BevNET Live Summer 2024 - AGENDA

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2024
7:00 AM - 9:00 AM	Registration Opens; Breakfast -- Registration and badge pick up opens for the day at 7:00 AM ET. Breakfast, coffee and beverages are served from 7:15 AM to 9:00 AM ET and are included with registration.
7:45 AM - 9:45 AM	Beverage School Presentations + Networking -- Location: 2nd Floor The morning of BevNET Live day 1, industry newcomers can learn the basics of running a beverage business and jumpstart their networking at Beverage School. Experts will present on topics early-stage beverage brands need to know, including finance, sales, marketing, design, and operations. Following the presentations, attendees will have the opportunity to sit down with the experts and ask them their toughest questions.
7:45 AM - 8:00 AM	Beverage School: Crafting Success: Navigating Regulatory Pathways and Marketing Strategies for Beverages -- Whether you're launching a new line of health drinks, looking to expand your beverage selections, or entering the competitive market of sparkling waters, understanding the nuanced landscape of regulations and marketing is essential. Join us in "Crafting Success" where industry experts will unveil the complexities of legal and regulatory compliance while intertwining smart, effective marketing strategies designed to quench the market's thirst. This session will feature a presentation from legal experts, ensuring that your beverage not only meets legal benchmarks but also captures the imaginations and tastes of consumers while managing your litigation risks. Dive into the core elements of labeling, health claim substantiation, and ingredient approval processes that determine your product's viability in the marketplace. Participants will leave equipped with the necessary toolkit to navigate innovation, branding, and compliance for the beverage industry. With a clear understanding of how to harmonize adherence to regulations with innovative marketing tactics, your beverage business can pour its way into success.  with Emily Lyons, Partner, Husch Blackwell; Megan Beebe, Senior Associate, Husch Blackwell
8:00 AM - 8:15 AM	Beverage School: Growing and Protecting Your Brand: Global Intellectual Property Protection and Related Due Diligence Matters -- with Thomas Speiss III, Shareholder, Buchalter
8:15 AM - 8:30 AM	Beverage School: Angel and Venture Capital Transactions -- with Jeremy Halpern, Partner; Co-Lead, Food and Beverage Group, Nutter
8:30 AM - 8:45 AM	Beverage School: Supplier and Partner Management -- BJB Integrated Supply Chain Solutions founder Beth Brown walks founders through the basics of supply chain strategy, from choosing and managing suppliers and co-manufacturers to building a production schedule that incorporates run size, raw materials, dates and communications best practices. with Beth Brown, Founder, BJB Integrated Supply Strategy
8:45 AM - 9:15 AM	Beverage School: Meet the Angels -- with Greer Tessler, Co-Founder, Simple Food Ventures; Rachel Mansfield, Co-Founder, GRT SHT Ventures; Dace Graham, Managing Partner, 1731 MGMT
9:15 AM - 9:45 AM	Beverage School Roundtable Networking --
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM	One-to-One Retail Meetings -- Location: 2nd Floor Prior registration is required and meeting times are sent individually. Please check in at the One-to-One Help Desk before heading to your meeting room. Meetings will be 10 minutes each and the complete schedule is posted at the Help Desk. with John Lawson, Senior Forager, Local & Emerging Brands, Whole Foods Market; Charlie New, Global Category Manager, Whole Foods Market; Glenn Figenholtz, SVP of Merchandising, Lowes Foods; Charles Slezak, Director of Beverages, Lowes Foods; Randy Ornstein, Sr Director of Beverages, GoPuff; Rachel Krupa, Founder, The Goods Mart
10:00 AM	-- Main Session Starts -- --
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM	Welcome Remarks + State of the Market: Supporting Innovation -- Updates from the industry trenches on sales and financing for innovative brands. with Charlie New, Global Category Manager, Whole Foods Market; Sahra Nguyen, CEO, Nguyen Coffee; Ryan Williams, Founder, FABID; Patrick English, Owner & Vice President, Dana Distributors, Inc.; Jeff Klineman, Editor in Chief, BevNET
10:30 AM - 10:55 AM	Strategic Profile: KDP on Partnership and Progress -- Partnership with KDP takes many forms; CCO Eric Gorli takes the audience from the boardroom to the truck to see how it can be win-win. with Eric Gorli, Chief Commerical Officer, KDP
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM	Sponsored Workshop: Streamlining Beverage Development and Avoiding Common Pitfalls -- Location: Floor 2 This workshop will focus on how functional beverage brands can streamline and "Process-Proof" their beverage development efforts. Learn best practices for designing and launching a beverage and the steps that can be taken to avoid common pit falls. with Derek Greer, Sr Director of Beverage R&D, Sensapure Flavors
10:55 AM - 11:15 AM	Finance: Untold Strategies for Raises & Exits -- The fundraising process is about money, but also more than money — Full Frame Growth Partners' Bader Alam guides attendees through strategies that can help you realize maximum value from your financial partnerships. with Bader Alam, Founder & Managing Partner, Full Frame Growth Partners
11:15 AM - 11:40 AM	Tough Calls: Key Moments at Lemon Perfect -- A conversation with Lemon Perfect's irrepressible CEO, Yanni Hufnagel, on the reasons behind important calls: his to bet on himself, his drive for growth, and his gross margin-based awakening. with Yanni Hufnagel, Founder & CEO, Lemon Perfect
11:40 AM - 12:00 PM	Diageo Ventures: Sallie Jian on Emerging Brands, Investment, and Growth -- From tech to tequila, Sallie Jian has specialized in investing in startups for her entire career. She shares tips on growth, working with strategics, and the state of corporate VC. with Sallie Jian, Head of North America, Diageo Ventures
12:00 PM - 1:15 PM	Lunch, Sampling & Taste Radio Studio -- Lunch is served in the main exhibit hall and is included with registration. Sampling continues in the exhibition hall and Taste Radio Studio livestream interviews take place in lobby 2 near registration.
