Publisher’s Toast: Fall is a Time to Spring Ahead

Boy, do I love this time of year. I just spent a most enjoyable day at the US Open, which is my favorite sporting event. Yesterday, I watched my Yankees sweep a double header at the Stadium. Best of all, my darling granddaughter Isabel started her pre-K at Horace Mann, the same school that her mother and uncle attended 30 plus years ago. Life goes full circle. Our evenings are now crisp and the days aren’t so oppressively hot now. It seems that all is right with the world.

The fall is always a time when the beverage industry kicks into high gear. The trade show calendar starts to heat up. Next on tap are the Expo East and NACS extravaganzas. Both are in full flight with no Covid-19 restrictions. We actually had mask requirements for mass transit in New York lifted yesterday. Many other shows are also on tap, which will keep our BevNET team engaged, traveling and covering the excitement of a marketplace seemingly on the climb back to its pre-pandemic activity level.

We are being introduced to a plethora of new brands and SKUs. Many have been on the drawing board for a few years now, but are finally ready to be unleashed to the eager consumer base. Companies feel the time is right, and supply issues aside, they will put them forward. If you follow our BevNET site you’re well aware of the frenzied activity on so many levels. Aside from the products coming out, there have been a flurry of hirings and firings as companies determine who will lead them in the months and years to come. Founders are stepping down, some by choice, others by board mandates, to bring a new leadership perspective to their brands. I’m excited that many old friends are moving to new positions where they can utilize the skills and strategies that were successful in the past. They are either launching new companies or taking the helm of others that could use a new look. On a personal note, I’m excited that Seth Goldman is back in the arena. He has always been a touchstone and conscience of the industry.

With all this activity comes the inevitable other side of bankruptcies and lawsuits that are part and parcel of this competitive marketplace. They captivate our attention as we follow the trials and tribulations of the combatants. It makes for compelling reading of our BevNET site. It’s all part of the game of beverages that we love so much, but it’s important to remember that these combatants aren’t just entities, there are people involved.

Regardless, enjoy the fall – and the new spring it represents.