BevNET Live Winter 2022 - AGENDA

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2022
7:30 AM - 9:00 AM	Breakfast, Presented by Cometeer & Registration -- Breakfast, coffee and beverages are served from 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM PT and are included with registration. Registration and badge pick up opens for the day at 7:30 AM PT.
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM	New Beverage Showdown Semifinal Round -- Feel the excitement and suspense as our 12 semifinalists offer rapid-fire pitches to our first panel of judges!
10:00 AM - 10:15 AM	Welcome Remarks -- with Jeff Klineman, Editor in Chief, BevNET; John Craven, CEO & Founder, BevNET.com
9:30 AM - 10:00 AM	Networking Break & Taste Radio Studio --
10:15 AM - 10:45 AM	State of the Market: On the Ground, At the Store, In the Balance Sheet -- We scan the operating conditions for beverage entrepreneurs, looking through the eyes of financial, retail, and distribution gatekeepers to try to assess opportunities in the coming year. with Janica Lane, Managing Director, Piper Sandler; Sandro Roco, Founder & CEO, Sanzo; Tim Dornfeld, Senior Category Manager, Shelf-Stable Beverage, KeHE; Brian Albert, Sr. Category Manager, Grocery, Sprouts
10:45 AM - 11:15 AM	Building Brands in the Crowd -- In categories ranging from energy drinks to coffee to kombucha to all manner of sparkling drinks, competition is at an all-time high. Shiver, who has made a career out of leading teams in competitive categories, discusses the keys: company culture, brand authenticity, cash for growth and marketplace timing. with Jason Shiver, CEO, Waterloo Sparkling Water
11:15 AM - 11:45 AM	Cocktails Remixed: A Deep Dive Into RTD Cocktail Strategies -- Ready-to-Drink Cocktails are the fastest-growing category in the spirits space -- but the direction for the brands in that category is far from settled. Three brand founders discuss their strategies and viewpoints in a panel that speaks not just to spirit companies, but to competitors in all emerging beverage areas. with Hope Ewing, Head Bartender in Charge, Vervet; Brian Treacy, Co-Founder and President, Sagamore Spirit; Kyle Cooke, Founder, Loverboy
11:45 AM - 12:15 PM	How Celsius Got Red Hot -- Celsius CEO John Fieldly will bring the story of Celsius’ long climb to the top to the BevNET Live Winter audience. Fieldly will go through the company’s search for effective brand positioning and retail efficiency, and the ways that he’s been able to make the product work for a growing set of consumers, retailers, and investors – all of whom are seeing their investment in the brand pay off. with John Fieldly, CEO, Celsius
12:15 PM - 12:30 PM	Best of Awards + New Beverage Showdown Finalists Announced -- We’ll take a break from discussion to celebrate: BevNET’s Best of 2022 and New Beverage Showdown Finalists will be presented right before lunch.
2:00 PM - 2:40 PM	Breakout Sessions - Round I --
12:30 PM - 2:00 PM	Lunch, Sampling & Taste Radio Studio --
2:00 PM - 2:40 PM	Supply Chain Pain Redux: Inflation and Self-Preservation -- Location: Arcadia - Main Ballroom, 5th Floor As with last year, beverage companies are STILL worried about raising prices, increasing costs, the potential margin impacts that will roll into fundraising valuations and more. Only now, they're also worried about inflation, sharing higher costs with partners, and inventory surpluses. But hey, the ports are cleared. An unmissable panel manufacturing consultant Will Madden, master strategist Neil Kimberley, and Encore Consumer Capital’s Kate Wallman returns for round two of Supply Chain Pain. with Neil Kimberley, President, Bossa Nova Beverage Co.; Will Madden, Senior Partner, Whole Brain Consulting; Ben Settle, Director - Consumer & Retail Investment Banking, William Blair
2:00 PM - 2:40 PM	Spirits Track: RTD Cocktail Data Share: The Numbers Behind the Growth -- Location: Palisades, 5th Floor IWSR's Brandy Rand offers a comprehensive data set on the growth, value, use cases and challenges facing the fast-growing RTD cocktail category. A must for brands, buyers, suppliers, and investors alike. with Brandy Rand, Chief Strategy Officer, IWSR
2:00 PM - 2:40 PM	Infusion Insights: How Cannabis Beverages are Evolving -- Location: Room 831 (8th floor) The prospects for cannabis-infused beverages continue to grow and the formats are improving, but what are the challenges that remain from a product and market fit standpoint? Our panel of experienced CPG development, spirits, and sales experts looks at the state of and long-term outlook for this special category. with Darnell Smith, Founder & CEO, MXXN; Warren Bobrow, Co-Founder & CEO, Klaus; Lauren Tamburro, VP Research & Development, Vertosa
2:00 PM - 2:40 PM	Sponsored Talk: Functional Forecasting for Beverages -- Location: Catalina Ballroom, 4th Floor The conventional line between supplements and beverages blurring. Join us for an exclusive look at US-specific consumer insights including need states across dayparts and consumer-preferred formats and ingredients. with Emmet Malone, RD&A Director, Kerry; Shawn Gerstenkorn, Director of Strategic Marketing, Kerry
