Publisher’s Toast: Let’s End The Year On a High Note.

First and foremost, while the pandemic seems to be over, it’s still rearing its ugly head. I contracted it 10 days ago. Nary a symptom, and feeling fine, I tested to appease a friend we were having brunch with. It was positive. I isolated this past week and missed my Thanksgiving celebration with family for the first time in my 75 years. Life plays strange tricks. Covid isn’t done with us yet. Stay diligent.

It hasn’t tempered my excitement about our upcoming BevNET Live. As I look through the list of people we’ve signed up already, I’m struck by how many names and brands I don’t know – or haven’t even heard of. I’ve always prided myself on knowing the marketplace, the brands and the players in it, but I can’t keep up with all the new entrants popping up. While there isn’t a total changing of the guard in the industry , it sure speaks volumes of the direction it is going. We were entering a golden age of beverages before the pandemic hit. Now we’re back on track. Our conference is just a reflection that we’re fully recovered from the recent dark days of Covid. As you peruse our website, and our magazine, you’ll see so many launches, lots of new efficacious formulations, fun new packaging ideas, and finely tuned marketing positions to define the uniqueness of each of the new brands. The industry surges forward.

I still see some hesitance by distributors/wholesalers and retailers to embrace some of the new entrants. It’s hard for them to determine which new brands to take on, as that means dropping some already in their portfolios. They don’t have the luxury of supporting slow-moving brands anymore. The old loyalties and friendships don’t hold weight in this fast -paced marketplace. That’s not the way it works anymore. It’s a juggling act that leaves new brands at the mercy of these arbiters.

Being the cockeyed optimist and cheerleader of the beverage industry, I see the year ending positively and look forward to even greater gains in 2024. We deserve nothing less.