NEW YORK, Oct. 04, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Last week, Questex’s VIBE Conference, the premiere on-premise beverage conference for beverage executives, successfully brought together 185 operators representing 112 chain restaurants, hotels and cruise lines as well as 365 sponsor attendees representing more than 99 sponsor companies, and 50 additional distributor, consultant, agency, association and speaker companies, at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, CA.
In adherence to Questex’s comprehensive “Be Safe” commitment, all attendees, sponsors, consultants, speakers and Questex staff were vaccinated, and masks were worn at all times, except during the consumption of food and beverage.
Laddie Weiss, Producer, VIBE Conference, “It was wonderful to get the industry back together in-person in a safe manner. We had informative speakers that addressed new business plans, curbside best practices, adopting to the new normal, and so much more. The interaction among our community shows a realistic and positive future for the beverage industry.”
Throughout the three days, attendees learned about the latest beverage trends through education workshops, beverage tastings, research sessions and networking opportunities. The most attended sessions critical to the future growth of the beverage industry included:
- The Road to Recovery: 5 Factors for Future Growth in Beverage Alcohol presented by Brandy Rand, IWSR-Global
- Now & Next: Reinventing the On-premise Drinks Business presented by Donna Hood Crecca and David Henkes, Technomic
- The Style Trends That Will Drive the Future of Hospitality moderated by Ken Taylor, MarkeTeam Inc.
- The 2021 Annual VIBE Consumer Trend Survey - "What operators need from suppliers" presented by Matt Crompton, Nielsen CGA; Alexandra Martin, Nielsen CGA
In addition, the 2021 Legend and Innovator award winners were named. Scott Hempstead, Senior Director, Divisional, Trade and Experiential Marketing at The Boston Beer Company was awarded the Legend Award, while Bruce Skala, Senior Vice President of Marketing, HOA Brands, LLC was awarded the Innovator Award.
CORE Children of Restaurant Employees (CORE) is a 501(c)(3) a national non-profit and the charity of choice for the VIBE Conference. It was founded by members of the beverage vertical. CORE raised a total of $94,374 for families in the food and beverage industry facing terminal illnesses or sudden losses.
“It’s been a great experience, beautiful location a lot of good content in the presentations. Pulling the trends together and crystallizing it more is so helpful,” said Melissa Accad, Sr. National Account Manager, On Premise at Diageo.
“VIBE Conference has been informative and so well organized. I’ve been very impressed by the energy both on the supplier and the restaurant, hotel side. It seems like people are really pulling together during these difficult times and are willing to learn together and innovate. The most important parts for me are the content, especially around trends and what we can all collectively do to make ourselves better, and the opportunity to reconnect with people. We really haven’t had a chance to connect with people individually about their business in over a year,” added Larry Sturken, Managing Director of Customer Development, Gallo & Associates.
"I have been attending the VIBE Conference for the past ten years and there is no other Industry conference that attracts as many of today’s key Operators. Simply put, VIBE is a must for today’s On Premise Beverage Decision Makers," noted Todd M. Schuessler, Director, On-Premise National Accounts.
VIBE Conference 2022 will take place April 25-27, 2022 at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, CA. For sponsorship opportunities contact the VIBE Conference team here https://www.vibeconference.com/vibe-contact.
To learn more about the VIBE Conference, visit: https://www.vibeconference.com.
About VIBE Conference
VIBE Conference is the premier event for chain and hotel adult beverage executives and suppliers. The top on-premise conference is held annually and involves high-level content, tastings and networking opportunities. The 2022 conference will be held at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa April 25-27.
About Questex
Questex helps people live better and longer. Questex brings people together in the markets that help people live better: travel, hospitality and wellness; the industries that help people live longer: life science and healthcare; and the technologies that enable and fuel these new experiences. We live in the experience economy – connecting our ecosystem through live events, surrounded by data insights and digital communities. We deliver experience and real results. It happens here.
Media Contact
Michelle Osborne
Questex
mosborne@questex.com
617.219.8305
