I’m excited to announce Dec. 16 as the date for our 2024 Future Smarts conference in New York City.
This event is likely to reach a pre-pandemic attendance level this year, so we’re hosting at Convene on Manhattan’s West 46th Street. The venue is around the corner from Times Square and the theater district, so go ahead and grab those Broadway tickets!
Part of what we love about this roomy venue are the amenities that make life easier for conference attendees — power at every table in the presentation room, private phone pods to steal away for important calls, and small conference rooms useful for sideline meetings.
During the event, networking will be centered as usual around our popular and energetic sampling expo. The night before the event, we’ll host a welcome reception for speakers and attendees with food and an open bar to make connecting easy and fun.
Most importantly, we’re already making plans for another high-level slate of speakers and panelists from major companies including Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Keurig Dr Pepper, as well as from successful emerging brands. We’ll also hear from key beverage bottlers, retailers, and Wall Street analysts.
Conference attendees say they find great value in our special trend panels. Last year, we hosted a panel that took us behind the scenes and into the mechanics of the creator economy. Two years ago, a panel of Gen Z consumers gave us an unvarnished look at how they view the world. We’ll assemble another compelling panel this year to illuminate a critical and emerging corner of the beverage landscape.
More details will be released soon. Until then, make sure to save the date for Future Smarts 2024 on Dec. 16. The team here at Beverage Digest can’t wait to see you.
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During Beverage Digest’s recent Future Smarts conference in New York, Editor & Publisher Duane Stanford conducted on-stage interviews with two of the largest independent PepsiCo and Coca-Cola bottlers in the US, Matthew Dent and Dave Katz. Below are key takeaways from those discussions.
Matthew Dent President & CEO Buffalo Rock
PRICING GROWTH OUTLOOK. “There's going to have to be a study around the effect on elasticities during the pandemic and what that did for our products,” Dent said, adding that price elasticities are
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The following is a transcript of "The Influencer Economy" -- A Panel Discussion at Future Smarts 2023. Please excuse any transcription errors.
Duane Stanford:
Brit Starr is senior vice president of marketing for CreatorIQ, an influencer marketing platform for more than 100 of the world's most valuable and innovative brands and agencies. Think of CreatorIQ as the Salesforce of the influencer economy. Clients include Nestle, AB InBev, Disney, and of course, poppi. Brit has a decade of leadership experience in marketing and consulting at consumer brands, including Shiner Beer, Verve Coffee Roasters, Lyft, and Guitar Center. In the pink is Allison Ellsworth, the co-founder and chief brand officer of health focus soda brand poppi. Allison created poppi after discovering ...
Coke North America President Mann to Keep Volume Pressure in Focus.
PBNA Supply Chain Chief Jordan Talks AI, Automation, Electric Trucks.
Whitmore Intent on Territory Optimization. Watching U.S. Alcohol Sector.
December 19, 2023
Beverage Digest hosted its annual Future Smarts conference in New York on Dec. 11. The day’s lineup of speakers included leaders from three of the largest US beverage companies — Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Keurig Dr Pepper. The executives sat for interviews on stage with Beverage Digest Editor & Publisher Duane Stanford. Below are highlights from those discussions. Takeaways from other sessions will be featured in subsequent issues of this newsletter...
We’re excited to brief you on what to expect at Beverage Digest’s 2023 Future Smarts conference. The main event will take place on Dec. 11 in New York City, with a reception the evening of Dec. 10. The program features accomplished and knowledgeable experts in the world's most profitable beverage market.
Through a series of fast-paced interviews, panels, and presentations in a single productive day, Future Smarts illuminates coming opportunities and challenges for our dynamic industry. Our speakers identify urgent trends and market forces that will drive business performance during the next three to five years – and in some cases longer.
Here’s a look at what to expect:
The day will begin with Jennifer Mann, who took the helm as president of Coca-Cola North America this past January. I’ll ask her how she will accelerate total beverage growth at Coke’s largest global operating unit at a time when rapidly fragmenting product categories, competitive sets, and market conditions demand both precision and agility.
Then we’ll shift to Karen Jordan. As Chief Supply Chain Officer for PepsiCo Beverage North America, she’ll discuss the evolving set of lessons learned from one of the worst global supply chain disruptions of the past century.
