Questex’s Vibe Conference – the premiere on-premise beverage conference for beverage executives – will gather the industry next week, April 25-27.
The conference takes place at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif., and the industry is abuzz about re-connecting.
Registration and conference details can be found here.
Attendee and presenter Tom Fox, the founder of Fox Sales Coaching, said, “This is my 6th VIBE conference and I always look forward to seeing friends and colleagues. This is the best networking experience of any industry event, as so many influential operators and suppliers attend.”
Vibe is targeted to on-premise chain restaurant, hotel, cruise-line, casino and contract-foodservice corporate executives, operators, beverage directors, marketing VPs and food and beverage executives. The annual conference features informative, high-level content, product tastings and valuable networking opportunities.
‘A Business of Connected People’
Douglas Zeif, who’s presenting in a panel session – “The Consumer’s Journey from Sneaking a Sip to Product Loyalty” – said, “What am I looking forward to at Vibe? I am looking forward to Vibe this year mostly because with everything that occurred over the past two years or so with the pandemic, it's time for people in our industry to convene again, safely, but convene.”
Zeif is the principal in several consulting and advisory practices, including The Concept Gurus, Next! Hospitality Advisors and Next Procure. His “Consumer’s Journey” co-panelists include: Colleen McClellan, director, sommelier/WSET III, at Datassential; Bruce Skala, senior vice president of marketing at Hooters of America; and Maurice DiMarino, wine and beverage director at Cohn Restaurant Group.
“We are a business of connected people and there is no substitute for the ‘togetherness’ we all need,” said Zeif. “Secondly, there are so many post-pandemic issues facing us – we still have some serious headwinds to navigate – that I want to listen and hear what everyone is doing to mitigate issues with labor, supply chain and, maybe most importantly, where our consumer is headed in this ‘new world’ of ours.”
Longtime Vibe participant Tony Abou-Ganim, president of The Modern Mixologist, said, “After attending Vibe from the beginning, I – like many who had to miss the last couple of years – am so looking forward to being reunited with all my friends and colleagues who work in this amazing industry.”
Abou-Ganim will share insights during his Vibe session, “All Tequila is Mezcal, But Not All Mezcal Is Tequila!”
“I have the pleasure again this year to host an educational tasting seminar,” shared Abou-Ganim, “and I’m thrilled to be presenting on Mezcal – one of the hottest spirit categories today.”
Vibe Conference Supports Strategic Decision-Making Within the Industry
Tim McLucas, vice president of the Bar & Restaurant division at Questex, noted that the overall Vibe conference will cover key issues and trends that will shape the future of the industry, in addition to actionable data findings from Datassential, IWSR, Neilsen and Technomic.
“Labor shortages, supply chain issues, inflationary pressures, and changes in consumer behavior from the pandemic are having a dramatic impact on the beverage industry,” said McLucas. “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.”
McLucas explained that the Vibe Conference is fully committed to helping the food/beverage/hospitality community meet industry challenges. “With strong input from our Advisory Council, we are creating a timely and actionable program – combined with fresh new experiences – that make Vibe a valuable, ‘must attend’ event for beverage executives.”
New features at this year’s Vibe Conference include a Technology Showcase, where conference delegates can touch, demo and test the latest restaurant solutions. Attendees will also be able to immerse themselves in the latest technology that will be taking over the beverage industry. From mobile payment systems, QR code solutions, POS and more, the Technology Showcase at Vibe Conference will provide the best experience to demo new solutions, ask questions directly to the experts, test products from a user experience, and receive special product offers direct from suppliers.
During the “Spring Sips and Samples,” attendees can participate in interactive stations, and catch-up and network with industry leaders while enjoying classic cocktails, beer and wine.
Exploring DE&I at the Vibe Conference
Elizabeth Campbell Boyd, vice president of corporate membership and engagement at Women of the Vine & Spirits – who will present during the panel session on “The Correlation Between Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I)” – said, “I am looking forward to connecting with beverage alcohol industry leaders at the 2022 Vibe Conference. More specifically, I am eager to unite with colleagues equally devoted to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.”
