylvester.AI is pioneering direct-to-consumer pathways to connect with owners, strengthen veterinary partnerships, and unlock commercial scale. 

In an increasingly volatile ingredient supply landscape, product innovation is a critical lever for reducing risk and ensuring business continuity. This session will explore how brands can proactively design and reformulate products to lessen dependency on high-risk or scarce ingredients, turning supply challenges into opportunities for growth and resilience.

• Discover how product innovation can reduce reliance on high-risk ingredients through smart reformulation and flexible design choices that preserve quality and brand consistency.
• Learn collaborative strategies for aligning R&D, procurement, and risk teams to drive innovation that supports supply security and long-term resilience.

Environmental, Social, and Governance principles are essential for building resilient, trustworthy ingredient supply chains. This session guides midsize brands through practical methods to integrate ESG data, including lifecycle assessments (LCA), supplier evaluations, and ongoing monitoring, turning ESG commitments into real business advantage and reduced supply risk.

Key questions to be addressed:

• Learn how embedding ESG criteria into sourcing decisions strengthens supply chain resilience, reduces risk exposure, and aligns with regulatory and investor expectations.
• Discover practical ways to assess suppliers, integrate LCA data into procurement, and implement ESG reporting and codes of conduct without overwhelming internal teams.

Disruptions in the agri-food supply chain, from climate shocks to shipping delays, can lead to major financial and reputational consequences. This session explores how insurance and contractual tools can be used strategically to manage these risks, safeguard ingredient supply, and protect business continuity.

• Understand how insurance and contractual strategies can be used together to manage ingredient supply risks, and what internal visibility is required to make them effective.
• Learn how supply chain resilience is evaluated by insurers, and how to align risk coverage with actual exposure to avoid costly gaps or unnecessary spend.

In today’s volatile sourcing environment, ingredient traceability is no longer just a transparency or compliance tool, it’s a core strategy for reducing risk and ensuring secure, uninterrupted supply. This session will explore how companies can implement practical, scalable traceability systems that improve oversight, supplier accountability, and response to disruption.

Key questions to be addressed:

• Understand how traceability reduces risk by improving visibility in complex ingredient supply chains and learn practical first steps for mapping supply flows and identifying data gaps.
• Explore tools and best practices for implementing traceability systems that support ESG compliance and regulatory needs without overburdening teams, including what supplier data to request and how often.

Ingredient shortages, geopolitical disruptions, and supplier instability are now regular challenges for midsize brands. This session will explore how strategic sourcing, including supplier diversification, geographic risk balancing, and procurement practices, can mitigate disruptions to supply while maintaining product quality and sustainability commitments.

• Identify and assess hidden risks in ingredient sourcing, including over-dependence on single suppliers or geographic regions.
• Learn key criteria for selecting alternative or backup suppliers that balance quality, cost, and sustainability.
• Understand how procurement and sustainability teams can collaborate to build resilient sourcing models that minimise risk without increasing costs.