1:15 PM - 1:40 PM	Building the Category: Pitching NA Retailers -- Non-alcoholic versions of spirits, beer, RTD cocktails and wine are on the rise, and a new set of stores and departments have emerged to sell them. We look at these new channels to understand how specialized retail can affect category development. with Nick Bodkins, CEO & Founder, Boisson; Emily Heintz, Founder & Chief Curator, Sèchey; Chris Marshall, Founder, Sans Bar
1:15 PM - 2:15 PM	Sponsored Workshop: Craft the Perfect Collagen Beverage: Differentiate Your RTD with BCP® -- Location: Floor 2 Consumers love collagen because of its beneficial effects on health and well-being. While collagen is a halo ingredient in many beverage formulations, not all collagen peptides are created equally. Join this immersive session for a taste of how Bioactive Collagen Peptides (BCP®) are different. Elevate your formulation innovation through scientifically substantiated and targeted health benefits. Whether for active/sports nutrition, beauty, or healthy aging, there is a specific BCP® to catapult your brand to the next level. with Ginger Waller, Manager, Technical Services, Gelita; Angie Rimel, Marketing Communications Manager, Gelita
1:40 PM - 2:05 PM	Growing Strong While Staying Lean -- At a time when investment seems frozen, Reza Mirza has built up import water brand Icelandic Glacial on the cheap. He shares spending hacks and ways to improve margin without sacrificing topline revenue growth. with Reza Mirza, Group CEO, Icelandic Glacial
2:05 PM - 2:25 PM	Sports Marketing Evolution 1: Using NIL -- The advent of the NIL — Name, Image and Likeness — has opened up a new avenue for brands to turn college athletes of all sports and stripes into endorses and partners. How can you make it work for you? with Andrew Mavis, Founder & CEO, 98Strong; Manny Lubin, Co-Founder, Slate Milk
2:25 PM - 2:45 PM	Sports Marketing Evolution 2: The New Pro Partnership -- The traditional model of athlete as sponsors, investors, and endorsers haven't gone away, but the way they partner with brands has changed with the media and business environment. We look at examples from the forefront of this evolution. with Mubarak Malik, CEO & Founder, barcode
2:45 PM - 4:00 PM	New Beverage Showdown Semifinal Round -- The New Beverage Showdown, presented by Coca-Cola North America New Revenue Streams, serves as a platform for beverage entrepreneurs to gain exposure, receive feedback, and secure partnerships or investments. Watch the semi-finalists pitch and vote for your favorite to help them make it into the finals! with Mike Schneider, CMO, BevNET / NOSH / Brewbound; Janki Gambhir, Senior Director, Marketing - Red Tree Beverages, The Coca-Cola Company North America; Lexy Prosszer, Investment Principal, Btomorrow Ventures; Max Baumann, Founder & CEO, Basemakers; Ray Latif, Editor/Producer, Taste Radio, BevNET
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM	Sponsored Workshop: Developing Functional Beverages with ActiveTR®? Micro-encapsulated Creatine and Other Bioactives -- Location: Floor 2 Adding scientifically-validated ingredients to functional beverages at effective use levels is a huge challenge. Join us to learn how ActiveTR®? patented micro-encapsulation technology, developed by Anabio Technologies, enables us to develop and manufacture delicious, better-for-you beverages utilizing clinically-researched bioactives. The process preserves the integrity and effectiveness of key ingredients like creatine, leucine, caffeine, and probiotics, shielding them from environmental stressors such as heat, acidity, and oxidation, while masking undesirable tastes and smells. Learn how these advancements in micro-encapsulation are shaping the future of functional beverages for health, wellness and energy. with Samil Ozavar, President, Innovative Food Technologies; Sinead Bleiel, Founder Director, Anabio Technologies Ltd
4:00 PM - 6:00 PM	BevNET Live Official Happy Hour, Presented by Forcebrands -- Join the official BevNET Live Happy Hour, also held on-site at the Metropolitan Pavilion, for some time chatting with each other about the day’s lessons over more snacks and drinks, before adjourning for the day.

Please note that event agendas are subject to change.