Questex’s Vibe Conference, the premiere on-premise beverage conference for beverage executives, announces founders of One Fair Wage, Sorel Liqueur and Archer Roose will deliver inspiring keynote presentations. The annual conference, which features informative, high-level content, product tastings, and networking opportunities, takes place February 27-March 1, 2023 at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina in San Diego, CA.
Tim McLucas, Vice President & Market Leader, Bar & Restaurant Group said, “Continued labor challenges, inflationary pressures, and changes in consumer behavior are having a dramatic impact on the beverage industry. Continued success will require developing and maintaining strong industry relationships, keeping up with the latest trends, and understanding how to utilize this data in strategic decision-making. Vibe Conference is committed to helping the industry meet these challenges and our keynote presenters will deliver timely and actionable information that helps beverage executives.”
Vibe Conference Keynote Presentations:
Driving Industry Change: Following the extraordinary upheaval of the pandemic, there is no more “business as usual” in the foodservice and hospitality industries. While massive numbers of veteran workers departed, multiple generations of employees entered (or re-entered) hospitality roles, each looking for more than just a job. Younger workers particularly require meaningful employment, equity, flexibility, and accountability from their companies, but everyone wants a competitive and livable wage. Saru Jayaraman, founder and president of One Fair Wage and Director, Food Labor Research Center, UC Berkeley, will share her efforts, experience, and the promising results of improving wages for restaurant team members.
The Truer Vision: Jackie Summers, the first Black licensed distiller in America and the founder of Sorel Liqueur, has devoted years to advocating for differently abled, disadvantaged, and marginalized people. Dr. Hoby Wedler, blind from birth, earned his PhD in organic chemistry and is a sensory expert, entrepreneur, and educator. Summers and Wedler have professionally partnered to create a unified front to combat systemic barriers of all kinds. Wedler has brought his gifts in chemistry and sensory literacy to improve the quality of Sorel—a complex blend of botanicals and now, the most awarded liqueur of 2022— while scaling production. This presentation will discuss how a common desire to make the world more accessible is also building a better brand.
Drinking Our Way to a Cleaner Planet: Marian Leitner, Founder and CEO, and Elizabeth Banks, well-known and highly regarded actor, director, producer, and Chief Creative Officer of leading canned wine company, Archer Roose, will discuss the importance of sustainability within the wine category as well as the company’s own efforts to “drink their way to a cleaner planet” one canned wine at a time. Leitner and Banks will discuss the importance of thoughtful alternative packaging due to global warming; on-premise challenges such as staffing, margin protectors/enhancers, fast to service, and 1:1 inventory management; and how Archer Roose’s efforts around sustainability work to align with their wider mission to create a better future for our planet while democratizing the wine industry.
For operators interested in attending the Vibe Conference, complete the online qualification form here.
For sponsorship opportunities, contact Donna Bruns at [email protected], Charlie Forman at [email protected] or Fadi Alsayegh at [email protected].