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DECEMBER 8-10 | MARINA DEL REY, CA

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The Leading Beverage Industry Event Returns to Marina del Rey this December

For more than a decade, the CPG industry has turned to BevNET Live to discover the latest trends and network with the beverage community. Our signature three-day event for the beverage industry brings together thought leaders, trailblazers, and the next generation of brand founders to help beverage industry professionals thrive.

This December 8-10, the beverage industry will gather in-person in Los Angeles, CA to learn and take action.

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700+ Are Registered for BevNET Live - View the Full List

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Winter 2024 Agenda

All times are subject to change.

Print the agenda for Tuesday, December 10

Please note: All times US Pacific Time

  • 8:00 AM9:30 AM

    Registration & Breakfast

    Location: Promenade Ballroom - Lobby Level
    Breakfast, coffee and beverages are served from 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM PT and are included with registration. Registration and badge pick up opens for the day at 8:00 AM PT.
  • 8:00 AM3:00 PM

    One-to-One Meetings, Powered by LA Vibrations

    Location: Outdoor Sinder Lounge - Lobby Level
    Prior registration is required and meeting times are sent individually. Please check in at the One-to-One Help Desk before to heading to your meeting room. Meetings will be 10 minutes each and the complete schedule is posted at the Help Desk.
    • Samantha Fletcher, Senior Category Merchant, Whole Foods Market
    • Stephen Jabour, Chief Sales and Operations Officer, Spec's
    • Kody Severson, National Category Manager, Non-Carbonated Beverages, Albertsons
    • Matthew Wirth, National Category Manager, Carbonated Beverages, Albertsons
  • 9:00 AM10:00 AM

    Sponsored Workshop: Enhance Brand Packaging Impact with Interactive, Color-Changing Technology

    Location: Palisades Room - Lower Level
    The workshop will showcase examples and delve into the collaborative process of developing interactive packaging using CTI Chromatic Technologies.

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  • 9:00 AM9:25 AM

    The Psychology Behind Sustained Beverage Brand Success

    Location: California Ballroom - Lobby Level
    How do brands accelerate from interesting to obsessive? In this session, Thurman shares insights from a unique database that maps consumer psychology, reveals what drives decisions across a range of beverage categories and brands, and offers founders both the ways to assess brand position in the minds of consumers and to drive sustained growth.

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  • 9:25 AM9:50 AM

    Yo, Pioneers! Tips on Framing the Development of a New Category

    Location: California Ballroom - Lobby Level
    When Ben Witte launched Recess, there wasn’t a lot of relaxation of any type in the beverage business - CBD derived or otherwise. Here’s how brand architecture and systems thinking allowed him to make the case for building a new category within the existing marketplace.

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  • 9:50 AM10:15 AM

    Finding Financial Fitness

    Location: California Ballroom - Lobby Level
    Like a lot of brands, the slowdown in VC and institutional lending meant hard choices for Life Aid. The brand navigated the successful shift from “grow at all costs” to being significantly EBITDA positive this year, and its founders share how they did it, and the ways that other brands can do the same.

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  • 10:15 AM10:30 AM

    Retailer Profile: Spec’s Wines, Spirits, and Finer Foods

    Location: California Ballroom - Lobby Level
    Texas-based beverage specialist Spec’s has more than 200 stores, and it has eagerly plunged into the deep end of the Hemp-Based Delta-9 THC beverage movement. Jabour is in charge of developing that assortment; he’ll share his thoughts on ways retailers and brands can support each other in categories where the rules are still emerging, as well as what it takes for all beverage types to get in and succeed in Spec’s.
    • Stephen Jabour, Chief Sales and Operations Officer, Spec's

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  • 10:30 AM11:00 AM

    Networking, Sampling & Taste Radio Studio

  • 10:30 AM11:30 AM

    Sponsored Workshop: From Formulation to Final SipTM: Crafting the Perfect Beverage for your Brand

    Location: Malibu Room - Lower Level
    Join FFP for an engaging workshop designed to empower beverage developers with insights into efficiently creating customer-centric products. Our session, “From Formulation to Final SipTM,” will guide brands through the essential steps of crafting beverages that start with nature and resonate with customers, using the power of pure extracts, functional ingredients from nature, and a wide array of flavors.  The presentation will feature a lineup of FFP experts who will discuss the latest trends and practical applications for ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages and concentrates. 

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  • 11:00 AM11:30 AM

    New Beverage Showdown Finals - Round I

    Location: California Ballroom - Lobby Level
    Our first three finalists face the judges!

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  • 11:30 AM12:00 PM

    "What I’ve Learned," with Nutpods' Madeline Haydon

    Location: California Ballroom - Lobby Level
    In this fireside chat, Haydon will discuss key decisions around investment, brand direction, challenges from competition, mistakes, successes, and the ways the business tested her limits and helped her understand her own definition of success.

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  • 12:00 PM1:00 PM

    Sponsored Workshop: Collaborate to Elevate: Disruptive Brand Packaging from Vision to Consumer

    Location: Palisades Room - Lower Level
    Step into the world of BevNRG—a custom-crafted beverage developed specifically for this event and brought to life by a team of beverage trailblazers, including leaders in brand ownership, flavor formulation, package design, co-packing, and label innovation. Ideal for professionals who crave something bold, fresh, and full of personality! This dynamic team, drawn from every corner of the industry, shares a vision for shaking things up. This session highlights the power of partnership, creativity, and fast-paced innovation. Don’t miss the chance to meet the team and see how BevNRG came to life and how an unconventional, collaborative approach can drive game-changing results!

