10:00 am - 12:00 pm
In conjunction with WSWA Wholesaler mixologists, this event will offer advanced cocktail training for those in the industry or for anyone who would like to mix like a pro. Learn about acid/base balance, flavor combinations and why using the proper techniques and glassware makes a difference.
The session will open with TED-like talk on trends in mixology followed by small group demonstrations segregated by spirit type: Gin, Vodka, Bourbon/Whiskey, Tequila. Attendees can pre-select and rotate between 2 spirit types. A planned marketplace will offer a selection of spirits related items such as books, bar tools, aprons, etc.

MODERATOR
Zane Lamprey
Host of “Four Sheets” premiering on #DrinkTV

PANELISTS
Troy Clarke, SP, B.A.R. Ready
Director of Mixology & Spirits Education
Martignetti Companies

Natalia Cardenas
Beverage Development Manager
Breakthru Beverage Illinois

David Ortiz
Mixologist and Spirits Specialist
Republic National Distributing Company

Armando Rosario
Director of Mixology
Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits

12:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Sample a variety of wines and spirits and shop an array of wine and spirits merchandise available for sale. Good wines don’t just come in bottles anymore. Learn about innovative wine packaging including pouches, cans, and kegs. Experience the packaging for yourself and see if your palette is up to a blind
tasting challenge.

Note: All registered exhibitors may pour and display their
brands, products or services - there is a minimal fee of $50.
Non-registered brands, products or services may register on a space available basis. The fee to participate in the Marketplace as a non-exhibitor is $500 per 6’ table.
For more information please contact Kari Langerman, [email protected], or go to www.wswaconvention.org to download the MarketPlace Table Request Form.

1:00 pm - 2:20 pm
Join WSWA member experts as they share the latest on wines and wine trends. The event, appropriate for those in the industry or those who would like to learn more about wine, will begin with a TED-like talk on trends in current consumption, what’s being planted, and influencers that drive consumer behavior.

Following the talk, our wine tasting will provide access to established brands and the opportunity to experience new brands that may not yet be in-market.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Bob Bath, MS
Head Beverage Professor, Culinary Institute of America, Greystone, and COPIA
Napa, California

2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
DISTRIBUTION AND BRAND BUILDING:
HOW TO GET TO MARKET AND COMPETE IN
TODAY’S CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENT

This first session, in the newly developed WSWA Supplier Leadership Series, will provide answers to some of the most pressing distribution-related questions
including: brand building, how to stand-out in a sea of similar skus, alternative 3-tier compliant routes to market, finding venture capital, and navigating compliance and state laws. Hear from WSWA members and from industry leaders hand-selected to provide you with information that could dramatically impact how you do business.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Bruce Himelstein
Former Chief Marketing Officer, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company

MODERATOR
Louis Zweig
SVP Supplier Management, Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits

PANELISTS
Kristen Bareuther
Managing Director, First Beverage Ventures

Cheryl Durzy
Founder and CEO, LibDib

Harry Kohlmann
Founder / Chief Executive Officer, Park Street

Ryan Moses
Executive Vice President, Best Brands

Brian Rosen
President, BevStrat