From evolving beverage giants to developing niche audiences, as well as the keys to winning customers online and in stores, the second day of BevNET Live Winter 2021, held Dec. 6 and 7 at the Loews Beach Hotel in Santa Monica, Calif. will explore the changing ways entrepreneurial beverage brands can grow and thrive.
Here’s the rundown:
Starting at 9 a.m., the leaders of the Coca-Cola Co.’s New Revenue Streams group will stop by to discuss the ways that the company’s approach to emerging brands and partnerships has evolved. Attendees will learn how innovation and M&A will look under New Revenue Streams during this talk with Dan White, Matt Hughes, and Surbhi Lal.
Next, G-Fuel CEO Cliff Morgan will speak about building growth in niche audiences, as well as the challenges that take place when trying to springboard out of that specific group into the larger discussion. G-Fuel has made tremendous in-roads within the computer gaming community — the methods of building that niche group, and growing from it, will all be on the table.
Whether it’s through Amazon or their own sites, or a combination of platforms, brands that start by selling online rarely keep it as their sole retail outlet. A panel featuring Nutpods’ Madeline Haydon and United Sodas of America’s Marisa Zupan will talk about the ways they looked to extend into the world of brick-and-mortar during our 10 a.m. panel.
Following a break and the first set of presentations of the New Beverage Showdown, that online/in-store world will again be discussed, but from a more tactical view: first, a special session with D2C brand builder, investor, advisor and writer Nik Sharma will give brands straight advice on the life-cycle and staffing needs of their online sales operations, both for startups and for established companies looking to grow that channel.
Following that presentation, our attention will return to the generals leading your armies of feet on the street. A panel featuring sales execution leaders Michael “Goldy” Goldstein of Vita Coco, Jake DeCicco of Kitu Super Coffee and Jessica Pratt of Pop & Bottle will energize the audience with tactics and tales from inside the store — a place entrepreneurs will have to focus their attention as COVID-19 recedes.
After the second half of New Beverage Showdown finalists make their presentations, and while the judges deliberate, attendees won’t stop learning. First, a panel of “virtual retailers” — delivery services like Ohi and Good Eggs — will explain the way they work with entrepreneurs and the particular advantages and challenges of the emerging channel.
Then, investors will take the stage, giving the inside info on the trends in financial backing for entrepreneurial brands, their thoughts on where valuations, access, and deal-making are headed, and what’s attracting growth financing now and in the near future. This panel will bring in Noramay Cadena of Supply Change Capital, Brian Goldberg of RedBud Brands and Filipp Chebotarev of Cambridge SPG for a final survey of the changing state of capital availability.
Registration includes two days of actionable insights, dedicated networking sessions, industry parties, sampling opportunities and meals.
About BevNET Live
BevNET Live is the premiere event for beverage brands, distributors, service providers, retailers and investors to discuss what’s next for the industry. With the industry’s foremost speakers and our New Beverage Showdown, BevNET Live attracts hundreds of brands to each event.