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  • 12:00 PM1:30 PM

    Lunch, Sampling & Taste Radio Studio

    Location: Bayview Ballroom - Rooftop & Hotel Lobby
    Lunch is served in the Bayview Ballroom on the rooftop level and in the outdoor Sinder Lounge. Lunch is included with registration. Sampling continues in the Promenade Ballroom.
  • 1:30 PM2:00 PM

    New Beverage Showdown Finals - Round II

    Location: California Ballroom - Lobby Level
    Our second group of finalists pitch to the judges!

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  • 2:00 PM2:20 PM

    Investment Outlook: Private Equity, Strategics, and M&A

    Lane, one of the country’s leading CPG dealmakers, will discuss topics like the state of the market for strategic investment and M&A, as well as other exit options like private equity, public markets, and platform formation.

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  • 2:20 PM2:45 PM

    Drinking Our Feelings - The Shifting Beverage Consumer

    Location: California Ballroom - Lobby Level
    Flavor, function, and form are driving beverage innovation, but there's an underlying trend tapping into human emotion. Why is this resonating with consumers today? With beverage lines blurring, this session explores the concept of social signaling based on what people feel versus what the industry defines as a 'category' and how this may define the future of drinks.

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  • 2:45 PM3:10 PM

    Deal Breakdown: How On the Rocks Went from Startup to Exit

    Location: California Ballroom - Lobby Level
    Rocco Milano co-founded On The Rocks with Halbert and Andrew Gill to bring high-end mixology into the growing ready-to-drink space, and in just five years they were able to sell the brand to Beam Suntory, in 2020. Milano will share the brand’s tale of fast growth and exit, and how that’s informing the partners’ new venture, Gin & Juice By Dre and Snoop.

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  • 3:10 PM3:15 PM

    New Beverage Showdown: Judges’ Remarks and Winner Announcement

    Location: California Ballroom - Lobby Level

    Watch Video

Gold Sponsors

SPONSOR

Winter 2024 Speakers

At BevNET Live, beverage industry innovators and experts tackle the industry’s toughest challenges and provide solutions to help you move past obstacles and reach your next milestone.

  • Sharad Chadha

    Sharad Chadha

    CEO, Sprecher Brewing

  • Jeff Klineman

    Jeff Klineman

    Editor in Chief, BevNET

  • Stephen Jabour

    Stephen Jabour

    Chief Sales and Operations Officer, Spec's

  • Christina Schmidt

    Christina Schmidt

    Senior Category Manager, Shelf-Stable Beverages, KeHE Distributors LLC

View All Speakers

Recent Event Announcements

Retailer One-to-Ones: Meet with Retail Buyers

Representatives from Whole Foods, Albertsons, Pilot, and Spec's will be scheduling meetings with beverage brands attending BevNET Live Winter 2024 on Monday, December 10 and Tuesday, December 11.

Limited meeting spots are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Register now to sign up.

Learn More

Silver Sponsors

Learn How to Grow Your RTD Spirits Company

Learn How to Grow Your RTD Spirits Company

Join us on Sunday, December 8th, for a deep dive into the booming RTD spirits category. Kick off with expert insights into market trends and investment opportunities.

Sunday will also feature the Cocktail Showdown, where emerging brands pitch their innovations and attendees get to sample the latest products firsthand. Apply for the Cocktail Showdown.

LEARN MORE

Sample the Latest Beverage Innovations

Pitching your product is great, but sometimes taste just speaks for itself. To move conversations forward and set you up for potential partnerships, beverages from attending brands are showcased in sampling fridges throughout the event. This makes it easier for brands and industry executives to connect and do business. Go beyond your pitch and form more meaningful relationships with industry investors, retailers, suppliers and service providers.

There are two sampling options for attendees. Non-alcoholic beverage products are sampled via self-service sample fridges throughout the event. Products that contain alcohol or are meant for a party environment, such as a mocktail, are sampled during the Happy Hour and/or Official Party at the end of Day 1.

You must be a registered attendee of BevNET Live Winter 2024 to sample.

Learn More

Supporting Sponsors

Beverage School: Education to Get You Started

On the first day of BevNET Live, industry newcomers can learn the basics of running a beverage business and jumpstart their networking at Beverage School. Experts will present on the 5 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.

Beverage School helps lay the foundation for success. If you're just getting started in the natural packaged food industry, we recommend you attend the segment.

Learn More

Dec. 11+12: Dive into Beer & Beverage Alcohol at Brewbound Live

Following BevNET Live, on December 11+12, we'll bring together the beer and beverage-alcohol industry to collaborate, make connections, and forge lasting relationships. The event mixes high-profile speakers and informative panels with sampling and networking opportunities. 

The Brewbound Live two-day program boils down all aspects of the beer business so you can keep up (and stay ahead) between batches. Take a deep dive into innovation, investment, retailing, and the key opportunities and trends that will enable growth within the beer business and beyond.

LEARN MORE

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