The Big Connecticut Food Event is an annual one-day event that gathers CPG/wholesale-focused food & beverage brands and other key stakeholders spanning the Connecticut food entrepreneurship ecosystem to network, share ideas, and showcase products and services.

Our goal is to support the development of the state’s entrepreneurship pipeline so it produces multiple food and beverage brands each year that exceed $2mil in annual sales.

The upcoming Big Connecticut Food Event will take place on Saturday 3/1/25 at the Yale School of Management in New Haven.

Event content

• 💰 $50k+ pitch competition for 5 finalist emerging Connecticut brands
• 🥫 Sampling and tabling from 30+ emerging Connecticut brands and solutions providers
• 🤝 One-on-one coaching sessions between brands and industry experts
• 🎤 Panel discussions with industry leaders

Participation opportunities

• Food & bev brands (based in CT) — Pitch competition, tabling & sampling, expert coaching participant, attendee, sponsor
• Food & bev brands (based outside CT) — Expert coaching participant, attendee, sponsor
• Solutions providers to food & bev brands (co-manufacturers, packaging designers, legal and financial service providers, etc.) — Expert coaching coach, sponsor, attendee
• Grocery and foodservice procurement leaders — Pitch competition judge, panelist, sponsor
• Not-for-profit organizations (mission-aligned, regionally-based) — Tabling
• Industry leaders and policymakers — Panelist, pitch competition judge
• The food-curious public — Attendee

Interested in participating in one of the formats listed above? Click the participate button below and fill out the participation request form.