Better Bites Food Forum
The Future of Food Starts Here
A curated, two-day forum bringing together the people shaping what’s now, new, and next in food and snacking - retailers, operators, emerging brands, and cultural voices driving demand.
AT&T Hotel and Conference Center
1900 University Ave, Austin, Texas, 78705, USA
Why Better Bites?
Curated. High-Impact. Action-Oriented.
The food industry doesn’t need another massive expo. It needs better conversations, sharper insights, and real outcomes.
Better Bites is intentionally curated - limited attendance, focused programming, and meaningful access to the people who actually move product, shape shelves, and build brands.
This is where ideas turn into decisions.
September 2nd | Main Stage | In partnership with SKU
Join the 2026 Pitch Slam Competition
Ten emerging brands take the main stage for sixty seconds each— live, in front of the retailers, operators, and investors who decide what makes it to shelf, and two panels scoring from very different seats.
Applications are open now.
Judged by industry
Professional's Choice
A panel of buyers, operators, and brand builders picks the brand they would put on shelf tomorrow.
Judged by students
Student's Choice
A panel of student judges picks the brand they would put in their own basket.
Ten spots on the main stage. Applications close August 20, 2026.
Who Attends Better Bites
Retail Decision Makers
See what’s breaking through before it scales. Discover emerging brands, shifting consumer behavior, and new partnership models in a focused environment built for real conversation.
Brands & Founders
Meet the retailers, investors, and strategic partners who can accelerate your next stage of growth. Better Bites is designed for meaningful connection.
Investors & Industry Leaders
Stay ahead of the forces reshaping food and beverage. Engage directly with the founders, retailers, and operators defining what wins on shelf and in culture.
Creators & Cultural Drivers
Connect with the brands and retailers redefining how consumers find, trust, and experience food. From storytelling to shelf impact, this is where influence meets commerce.
A Different Kind of Food Forum
Real Access
Smaller rooms, intentional networking, and moments that lead to follow-up.
Curated Attendance
A deliberately selected mix of retailers, founders, sponsors, and creators — not an open trade floor.
Action-Oriented Programming
Conversations designed to be applied, not just discussed.
Programming Themes
Set in the heart of Austin at the AT&T Hotel & Conference Center, Better Bites brings together leaders in food, retail, and brand building in a city known for creativity and culture.
- Retail strategies for future relevance
- Capital, scale, and sustainable growth
- Emerging food trends across generations
- Creator influence and modern brand building
Detailed sessions and speakers to be announced.
Be There for Year One.
Actionable Insights
Leave with strategies you can implement immediately across retail, food innovation, and brand storytelling.
High-Value Connections
Meet decision-makers, creators, and operators shaping what’s next.
Built for Growth
Designed for brands ready to scale, collaborate, and stay ahead of emerging consumer behavior
