Advanced farming demos, 3-D food printing displays, "alt-protein" tasting stations, and food-focused virtual reality were just some of the interactive exhibits guests got to experience at the Food Loves Tech expo, held June 10-12 at the Waterfront. The inaugural event, presented by food magazine Edible Manhattan and VaynerMedia's live-events division VaynerLive, was created as an outlet for food-tech companies to highlight the intersection of food and technology through a variety of large-scale exhibits, immersive installations, leadership panels, and multi-sensory dining experiences.
"There's an incredible rush of experimentation and investment in technology entering our food chain," said Edible editor in chief Brian Halweil, who has noticed growing interest in technology that involves food, agriculture, restaurants, and nutrition. "We wanted to create a space for the public to meet these technologies that are transforming our food culture."
The Waterfront, a 22,000 square-foot tunnel space that spans a full avenue in Manhattan, provided an ideal setting for the event, which had a "choose your own adventure" atmosphere under the creative direction of Toronto-based Future Food Studio's Irwin Adam Eydelmant and the design of New York-based innovation studio Icrave. The tunnel was separated into four zones (In the Field, In the Home, In the City, and On the Horizon) that each invited attendees to navigate the space on their own, and experience interactive exhibits and talks that highlighted the intersection of food and technology.
Halweil said the event was targeted toward Edible readers, as well as a more generalized group with an interest in food and drink experiences.
"We use our live events to bring the magazine to life and allow our readers and followers to meet the brewers and bakers and pastry makers that feed us. As we started chronicling startups and inventions in this space—farm robots, smart vending machines, autocookers, connected home gardens—we realized most people have not seen, let alone heard of, these companies," said Halweil. "We had had nearly 100 companies and platforms and technologies in the expo, many of which were pre-public and pre-commercialized by six months to two years."
According to Icrave managing director Leah Blackman, Food Loves Tech marked the first time the studio handled experiences, graphics, and branding for an event of this scale. Icrave's event design was inspired by images from Edible and VaynerLive. "When we first envisioned it, we thought it would be like a science museum for adults," said Blackman. "In the end, it felt like a hybrid museum/art gallery-trade show, where food-tech companies could display products in an innovative way."
Blackman said one of the objectives was to create both a high-tech and low-tech feel. Low-tech materials such as plywood were used to create approachable structures that countered the high-tech exhibitors they supported.
Expo sponsor Audi was involved with numerous activations and events, including a weekend-long innovation lounge that had interactive sound and food-tasting experiences; a three-course experiential dinner for 80 guests, based on their personal food biographies; and a V.I.P. opening-night reception at the Paramount Hotel's Diamond Horseshoe, which had a fireside chat with VaynerMedia C.E.O. Gary Vaynerchuk and ThinkFoodGroup owner José Andrés.
Halweil said that Edible and VaynerMedia plan to turn Food Loves Tech into an annual event, and they might bring food-tech pop-up exhibits to other large gatherings including the magazine's Good Beer event, South by Southwest, and the Consumer Electronics Show.