Boyd said that Women of the Vine & Spirits, is committed to pushing forward actionable change to further diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as business development and innovation, or BD&I – a term they coined.
“I am honored to share our recent 2022 Women Raising the Bar Study, done in collaboration with Deloitte. Our panel discussion will share the findings of the study, as well as highlight actionable steps to create positive change.”
The Vibe session on “The Correlation Between Diversity, Equity & Inclusion” will also feature: Kimberly Betts, managing director, global consumer DE&I leader, Deloitte Consulting LLP; Dana Pellicano, vice president, global, U.S. and Canada food and beverage, Marriott International; and Andréa McBride John, cofounder and CEO of McBride Sisters Wine Company.
Another Vibe session – “Diverse Suppliers: Expand Your DE&I Strategy Behind the Bar” – features panelists who will discuss how companies are adapting their strategies to appeal to the conscious consumer. The session will also look at sourcing from diverse suppliers, supplier diversity programs, and how the new Women Powered Brands searchable database can help you reflect your company DE&I strategy into your alcohol beverage program.
Deborah Brenner, founder and CEO of Women of the Vine & Spirits, one of the panelists for the “Diverse Suppliers” session, said, “I am committed to furthering diversity, equity and inclusion across all tiers of the beverage alcohol industry. At the 2022 Vibe Conference, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to share a new key initiative we recently launched, Women Powered Brands, which is a searchable database and resource hub that highlights women owned, women-led, and women-made brands in beverage alcohol.”
Brenner said the new Women Powered Brands initiative fills a void for buyers, wholesalers and supplier diversity procurement managers. “Until now, there wasn’t a source to easily identify brands that met this criterion in beverage alcohol and to satisfy the demand by socially conscious consumers,” she said.
Other distinguished panelists in the “Diverse Suppliers” session include: Victoria Eady Butler, master blender at Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey; Cynthia Lohr, co-owner and chief brand officer at J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines; and Brittany Yeng, managing director and co-founder at Skrewball Whiskey.
The Vibe Conference Supports CORE
This year’s Vibe Conference will support CORE (Children of Restaurant Employees), which the event has supported for numerous years.
Sheila Bennett, executive director of CORE, said, “CORE is thankful to have been the charity of choice for the VIBE Conference for many years. Through this event, CORE has raised close to $450,000 for food and beverage service employees with children who face a medical crisis, injury, death or natural disaster. We are grateful for the support we receive from VIBE, and the operators and suppliers that attend this event.”
Bennett said that together the Vibe Conference community is helping those that need it most. “We look forward to another exciting event that will allow CORE to help more families in the industry we all serve,” she said.
Vibe Vista Awards at the Vibe Conference
The Vibe Vista Awards will also be presented at this year’s Vibe Conference, recognizing the top performers in the beverage industry – including suppliers and operators. The awards program also includes the VIBE Legend and Innovation Industry Awards.
The 2022 awards will be presented by Mia Mastroianni, celebrity mixologist with Soho House West Hollywood / Bar Rescue.
Tom Fox, founder of Fox Sales Coaching, will co-present with Mastroianni for the supplier portion of the awards. “It is such an honor to present the VIBE Supplier awards,” said Fox. “I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all the operators who take the time to share their thoughts on the supplier community and assist us to tabulate all the results. Can't wait to see everyone at the conference!!"
The closing keynote session at the Vibe Conference will be “TikTok and Its Billion User Advantage.” The session will feature Sandie Hawkins, general manager of North America Global Business Solutions at TikTok, and Jamie Carawan, vice president of brand menu and culinary at Buffalo Wild Wings.
To learn more about the Vibe Conference, to see the full conference agenda, or to register, visit VibeConference.com.
Aaron Kiel, based in Raleigh, N.C., has worked in the tea, coffee and beverage industries for nearly two decades. He’s a journalist and writer at heart, but he also wears a PR hat through his consultancy, ak PR Group. Aaron has served the tea community and the World Tea Conference + Expo (now co-located with Bar & Restaurant Expo) since 2010, and he’s also the editor of World Tea News. Contact him here.
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Bar & Restaurant Expo, March 27-29, 2023
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