> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # COVID-19 pushes conference off the in-person stage into virtual realm - URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2020/07/covid-19-pushes-conference-off-the-in-person-stage-into-virtual-realm/ - Published: 2020-07-17T04:01:43.000Z - Updated: 2020-07-16T23:13:50.000Z - Author: News Desk - Tags: Events, Food Policy & Law, food safety leaders, Food Safety Resources, For Industry, Government Agencies, Science & Research, 2020 Food Safety Summit, AFDO, Association of Food and Drug Officials, CDC, coronavirus, COVID-19, FDA, Food Safety Summit, USDA, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2025-11-25 08:33 One of the year’s largest food safety conferences is now planned to be a virtual event, according to an announcement from the organizers of the Food Safety Summit. The event, annually set in the first week of May, was postponed earlier this year because of the coronavirus outbreak. It was rescheduled for Oct. 19-22 in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, IL. Yesterday, however, the organizers said the COVID-19 pandemic offered too many chances for infections at an in-person event. “Given the continued uncertainty around travel and the importance of health and safety for the entire food safety community, the difficult decision has been made to transition the upcoming in-person Food Safety Summit event in Rosemont, IL, to a fully virtual event Oct. 19-22, 2020,” said Scott Wolters, CEO of BNP Media, producers of the Summit. The Summit is set to start with a session on “COVID-19: The New Normal for the Food Industry.” The four-day event will offer educational sessions along with presentations from exhibitors in the Solutions Stage and Tech Tent as well as networking with attendees. The educational portions of the summit are planned to offer four two-hour workshops and 21 one-hour sessions. Four general sessions are on the agends. They include the keynote presentation by Will Daniels, president of produce division, IEH Laboratories and Consulting Group, who will discuss “Back to Basics: Consumer Focused Food Safety.” In addition, the Summit’s annual “Town Hall” discussion with leaders from the FDA, AFDO, CDC and USDA and a general session focused on “Foodborne Illness Outbreak Mock Criminal Trial – A View from the Jury Box” featuring Shawn Stevens, Food Industry Counsel LLC, will be offered. Daily, from noon to 2:30 p.m. CDT, the virtual exhibit hall will be open. Attendees will have the opportunity to attend live sessions from the Solutions Stage and hear from technology companies in Tech Tent presentations. From 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. CDT the education and networking will continue. BNP Media is working with virtual events platform Intrado to deliver this learning experience. Those who wish to only participate in the virtual exhibit hall and the general session each day can attend for free. All current Summit attendee registrations will be moved over to the virtual Food Safety Summit. Event organizers will contact those registered attendees with more information. The virtual Summit is $299 to attend with the early bird rate, which expires on Aug. 31\. Those who pay to attend the summit will have complete access to the entire platform, including virtual exhibit booths, all live and on-demand education sessions, the ability to participate in group discussions and networking events with colleagues and speakers. Registration is now open at [www.foodsafetysummit.com](http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001buYOXpMXPGOoj5%5FU3DLlFa8MJo1zbkB0OkMrOGaKvPck0gofkjbUUkyEZ5x3HL5TgJNHxqrf%5Fmk5sCF1yrcQFnO7Zs9drih-FoI1%5Fj-Og0h%5FNgm-3KakffRn8NwSF5qT%5Fob81t6iIQu2z6zo5yC5Baw3ZWZQDrAnQN8FuiyFEqY4kOd1A5j0rYK5kcwXq4AvxLW3f4zP7WgTPdQRf%5FGrj1%5FjZWXk1r1T7g763DQVHDh0CUyBLKQs7I2E1IgJNa1L2Us3RLZDFLHqaBS%5FSc7etcifqTfsykHoWNz-q3Qhr0uTTeuatGwwt%5F5VPrtDL5wGteKFEWMaT0g=&c=rCg0IeV2swHBih8ZDSSCpSx6h-7ljPgBp8YOBZi58nWAj9vMBSnUtQ==&ch=xcuAJbjTbp-eG8vo15tFGARGgHE-MMf9CH5%5FodWMfEsXWRWpC3GdAA==&ref=foodsafetynews.com). **The agenda follows:** **Monday** 9:00am – 12:00pm **S1:** COVID-19: The New Normal for the Food Industry (Includes a 2 hour session then 1 hour of moderated breakout groups) 12:00pm – 2:30pm **EXHIBIT HALL OPEN** Tech Tent and Solutions Stage Presentations 2:30pm – 3:30pm **S2:** Food Safety Challenges of a Changing World **S3:** Difficult to Detect Organisms: Management in the Face of Uncertainty **S4:** How to Control Allergens – Bring Your Concerns and Leave with Solutions 3:30pm – 4:30pm **S4:** How Hep A Prepared Us for COVID and May Help End this Hep A Outbreak **S5:** Novel Processing Technologies – Validation, Application, Regulation **S6:** Developing Easy to Implement Food Safety Disaster Plans 4:30pm – 5:30pm **NETWORKING EVENTS** Community Networking: Foodservice/Retail Community Networking: Processors/Manufacturing --- **Tuesday** 9:00am – 11:00am **S10:** What Am I Getting Into? Suppliers & Co-Packers Linked to Food Safety 11:00am – 12:00pm **KEYNOTE PRESENTATION:** Back to Basics: Consumer-Focused Food Safety 12:00pm – 2:30pm **EXHIBIT HALL HOURS** Tech Tent and Solutions Stage Presentations 2:30pm – 3:30pm **S11:** Supply Chain Traceability: Collaboration, Momentum and Food Protection **S12:** Foodborne Outbreaks in the News **S13:** Don’t Be Labeled for Having Bad Labels 3:30pm – 4:30pm **S14:**Indoor Farming – Review of the Safety of Hydroponic Products **S15:** Risk Communications with Consumers During Outbreaks: A Research-Based Approach **S16:** Kick FEAR to the Curb with Knowledge and Best Practices around COVID-19 4:30pm – 5:30pm **NETWORKING EVENTS** Community Networking: Regulatory Challenges with Non-Traditional Food Community Networking: Fresh to the Industry Professionals --- **Wednesday** 9:00am – 11:00am **S19:**Food Fraud Prevention – Introduction, Implementation and Management 11:00am – 12:00pm **TOWN HALL:** Q&A with the Top Regulators 12:00pm – 2:30pm **EXHIBIT HALL HOURS** Tech Tent and Solutions Stage Presentations 2:30pm – 3:30pm **S20:** Partners with a Common Purpose **S21:** Implementation of Preventive Controls for Human Food and other FSMA Rules – Where Are We Today? **S22:** Meet the Editors – Discuss Hot Topics 3:30pm – 4:30pm **S23:**Part 2 of COVID Session --- **Thursday** 9:00am – 11:00am **S24:** Practice Improves Performance – Internal Audits for Food Processors 11:00am – 12:00pm **GENERAL SESSION:** Foodborne Illness Outbreak Mock Criminal Trial – A View from the Jury Box 12:00pm – 2:30pm **EXHIBIT HALL HOURS** Tech Tent and Solutions Stage Presentations 2:30pm – 4:30pm **S25:** Managing Allergens & Sanitation in Food Processing Facilitiess ***(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News,*** [***click here***](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/subscribe/#.VtSWqcdln%5FR)***.)***