Getting the real meat out of my chilli crab conference
Spoiler alert — this blog isn’t really about food, although it’s definitely something I enjoy (as my wife points out when the belly gets a bit big) but there was crab involved.
This blog is about the Singapore Indoor Ag Conference I recently attended (for the first time) and some of the ‘meat’ I gained from the event.
Like any industry, you could probably find a conference or trade-show every week of the year if you really needed something to do, and it can be a bit of a hit and miss with regards to the enjoyment and information factor.
But I always have things I like to achieve when I go to these events to make sure I get my money’s worth, so thought I’d share a few here.
FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD
Now, even though this isn’t about food, it can often be the thing that defines any good conference. You’re often ‘trapped’ somewhere for two to three days and the food has to be nutritious, tasty and keep you going — rather than send you snoring.
Nothing like carbo-loading to make the afternoon sessions a really arduous task. So plenty of protein is a bonus. Stay away from the breads and potatoes if you can.
The food at Indoor Ag Con was good but the dinner that night with a few of my customers and partners literally made my taste buds sing. Three words — Singapore Chilli Crab. It’s the best there is, and worth repeat plates (don’t tell my wife).
It also helped I was with great companions — Veera from Greenology, Lionel and Terence from UpGrown and Rajendar from Cravo. Let’s be honest, as good as a conference can be it’s the dinner and drinks the first night which is the real special sauce in any dish.
SPEAK TO ME not SELL TO ME
I’ll have to admit my bias here as I was a speaker at Indoor Ag Con this year. My session was on how automation can support growers in Asia.
It was quite humorous as my co-presenter was one of our competitors, so it was almost like LipSync Battle without the costumes and the music. Probably a good thing that I wasn’t singing… fastest way to clear a room.
The thing that I see all the time at conferences is you often feel like you are being ‘sold to’ all the time which can be a bit tedious but there were some great presenters at this one.
A standout was the Minister from the Singaporean Government. This was a great endorsement of indoor ag and nice to see the importance given to the sector.
There was also some great research presented which would be good to see again next year with regard to updates and how things have progressed for them.
AND THE CURTAIN CLOSES
After the two days at Indoor Ag Con the one thing that really came home to me was, big or small businesses, all of us are on the same journey. We want to feed people in the best way for the growers, suppliers, consumers and the planet.
It also raises the issue that more can be achieved through collaboration than apart. It’s still early days when it comes to agtech in Asia but everyone is moving fast.
The one thing I really loved was the amount of young people in attendance. We need the support of the younger generation to ensure continuity. It’s those following behind us who will continue doing good things in this sector.
It would also be great to hear more from the growers themselves, as they are the reason we are all there.
But to finish up with my stomach, the conference was a lot like the chilli crab — lots of spice, lots of shell but when you get to the meat it’s really good!
Ramy Sanad is the Autogrow Sales Manager for Asia, Middle East and North Africa and a secret foodaholic.
