AUGUST 10-13, 2026

WHERE PERFORMANCE
STARTS TO POP

POPCORN: The Innovation Summit by CAT Squared
Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort, Hot Springs, Arkansas

Use Group Code BKG1497 and Booking Password 58230192 when making your reservation.

CAT-Squared-Content-Image-1-V2C

5+1 Reasons to
Attend POPCORN.

POPCORN is where insights pop for food manufacturers ready to get more from the systems, data, and partnerships they already have. Download the full program to see the sessions, speakers, and summit experiences built to reveal intelligence gaps and unlock performance across the value chain.

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Reason 1:
Extract More Value from Your Existing Systems

The biggest gains do not always come from adding more technology. They come from identifying where performance, visibility, and decision-making break down across the value chain.

That is why the POPCORN program focuses on uncovering points of value loss, from farm and live production through processing, traceability, and downstream decisions—revealing the intelligence gaps that limit performance.

Tuesday, August 11, 11:00 AM

SPEAKERS: OPTIFARM, POULTRYSYNC

Predictive Intelligence

See how live-side activity and environmental data can be turned into actionable insight that supports earlier intervention, better planning, and more predictable performance upstream, enabling faster and more informed decision-making.

TUESDAY - Thursday

HOST: MEAGHAN ZIEMBA

Connecting people, processes, and ideas

As host of the Popcorn Summit, Meaghan brings clarity to complex topics across the food production chain, keeping conversations focused on the challenges, innovations, and opportunities shaping the future of food manufacturing.

Tuesday, August 11, 10:00AM

SPEAKERS: CHORE-TIME,
ROXELL, FANCOM & PIGTEK

CYNERGY: WHERE PERFORMANCE BEGINS

See how live-side insight can improve predictability before animals reach the plant, providing better visibility into feed performance, consistency, activity patterns, and environmental factors that influence outcomes.

Wednesday, August 12, 01:00PM

SPEAKER: WIGGS CIVITILLO

Turning Traceability Data into Retailer-Ready Compliance

See how standardized traceability records help manufacturers respond faster to recalls, meet compliance requirements, and improve data sharing across the supply chain while strengthening transparency and customer confidence.

Reason 2:
Get clarity on the CYNERGY roadmap

Farm-to-fork is not a simple linear process. It is a complex system where decisions in live production, processing, traceability, and planning continuously affect one another.

CYNERGY is designed to connect those moving parts into a more unified operational environment, helping manufacturers reduce blind spots and make better-informed decisions across the value chain.

Reason 3:
See how we turn operational data into business intelligence

CYNERGY is a connected system that helps food manufacturers close intelligence gaps, improve visibility, and connect decisions across the value chain.

POPCORN brings that vision to life through the summit experience, including the Pop & Pour Technology Showcase, where attendees can see the ecosystem in action and explore opportunities for adoption and ROI.

Tuesday, August 11, 05:30PM

POP & Pour technology showcase

Grab a drink and visit immersive demo stations with CAT² SMEs, partners, and sponsors. See the ecosystem in action, ask practical questions, and gather ideas to drive adoption and ROI.

Tuesday, August 11, 4:00PM

SPEAKER: ALEX SANDOVAL

AI Copilots for Smarter Operations

Discover how AI copilots help production teams interpret plant-floor data, investigate downtime, identify bottlenecks, and accelerate root-cause analysis to turn scattered signals into clear action.

Tuesday, August 11, 03:30PM

SPEAKER: JOHANN DE WET

Identifying Production Losses Earlier with Visual AI

Discover how visual AI turns existing factory CCTV into operational intelligence, helping processors uncover downtime causes and production losses that traditional systems miss.

Reason 4:
Interrogate your data using AI

The conversation around AI is moving fast, but real value comes from understanding where intelligence can improve operations.

Through sessions with leading industry voices, POPCORN helps attendees explore how emerging technologies can be applied in practice across the value chain.

Reason 5:
Value from across the value chain

POPCORN brings together voices from across the farm-to-fork value chain, combining strategic perspective, technical expertise, and real-world operational experience.

The result is a deeper understanding of the challenges, opportunities, and decisions shaping modern food operations.

Wednesday, August 12, 09:40AM

SPEAKER: DR. AMIT MOREY

Beyond SILOED DATA

Discover how Industry 4.0 helps poultry processors connect automation, sensors, and plant data to cloud-based analytics that improve efficiency, food safety, and production performance.

Tuesday, August 11, 11:00AM

SPEAKER: Dr. Neamat Eltazi

Turning Live-Side Data into Predictive Intelligence

See how live-side and environmental data can support earlier intervention, better planning, and more predictable upstream performance before variability reaches the plant.

Thursday, August 13, 09:00AM

SPEAKER: BRYAN BURNS

INDUSTRY & REGULATORY OUTLOOK ACROSS PROTEIN PRODUCTION

Explore the policy, regulatory, and business trends shaping the future of protein production, and the key developments processors should monitor to stay prepared for what’s next.

Thursday, August 13, 9:30AM

SPEAKER: BLAKE ROLLINS

Implications for the Poultry Industry

Explore the economic, social, and industry forces reshaping our world, and why the poultry industry is well-positioned to meet the challenges and opportunities ahead.

bonus reason :
Shaping what’s next

The future of food manufacturing will not be defined by technology alone, but by how manufacturers connect systems, decisions, and intelligence across their operations.

POPCORN brings those conversations together, creating opportunities for customers, experts, and partners to explore new ways to improve visibility, performance, and value creation.

Download the full program

Explore the agenda, speakers, and key summit moments in one place. Complete the form and get the program delivered straight to your inbox.

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STANDARD ATTENDEE

General Admission

$1069

Full access to all sessions

Networking events and evening programming

Meals included

All applicable taxes included

GROUP TICKET FOR 5

25% discount

$4000

Save 25% on five standard attendee tickets

Please note: Group registrations require some manual processing. Your registration code will be sent after the invoice has been prepared and the group booking has been confirmed.

Group Ticket for 6

30% discount

$4489

Save 30% on six standard attendee tickets