BevNET Live Winter 2016 is just around the corner, and it’s time to reveal the players in the twelfth installment of the conference’s signature competition, the New Beverage Showdown.
Sponsored by the Venturing & Emerging Brands unit at the Coca-Cola Co., Inc., the New Beverage Showdown identifies the most innovative and scalable new beverage brands from a slate of early-stage entrepreneurs. Interwoven with BevNET Live, the two-day competition gives 15 brands an opportunity to showcase their business plans and products to a panel of expert judges for immediate critique and review.
The semifinal round of New Beverage Showdown 12 is scheduled to begin at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 5, concluding at 9:30 a.m. The group of six finalists will be announced at 12:00 p.m. and present during the day on Tuesday, Dec. 6.
Here are the semifinalists:
- Mother Beverage
- Sunniva Super Coffee
- Karuna
- NiU Superfoods, Inc.
- IMMORDL
- EVIVA
- TruVibe Organics
- CARELA Beverages & Teas
- NatureWise
- Shadetree Beverage Co., LLC
- Venice Cold Brew
- Shaka Tea
- Role Tea
- CRUXe
- 1821 Bitters
With decades of experience in brand building, retailing, investing, distribution and marketing, the judges for New Beverage Showdown 12 will offer participants and attendees valuable insights on what makes for a successful beverage brand.
Semifinal Round Judges:
- Mark Rampolla, Co-Founder, Powerplant Ventures
- Rachel Andersson, Sr. Director, Modern Marketing, Brand Sense Partners
- John Craven, Founder & CEO, BevNET
- Richard Medina, Co-Founder, Los Angeles Distributing Company
- Jeremy Faa, SVP & General Manager for Craft Beverages, Coca-Cola North America
Final Round Judges:
- Greg Fleishman, Co-Founder, Purely Righteous Brands
- Ken Sadowsky, Senior Beverage Advisor, Verlinvest
- Nicole Fry, Managing Partner, First Beverage Group
- Kimberly Paige, VP Marketing & Innovation, VEB
- John Craven, Founder & CEO, BevNET
BevNET Live attendees and livestream viewers will also have a role in the judging process. Audience votes will be weighted by attendance, aggregated and the final tally will be utilized to assist judges in their decision-making.
The winner of New Beverage Showdown will be awarded $10,000 in cash and prizes, and hold the esteemed crown worn by past winners, including Health-Ade, MALK, Tio Gazpacho, Coco Cafe, and Grady’s Cold-Brew.
If you haven’t yet registered for BevNET Live, you’re running out of time! Grab one of the few remaining seats and sign up TODAY!