We’re proud to show off the Day 1 Agenda for BevNET Live Summer 2022, taking place at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York, NY. BevNET Live takes place on June 15 and 16.

On June 15, we’ll be exploring the state of the industry and the spirit of the founders who power it. We’ll take a look at the strategies powering the way two intriguing categories, better for you CSDs and non-alcoholic spirit brands, are growing in stores and in the public consciousness. We’ll hear about CEO evolution and the plans that drive tactical execution to help brands scale, and the ways companies preserve innovation in tough times.

We start with a panel looking at the beverage business at mid-year, with representatives from leading distributor Big Geyser, investment bank William Blair, the head of sales for Pop&Bottle and key retailers from the National Co-Op Grocers Association talk through retailer attitudes, inflationary pressures and the ongoing economic environment and their ability to affect brands’ growth and fundraising.

Once the audience has caught up with the trends, they’ll hear from an inspiring entrepreneur: Orgain founder and CEO Dr. Andrew Abraham will take attendees through a tale of personal and professional growth, revealing the skills he developed over the course of the creation, growth, finance and sale of the company he led from start to sale.

Following a networking break, speakers and panelists focus on decision making and resource allocation. First, leaders of three highly regarded, innovative brands – Ocean Spray, Uncle Matt’s, and Harmless Harvest – will talk through the ways they preserve and promote innovation while dealing with supply chain uncertainty. Next, the CEO of Calypso will offer a valuable lesson on decision-making for growing brands, showing methods for evaluating growth strategies and thinking about long-term and short-term opportunities.

Lunch will be served from 12:30 to 1:45, allowing for more networking and sampling.

In the afternoon, speaker Kathy Guzmán Galloway will help attendees think about where they stand with key business attributes like mission, vision, and purpose, giving founders the chance to clarify their brands’ relationship with the larger world.

Also in the afternoon, two different panels will explore category and channel strategy. First, the founders of three fast-growing brands in the healthy CSD category will talk about the ways they are building for the future, a future that seemed unfathomable a few years ago due to the stranglehold of the entrenched soda giants. Next, brands, organizations, and retailers building the non-alcoholic spirits category will talk through the challenges and methods required to seed and define a new space for retailers and consumers alike.

Speaking of new categories, at 3:15 BevNET Live’s focus will turn to innovation, as the New Beverage Showdown’s semifinal round begins. Presentations and judging will reduce the field from 15 brands to the six finalists competing for the crown.

At the conclusion of the New Beverage Showdown semifinals, networking picks right back up, accompanied by refreshment during the BevNET Live Happy Hour, also hosted at the Metropolitan Pavilion.

Also, don’t forget a special event taking place before the event officially begins: you can get a crash course in many of the dynamics of the beverage business with the pre-show Beverage School session. Running from 7:45 – 9:45, it offers rapid-fire instruction and networking opportunities in the basics of the industry for new entrepreneurs. The Beverage School faculty, as well as the June 16 agenda, are in forthcoming announcements.

Register for BevNET Live Summer 2022. BevNET & NOSH Insiders save an additional $100 per registration.

If you’re also involved in the natural food industry, head to New York City a few days early to attend NOSH Live Summer 2022, a two-day event elevating natural food entrepreneurs, which will take place the days prior on June 13th and 14th. Register for both.

NOSH Live and BevNET Live will take place at the Metropolitan Pavilion, located at 125 W 18th St, New York, NY 10011.

About BevNET Live

BevNET Live is the premiere event for beverage brands, distributors, service providers, retailers and investors to discuss what’s next for the industry. With the industry’s foremost speakers and our New Beverage Showdown, BevNET Live attracts hundreds of brands to each event.