John Craven

John Craven

CEO / Founder / Editorial Director

As founder and CEO of BevNET, John Craven is a widely-recognized authority on the beverage industry and he is frequently cited in mainstream media. His vision shapes the editorial, publishing, and positioning of all of BevNET's properties, including BevNET.com, NOSH.com, BevNET Magazine, Brewbound.com and their associated conferences. John is a graduate of Boston College with a BS in Marketing and Computer Science.

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Posts by John Craven

BevNET TV: Emerging Trends, New Products at 2013 Expo West BevNET TV: Emerging Trends, New Products at 2013 Expo West

BevNET TV: Emerging Trends, New Products at 2013 Expo West

by Ray Latif, Jeffrey Klineman, John Craven and Joshua Pratt,

Whether a first-time attendee or grizzled veteran of Natural Products Expo West, there was a singular feeling felt throughout: the 2013 show was simply mind-boggling in size and scale. Within the cavernous halls of the Anaheim Convention Center, a keen sense of excitement and opportunity filled the air as beverage companies, retailers, distributors and investors looked to take advantage of the rising tide of consumer demand for natural products.

BevNET TV: A First-Hand Look at Expo East 2012 BevNET TV: A First-Hand Look at Expo East 2012

BevNET TV: A First-Hand Look at Expo East 2012

by Ray Latif and John Craven,

While Natural Products Expo East often gets overshadowed by its massive sister shows, this year's edition, which featured dozens of entrepreneurial beverage brands, certainly held its own. Offering a mild glimpse of post-recession recovery for natural beverage brands and the industry as a whole, Expo East featured a strong showing from beverage suppliers, distributors, and manufacturers, with many showcasing innovative ingredients and sweeteners seen for the first time at the show.

WSJ: Coke in Talks to Acquire Monster Beverage WSJ: Coke in Talks to Acquire Monster Beverage

WSJ: Coke in Talks to Acquire Monster Beverage

by John Craven,

Breaking news as the Wall Street Journal has reported that Coca-Cola is in talks to buy Monster Beverage. The energy drink giant has a market capitalization of more than $11 billion and would be the largest brand acquisition for Coke. Shares of Monster Beverage have skyrocketed on the news, fluctuating between $75 and $79 per share.

AriZona Lets Facebook Fans Vote on New Flavor; BevNET TV’s First Taste Sampling AriZona Lets Facebook Fans Vote on New Flavor; BevNET TV’s First Taste Sampling

AriZona Lets Facebook Fans Vote on New Flavor; BevNET TV’s First Taste Sampling

by John Craven,

In celebration of their 20 year anniversary, AriZona is offering the chance for their fans to vote -- via Facebook -- on one of three new flavor concepts that they’ve created. Since it would be impossible to have every fan that votes try the flavor samples (and what fun would it really be to just vote based on the name of a flavor?), AriZona asked a variety of people, including food writers, celebrity chefs, random consumers on the streets of New York, and yours truly, to work as “Flavor Panelists.”

BevNET TV: Trends and New Products at Expo West 2012 BevNET TV: Trends and New Products at Expo West 2012

BevNET TV: Trends and New Products at Expo West 2012

by Ray Latif, John Craven and Andrew Guard,

The latest Expo West show turned out to be the biggest on record with more than 60,000 attendees and over 160 beverage-related exhibitors packing the event. Marching through the vast halls of the Anaheim Convention Center, BevNET's John Craven and Andrew Guard examine new and continuing trends seen at the show including new uses for coconut water, the growth of alkalized waters, natural energy, “refined” refreshment, and the increasing use of chia and oats in wellness drinks.

PepsiCo Reports Q4 and Full Year 2011 Results; Announces Strategic Initiatives for 2012 PepsiCo Reports Q4 and Full Year 2011 Results; Announces Strategic Initiatives for 2012

PepsiCo Reports Q4 and Full Year 2011 Results; Announces Strategic Initiatives for 2012

by John Craven,

This morning, PepsiCo announced that it would be trimming 8,700 employees -- 3 percent of its global workforce -- as part of a cost-saving program intended to recoup $1.5 billion in projected expenditures over the next three years. News of the cuts confirmed expectations reported over the past month, and came as the company reported its fourth-quarter and full-year 2011 results.

Beverage Spectrum is now BevNET Magazine Beverage Spectrum is now BevNET Magazine

Beverage Spectrum is now BevNET Magazine

by John Craven,

We’re pleased to announce that as of December 2011, we are changing the name of Beverage Spectrum to BevNET Magazine. The start of a new year seemed an appropriate time to extend the BevNET brand, which you already know from our digital offerings and from BevNET Live, our conference series, to include the print side of our business. We also plan to enhance BevNET Magazine to offer expanded coverage of the supplier and product development components of the beverage business, as well as the growing craft beer industry, while maintaining our focus on new product coverage, trends and innovation.

BevNET.com Goes Mobile BevNET.com Goes Mobile

BevNET.com Goes Mobile

by John Craven,

Today, I’m pleased to announce the official launch of the mobile version of BevNET.com. With over 10 percent of BevNET.com’s traffic in 2011 coming from mobile devices (and we suspect…

Attention Startup Beverage Companies: Application Deadline for the New Beverage Showdown 2 is Wednesday, November 9 Attention Startup Beverage Companies: Application Deadline for the New Beverage Showdown 2 is Wednesday, November 9

Attention Startup Beverage Companies: Application Deadline for the New Beverage Showdown 2 is Wednesday, November 9

by John Craven,

If you operate a new beverage company (meaning your brand is less than 1 year old), the New Beverage Showdown 2, which is taking place at BevNET Live Winter 11 on December 5 and 6, is your chance to get your brand in front of the industry (What is the New Beverage Showdown 2?).  However, the deadline to apply is rapidly approaching, with applications due by this Wednesday, November 9.  Aside from exposure to our audience of investors, distributors, and other industry professionals, there's $5,000 in cash going to the winner.  Click the link below to apply now.  Questions?  Feel free to contact me via email.

BevNET TV: A Recap of Expo East 2011 BevNET TV: A Recap of Expo East 2011

BevNET TV: A Recap of Expo East 2011

by Ray Latif, Andrew Guard and John Craven,

With more than 100 beverage-related exhibitors and over 20,000 attendees, Natural Products Expo East returned to Baltimore after a three year stint in Boston. While Expo East lacked the thunderous atmosphere that Expo West enjoyed earlier this year, the show did feature a number of new and innovative beverage companies introducing products in growth categories like tea, coconut water and aloe juice, as well as several rebrands and repackaging efforts - most notably by Honest Tea.

Review: Harmless Harvest 100% Raw Coconut Water Review: Harmless Harvest 100% Raw Coconut Water

Review: Harmless Harvest 100% Raw Coconut Water

by John Craven,

Back in October, Harmless Harvest showed off their USDA Organic coconut water at the 2010 Expo East Show in Boston.  They created quite a buzz for themselves — so much…