For a great many new brands, natural, organic, fair trade, and other socially conscious aspects of their makeup are intended to be a key part of their DNA. The most logical place to launch these brands has been the natural channel – although some new brands seem to have more appeal to mainstream consumers, while others founder when they leave the natural channel.

It’s that tension, between introducing and building a natural brand in the natural channel and in mainstream channels, and the aspects of a brand that allow it to move between them successfully, the will be explored during a high-powered panel called “Is Natural a Natural For Growing Brands?” With thoughtful, successful panelists like expert brand builder Bob Sipper, a champion of hybrid DSD/Natural distribution systems, as well as former Whole Foods executive Perry Abbenante and the founders of three fast-growing natural brands, Guayaki, Sambazon, and Xing Tea, this panel will weigh the ways that the natural channel and its dominant player, Whole Foods, can help establish a new brand, but also how entrepreneurs can be challenged when trying to carry their message and customer base into the main stream.

Panelists for “Is Natural a Natural for Growing Brands”: David Karr (Co-Founder and Director, Guayaki); Jeremy Black (Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer, Sambazon); Tom Lebon (President, Xing Tea and New Age Beverage Co.); Perry Abbenante (Former Whole Foods Senior Global Director of Grocery and Private Label); Bob Sipper (President, Managing Brands LLC)

BevNET Live is scheduled to take place on December 6 and 7 at the Loew’s Santa Monica Beach Hotel in Santa Monica, Calif. Seats are going fast – use the link below to register and take advantage of this unmatched learning and networking opportunity.