And so it begins!

BevNET Live Summer ’13 has finally arrived, and we’ve got a superb line-up for day one of the conference. Kicking things off will be the semifinal round of New Beverage Showdown 5 in which 21 beverage companies will vie for a spot in the finals on Wednesday and a chance to win $10,000 in cash and prizes.

Next up for the morning agenda are several stellar presentations. Topics include the growing demand for “ancient ingredients,” navigating the distribution landscape in the natural channel, and how to position your company for sustainable profit growth.

Noon will feature the keynote speaker for BevNET Live, Don Vultaggio, Chairman, AriZona Beverage.  Vultaggio’s presentation will focus on how independence and innovation have led AriZona to become the multi-billion dollar company that it is today.

Shortly after the lunch break, we’ll be conducting live interviews with some of the participating companies in New Beverage Showdown and chatting with a range of industry insiders and professionals during the Expo portion of BevNET Live, which runs until 3:30 p.m.

Rounding out the day are three extremely informative discussions on Manhattan’s ultra-competitive market for up and down the street distribution, maintaining brand momentum, and an in-depth look at high-pressure processing (HPP).  The day will conclude with the announcement of the six New Beverage Showdown finalists.

Watch live now: http://www.bevnet.com/livestream

The BevNET Live video feed is sponsored by Blast Max, NVE Pharmaceuticals and West Coast Chill.