By Sara Karnish | Photo by Food Safety Magazine

Since 1998, the Food Safety Summit Conference & Expo has brought together various stakeholders from the food safety industry. It’s here that researchers, policymakers and experts from around the world gather annually to discuss the most pressing food safety challenges and provide actionable solutions.

“The summit is an enriching and informative event, highlighting the latest advancements, best practices and strategies in the field of food safety,” says Adriene Cooper, the senior events manager at BNP Media, which produces the summit.

“The discussions and collaborations that take place during the summit undoubtedly contribute to the development of effective solutions to ensure a safer food supply,” she says.

The Food Safety Summit took place in Washington, D.C., for many years. In 2002, BNP Media became its new owners. In 2020, BNP purchased Food Safety magazine, whose mission aligned perfectly with the summit’s.

The partnership brought together the leading publication and trade event to strengthen the impact on the global food safety community.

The 2025 summit took place May 12 to 15 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. BNP has staged the summit in many different cities in the 20-plus years it’s been at the helm, but Rosemont has been the host city since 2019. The 2026 Food Safety Summit will be held May 11 to 14 at the convention center again.

“We [stayed in Rosemont] for a variety of reasons, including convenient access to air travel, hotels and entertainment; proximity to our key attendee demographic of food and beverage manufacturers; and cost production concerns,” Cooper says.

The Donald E. Stephens Convention Center is a five-minute drive from O’Hare International Airport and 30 minutes from downtown Chicago. Rosemont itself offers premier dining, entertainment and establishments like Parkway Bank Park, so there are plenty of activities to keep attendees busy when they’re not in session or for anyone who wants to extend their stay by a few days to explore.

The summit is a full food and beverage event that includes two networking receptions, breakfasts and breaks throughout the day, with lunch served in the exhibit hall for full conference attendees every day.

A planning team made up of BNP Events colleagues, members of the Food Safety magazine brand team and the Food Safety Summit Educational Advisory Board — food safety industry leaders from food service, retail, manufacturing, distribution, produce, associations, regulatory and academia — typically start planning in June for the next year’s event in May.

“We gather our Educational Advisory Board for an in-person meeting in July each year to discuss the hot topics that need to be addressed and brainstorm ideas for our general sessions, including the keynote, town hall and closing session,” Cooper says. “Sales for the event start right before the summit for the following year.” To strategize content, the planning team has regular in-person and virtual meetings in the months leading up to the event.

“We have a large faculty of more than 80 speakers, so we have many planning sessions throughout the year,” according to Cooper.

PROMOTE, PROMOTE, PROMOTE

The 2025 Food Safety Summit was marketed through a robust email marketing campaign, social media, and BNP Events’ brand articles, e-newsletters, webinars and podcasts. When the 2024 figures were tallied last year, the event drew 3,400 attendees — 1,300 in person and 2,100 virtually — and 125 vendors.

Cooper said the event’s impact is determined by a few factors, however. “Success is measured by the quantity and quality of our key attendee demographic post-event feedback. We conduct a detailed event satisfaction survey for all stakeholders with both formatted questions and open-ended responses,” she explains.

The results? “We received very positive feedback from our attendees,” Cooper says. In fact, a video is available on the Food Safety Summit’s website that includes testimonials from attendees and highlights of the event.

LEARNING AND GROWING

Food and beverage were top of mind in the planning process. “Of course, with an event called the Food Safety Summit, we conduct a thorough pre- event food production audit and work to have a diverse offering of food items,” acknowledges Cooper.

It was four days jam-packed with education sessions, interactive workshops and exhibitors offering new food safety solutions in an expanded exhibit hall. The week kicked off with five certification courses on Monday. Tuesday’s agenda included five interactive workshops. On Wednesday and Thursday, attendees participated in 20 education sessions, including the keynote presentation and town hall.

The Exhibit Hall was open on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Cooper explains the Exhibit Hall has set hours when no education sessions are running. “We offer lunch in the exhibit hall, as well as a solutions stage, tech tent and podcast theater, giving attendees additional ways to participate in more education,” she says. All events were held on site in the convention center.

She points to the Wednesday evening reception, Food Safety Summit Gives Back, as a standout moment. “It supports Stop Foodborne Illness and the wonderful work they’ve been doing for the past 30-plus years,” she says. The summit matched all donations from attendees and, with the support of sponsors, was able to donate $6,600 to the organization’s vision of “A World without Foodborne Illness” and mission to be the voice of people affected by foodborne illness.

How the food we eat is grown, prepared, sold and distributed is important. “Food safety professionals face challenges that include ensuring supply chain traceability, addressing emerging pathogens, managing sustainability practices and navigating regulatory changes, all while balancing cost efficiency and innovation,” Cooper says. “The Food Safety Summit features over 80 experts who address these challenges, while sharing innovative and timely solutions.”

Through case studies, expert panels and interactive discussions on foodborne illness outbreaks, recall management and contamination prevention, attendees left the event better equipped with practical answers to the challenges they face.

The agenda for the 2025 Food Safety Summit included education sessions focused on timely issues in the food safety industry, such as sanitation basics, leveraging artificial intelligence and allergen management, among others.

The summit ensures a safer global food supply for everyone every year, but it starts in Rosemont annually.

A Closer Look

NAME: The Food Safety Summit Conference & Expo

TYPE OF EVENT: A four-day gathering of food safety industry professionals from around the world, representing food service, retail, manufacturing, distribution, produce, associations, regulatory and academia

LOCATION: Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, Illinois

NUMBER OF ATTENDEES: 3,400 (1,300 in person and 2,100 virtual)

GOAL: To address the most pressing food safety challenges and provide actionable solutions.

STANDOUT EXPERIENCES: Food Safety Summit Gives Back, the Wednesday evening reception, supported Stop Foodborne Illness. The summit matched all donations and was able to donate $6,600 to the organization with the support of event sponsors. The organization’s vision is “A World without Foodborne Illness” and its mission is to be the voice of people affected by foodborne illness.