BevNET Live L.A. 2026, the leading event for beverage entrepreneurs and industry leaders, is less than 30 days away. From December 6-8, 2026, founders, beverage executives, investors, retailers and suppliers will gather at the Marina del Rey Marriott in Los Angeles for three days of insights on what’s ahead for the beverage industry, curated 1:1 meetings, product sampling and the New Beverage Showdown pitch competition.
BevNET Live L.A. 2026 at a glance
- What: BevNET Live, a business event for the beverage industry produced by BevNET
- When: Sunday, December 6 through Tuesday, December 8, 2026
- Where: Marina del Rey Marriott, Los Angeles (Marina del Rey), California
- Who attends: About half of attendees run beverage brands, from early-stage founders to established national companies. The other half are retailers, distributors, investors, suppliers, co-packers and service providers. More than half of attendees are top decision-makers.
- Highlights: Main stage sessions, 1:1 meetings with buyers and investors, the 29th New Beverage Showdown, Beverage School, workshops, sampling, and happy hours plus the Official Party
- Register: bevnet.com/events/bevnetlivela2026
What is BevNET Live?
Since 2009, BevNET Live has been where the beverage industry comes together to do business, spot trends and learn how brands grow. It takes place twice a year, in New York in June and in Los Angeles in December. Attendees come for candid lessons from the people who have built and backed founder-led beverage companies, and for access to buyers, investors and partners who could otherwise take months to reach.
“Whether you’re in the ideation stage or you’ve been running a brand for years, BevNET Live is the best event for people building in the beverage industry,” said Sahra Nguyen, founder and CEO of Nguyen Coffee Supply. “The breadth of knowledge sharing and community building is invaluable.”
What happens at BevNET Live L.A. 2026?
- Main stage sessions: Founders, retailers, investors and operators share how they’re approaching growth, retail, capital and operations in today’s market.
- 1:1 meetings: Registered attendees can request private, 10-minute meetings with retail buyers and investors on December 7 and 8. Hosts approve each request so meetings are a good fit on both sides. Confirmed hosts include Whole Foods Market, Sprouts, KeHE, Nouria, INFRA, GroundForce Capital, Sonoma Brands Capital, Tastemaker Capital, InvestBev, Recess and Venable LLP.
- New Beverage Showdown: BevNET’s signature pitch competition. Twelve emerging brands pitch to industry judges in the semifinals on Monday, December 7. Six finalists then pitch on Tuesday, December 8, and the winner gets a $10,000 advertising package from BevNET. Past competitors include Poppi, Health-Ade, MALK, Cann and Liquid Death. Meet this year’s semifinalists >>
- Beverage School: On Sunday, December 6, experts walk newer founders through the basics of finance, sales, marketing, design and operations, followed by small-group roundtables where attendees can ask their own questions.
- Industry segments: Sunday also includes sessions focused on cannabis beverages and RTD spirits.
- Workshops: Hands-on sessions cover keeping packaging color consistent (X-Rite Pantone), beverage innovation trends (Cargill), scaling back-office systems (NetSuite with Sol-ti), using AI to improve Amazon profitability, natural sweeteners, and overnight consumer research with AI-moderated interviews.
- Sampling: Sample fridges and sampling stations throughout the event let buyers and investors taste emerging brands at their own pace.
- Taste Radio Studio: BevNET’s podcast records live during the event.
- Networking and parties: The Welcome Reception (Sunday), the BevNET Live Official Party (Monday) and networking breaks throughout the event.
Who’s speaking at BevNET Live L.A. 2026?
- Christian Patino Webb, CEO, Olipop
- Stephen Ellsworth, CEO & Co-Founder, Jetty
- Kheri Tillman, CMO, Primo Brands
- Joe Wiggetman, Chief Customer Officer, Primo Brands
- Helen Kurtz, CMO, The Wine Group
- Andy Sauer, CEO, Garage Beer & Roxberry
- Brian Tate, Founder and CEO, Oats Overnight
- Seth Green, PJ Loughran and Matthew Senreich, Co-Founders, Hellbent Cocktails
- Kim Perell, CEO, Juni
- Candice Ternus, Principal Category Merchant, Beverage, Whole Foods Market
- Brad Woodgate, Founder & CEO, Joyburst
- Kevin Nitz, VP of Non-Alc Beverage, Molson Coors
- Jon Sebastiani, Founding Partner, Sonoma Brands Capital
- Nika Levinson, Senior Category Manager, Beverages, Thrive Market
- Jorge Espinoza, Senior Category Merchant, Beverage, Sprouts
- Brian Gonzalez, Director of Category Management, Beverage, Nouria Energy
Who’s attending?
Hundreds of founders, retailers, distributors, investors and suppliers have already registered. They include teams from Primo Brands, Generous Brands, Whole Foods Market, Spec’s, Thrive Market, McLane, INFRA, nutpods, Drink LMNT, FITAID, Bragg, Rishi Tea & Botanicals, Bucked Up, Saint James Iced Tea, Crafthouse Cocktails and Mission Craft Cocktails. Investors registered so far include Springdale Ventures, InvestBev, Sonoma Brands Capital, Siddhi Capital, GroundForce Capital, Bluestein Ventures, Hike Ventures, Doehler Ventures, Nomura Securities and TD Cowen.
“As a category manager, BevNET Live is where I get early visibility into what’s coming,” said Charlie New, Category Merchant Manager, Beverage at Amazon + Whole Foods. “That’s hard to get anywhere else.”
See the growing attendee list >>
With less than 30 days to go, now is the time to secure your spot. Registration is required to request 1:1 meetings, and it also gives you access to the BevNET Live hotel block, which typically sells out.
Register for BevNET Live L.A. 2026 >>
About BevNET Live
Since 2009, BevNET Live has been a leading business event for the beverage industry. It brings together founders, operators, retailers, distributors, investors, suppliers and advisors to share insights, discover new products and build relationships. Each edition features editorially led programming, curated 1:1 meetings, product sampling and the New Beverage Showdown pitch competition.