2:00 PM - 2:40 PM	Sponsored Workshop: Breakthrough Flavor Technology for Authentic Tasting Beverages -- Location: Topanga (7th floor) Liquid flavors for beverages primarily rely “washing” the base citrus oils to make a water-soluble compound. Old school beverage emulsion flavors are out of favor because they are hard to use and contain objectionable additives. Learn about innovative beverage flavor technology that enables your beverage to use the taste and aroma that comes from complete citrus oils – in a clean, water-soluble, more sustainable delivery system. with Jim Vale, Senior VP of R&D, ZoomEssence; Steve Hardek, Chief Strategy Officer, ZoomEssence
2:40 PM - 2:50 PM	Networking Break --
2:50 PM - 3:30 PM	Breakout Sessions - Round II --
2:50 PM - 3:30 PM	Your Customer is the Retailer: A Selling Workshop -- Location: Arcadia - Main Ballroom, 5th Floor The path to true volume and scale lies in the very same chain stores and independent retailers who have fostered growth in the past. To grow, brands need to think of these stores as their true customers, as important to their growth equation as their finely tuned consumer plays. But thinking about the needs of the store can be very different from thinking about the needs of the consumer. Jones shares the key mistakes brands make when seeking to establish relationships with store buyers and the ways that beverage companies can learn to think like those buyers and create a mutually beneficial environment. with Buck Jones, CEO, A Buck's Worth
2:50 PM - 3:30 PM	Spirits Track: Selling Spirits DTC -- Location: Palisades, 5th Floor Of course sending that bottle through the mail is a great idea! But between varied state regulations, three-tier requirements, and operational obstacles, D2C sales of spirits to consumers is nowhere near the kind of market that it could be. Our speakers outline the playing field, offer tips on audience development, and explore the spirits market's relationship with online sales. with Josh Jacobs, CEO, Speakeasy
2:50 PM - 3:30 PM	Adjusting to Omnichannel: Considerations for D2C Beverage Brands Scaling in Brick & Mortar -- Location: Room 831 When brands open physical retail after launching D2C, things change: pricing and packaging structure, marketing, design, operations, and overall channel strategies are all on the table. Fortunately, our panel knows where the pain points are, and can have you smoothly arrive at the store, set up for growth. with Jordan Bass, CEO & CoFounder, HOP WTR; Erin Chaiken, Head of Partnerships, Interact Brands; Kate Dwyer, Founder, Trending Creative
2:50 PM - 3:30 PM	Sponsored Talk: Crafting Better Beverages - A Sip of Tasty Nutrition -- Location: Catalina Ballroom, 4th Floor Health and wellness continue to be top of mind in this pandemic/post-pandemic time we find ourselves in. The elevated focus on health and wellness is sparking a shift in overall beverage categories. However, the taste experience is still key. In this session, our Ingredion beverage experts will guide you through key insights into the blurring of category lines and share how to deliver nutritious beverages without compromising taste and texture. with Janae Kuc, Senior Marketing Manager, Beverage Category, Ingredion; Rich Stewart, Technical Service Project Leader, Ingredion
2:50 PM - 3:30 PM	Sponsored Workshop: Breakthrough Flavor Technology for Authentic Tasting Beverages -- Location: Topanga (7th floor) Liquid flavors for beverages primarily rely “washing” the base citrus oils to make a water-soluble compound. Old school beverage emulsion flavors are out of favor because they are hard to use and contain objectionable additives. Learn about innovative beverage flavor technology that enables your beverage to use the taste and aroma that comes from complete citrus oils – in a clean, water-soluble, more sustainable delivery system. with Jim Vale, Senior VP of R&D, ZoomEssence; Steve Hardek, Chief Strategy Officer, ZoomEssence
3:30 PM - 5:30 PM	BevNET Live Happy Hour -- Location: Venice Ballroom, 4th Floor Join your fellow attendees at the conclusion of day 1 presentations for beer, wine, non-alcoholic beverages and light appetizers.
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM	BevNET Live Official Party, Presented by ForceBrands -- Location: Pacific Garden, Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel Join us for some outside fun and head to the lawn behind the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel for beachside networking! Swing on the glow swings, sit by the fire pit, play some lawn games and listen to live music while enjoying signature cocktails, beer, wine, non-alcoholic beverages and light appetizers.

Please note that event agendas are subject to change.