Seattle, WA  –Smart Kitchen Summit, the leading global event and community focused on the future of food, cooking and the kitchen, announces its fourth annual flagship event in Seattle, Washington, October 8-9, 2018 at the world-renowned Benaroya Hall. This year’s overarching theme is the reinvention of the meal journey, with two days of speaking sessions, fireside conversations, product demonstrations, and more with speakers from Starbucks, Amazon, Google, Bosch, Wired, America’s Test Kitchen, Barilla and more. SKS is excited to welcome Chef Richard Blais to the stage as well as our resident celebrity chef for the event.

The show agenda will explore various themes tied into the reinvention of the meal journey, including: 

The impact of AI and robotics on how food is shopped for, prepared, made and consumed across the retail, restaurant and home environments

The reinvention of the restaurant and how technology is enabling entirely new formats and business models for the restaurant operator

The transformation of the kitchen to digital and the business model impacts for big players in food, grocery and appliances

The move to more personalized food and nutrition, the use of biomarkers and food science along with VR and AR to rethink the food we consume

Technology for good in the food and cooking ecosystem: how can we use technology to make for healthier cooking outcomes, waste less food, and feed more people?

To speak to these themes, SKS 2018 is curating a powerhouse speaker lineup of top executives and thought leaders from companies and organizations that touch every element of the meal journey, including appliances, food science, retail, new food business models, non-profits, Big Food, connected home and more. The early lineup includes speakers from Whirlpool, Nokia, Barilla, Panasonic, Starbucks, Chef’d, Wired and chef and television personality Richard Blais.

Also returning for SKS 2018 is the popular Startup Showcase Competition, a platform for exciting startups, inventors, culinary makers and cutting-edge product companies to showcase what they are working on and let others experience it firsthand. Applications are due August 17. Interested companies can submit at www.smartkitchensummit.com/2018startupshowcase.  Finalists get a demo table, a chance to pitch on stage and tickets to the full event.

For more information on this year’s event or to submit to speak or inquire about a sponsorship or partnership with SKS, visit www.smartkitchensummit.com and to stay up to date on event announcements, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.