American Frozen Food Institute's Food & Beverage Environmental Conference - FBEC 2027
Event Date
April 5–8, 2027
Location
Oceanside, CA
About This Show
AI-drafted summaryThe Food & Beverage Environmental Conference (FBEC) is the premier annual gathering for environmental, health, safety, and sustainability professionals working across the food and beverage industry. Organized by the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI), the conference brings together senior environmental managers, engineers, consultants, and vendor partners to share real-world experience with sustainable practices, environmental compliance, and emerging technologies. Its 55th edition takes place April 5-8, 2027, at The Seabird/Mission Pacific in Oceanside, California.
FBEC draws professionals from across the food and beverage lifecycle — from craft breweries and distilleries to pet food makers, grocery, farming, processing, transportation, distribution, EHS, sustainability, and wastewater management. If your work touches any part of the journey from farm to factory to fork, the conference is designed for you.
What sets FBEC apart is its format: it is deliberately not a trade show. There are no sales pitches and no published proceedings, which encourages candid, processor-led discussion. A single program of sessions, shared meals, poster sessions, and social hours foster genuine networking and information exchange, and technical sessions offer Professional Development Hour (PDH) credits.
Show Highlights
- Processor-led information exchange in a casual, no-neckties atmosphere with no sales pitches and no published proceedings, allowing for candid discussion.
- Single-track program so all attendees share the same sessions, meals, poster sessions, and social hours.
- PDH credits available for technical sessions.
- Poster sessions and networking built into the schedule to encourage collaboration across industry, academia, NGOs, and suppliers.
- Recent program topics have included Renewable Natural Gas, Air Quality, Regulatory Updates, Enforcement & Compliance Case Studies, Compliance Best Practices, Sustainability, Stormwater, Food Waste, Hazardous & Regulated Waste, Water Reuse, and Wastewater, plus deeper-dive "202" ad-hoc sessions on Air, Wastewater, and Sustainability topics.
- The 2027 conference is chaired by Jasmine Lee of Brown and Caldwell.
Registration
FBEC is a conference, not an exhibition, so registration is by delegate pass rather than booth space. Registration for the 2027 conference opens in November; the fee structure from the most recent published cycle was:
- Food Industry Delegate (employees of a food or beverage manufacturer, processor, packager, ingredient supplier, retailer, or distributor): $725 early bird / $825 regular.
- Consultant/Vendor (consultants, self-employed, or those selling goods, services, or technology to the industry): $1,400 early bird / $1,600 regular.
- Guest Rate (spouses, partners, friends, or children 18+, covering meals and social events only; not for industry roles): $450.
Attendance is open to those employed by food or beverage processing companies, industry consultants, vendor partners, and supporting trade associations. Note a limit of two registrants per consultant/vendor company (including parent companies) unless the company is an active member of the FBEC Planning Committee. Registration is completed online through AFFI's event portal, and a registration guide is available on the website. Registrations may be transferred to a colleague at no cost; refund cancellation deadlines apply each cycle.
History
FBEC traces its roots to 1970, when it launched as "Waste Water Engineering in the Food Industry" at the Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, California. Over the decades the event evolved through several names — including "Environmental Engineering in the Food Processing Industry" and the "Food Processing Environmental Conference" — before becoming the Food & Beverage Environmental Conference. The 2027 event marks the 55th Annual conference. It has moved to a different destination each year, with past hosts including Santa Barbara, San Diego, New Orleans, Lake Tahoe, Phoenix, Miramar Beach, and Gulf Shores. The conference was postponed in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 and resumed in 2022 with its 50th edition in Asheville, North Carolina.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where is FBEC 2027 taking place?
The 55th Annual Food & Beverage Environmental Conference takes place April 5-8, 2027, at The Seabird/Mission Pacific resorts in Oceanside, California.
Who should attend FBEC?
FBEC is designed for environmental, health, safety, and sustainability professionals across the food and beverage industry, including manufacturers, processors, breweries, distilleries, pet food makers, grocers, consultants, and vendor partners. Anyone whose work touches the food and beverage lifecycle from farm to factory to fork will benefit.
Is FBEC a trade show with exhibitors?
No. FBEC is deliberately not a trade show. It has a strict no-sales-pitch policy and no published proceedings so that presentations, posters, and discussions can be candid, with the focus on information exchange and networking.
How do I register and what does it cost?
Registration is completed online through AFFI's event portal, with registration for the 2027 conference opening in November. In the most recent cycle, Food Industry Delegates paid $725 early bird ($825 regular), Consultant/Vendor delegates $1,400 early bird ($1,600 regular), and a Guest rate of $450 covered meals and social events only.
What topics and benefits does the conference offer?
Sessions cover sustainability, water resource management, wastewater, air quality, stormwater, food and hazardous waste, and environmental compliance and enforcement. The single-track program, poster sessions, and social events foster networking, and technical sessions provide Professional Development Hour (PDH) credits.
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