Rounding out the big three US beverage firms, Keurig Dr Pepper Chief Strategy Officer Justin Whitmore will shed light on how recent partnerships with brands including Electrolit, Nutrabolt, and Athletic Brewing will help maximize growth and value.
Next, I’ll dive deep with our always popular Wall Street analyst panel featuring Goldman Sachs Managing Director Bonnie Herzog, Barclays Managing Director, CHPC & Beverages Analyst,Lauren Lieberman, and RBC Capital Markets Managing DirectorNik Modi. I’ll look forward to their views on how consumer sentiment in these volatile times will affect beverage company pricing and volume strategies.
Adams Berzins, senior manager for global stevia application and technical service at PureCircle by Ingredion, will join me for a discussion of the future of sugar reduction at a time when clean labels are an important driver for consumers. (FS23 Headline Sponsor)
Melody Richard, senior vice president for U.S. Pantry at Walmart, will illuminate both sides of the supplier-customer partnership in a discussion covering key consumer, retail, and beverage category trends. Her expertise includes two decades at Coca-Cola.
Then I’ll ask Coca-Cola Consolidated President and Chief Operating Officer Dave Katz about the critical role innovation plays for a major beverage bottler when it comes to products, customer relationships, and manufacturing efficiency.
Next, I’ll lead a discussion with Mobi by MFMsoft founder Nick Karapetian about the importance of using AI-driven technology to capture real-time product sales data in channels that traditionally haven’t had the kind of visibility and interactivity brands need. (FS23 Platinum Sponsor)
Then we’ll ask Buffalo Rock President & Chief Executive Officer Matthew Dent about the independent Pepsi bottler’s diversification strategy on its path to growth. We’ll also talk about the importance of efficiency in a modern manufacturing and distribution environment.
Paul Pisano, the senior vice president of industry affairs and general counsel for the National Beer Wholesalers Association, help make sense of the emerging crossover between two massive beverage sectors – alcohol and non-alcohol. We’ll explore questions of risk and opportunity through his independent beer distributor lens.
That’s not all. Look for more speaker announcements to come.
The day also will include an announcement of winners in our 2023 Beverage Digest Awards. This is a fast way to catch up on the breadth of innovation in our industry.
Future Smarts will be a great way for you to close 2023 with a strong finish and to begin 2024 with a head start.
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Coca-Cola Chairman and CEO James Quincey and North America President Jennifer Mann sat down on Sept 7 for an on-stage interview with equities analyst Lauren Lieberman at the Barclays Consumer Staples Conference in Boston. A key message from Quincey and Mann was Coca-Cola’s pursuit of...
Beverage companies are all about innovation, and so is Beverage Digest. In addition to creating a dynamic speaker lineup for our Dec. 11 Future Smarts conference in Manhattan, we are adding a new-for-us networking opportunity for attendees.
The plan is to host a welcome reception for all registered attendees on the Sunday night before our Monday event. We’ll announce more details soon. This gathering will be a chance to share drinks and bites with old industry friends and forge new relationships. We also recognize that with so much remote work these days, Future Smarts is an ideal opportunity for far-flung team members to connect — and perhaps even meet and socialize for the first time.
As for our program, we’ve announced two more high-level executive speakers: Coca-Cola North America President Jennifer Mann, and PepsiCo Beverages North America Chief Supply Chain Officer Karen Jordan. We’ve also assembled a stellar Wall Street panel. Here’s a sneak peek at the insights I intend to uncover for attendees.
Future Smarts will be Jennifer Mann’s first conference appearance since she took control of Coke’s most important market at the start of this year. During an on-stage interview, I’ll ask Mann about growth priorities, including her work on a new dairy and juice Nutrition unit (pg 10) drawing investment from Coke. We’ll discuss the current state of bottler relations and Mann’s vision for the US distribution system. I’ll ask Mann for a status check on the crucial US fountain channel and her roadmap for maintaining Coke’s leadership. And we’ll delve into the ins and outs of marketing to today’s fragmented consumer base, and why she believes Coke’s “total beverage” strategy is the key to growth. I expect pricing, a focus of today’s newsletter, to come up as well.
PepsiCo’s Karen Jordan will bring 30 years of supply chain and operations experience to the Future Smarts stage. She has spent 20 of those years within the US Pepsi bottling system. In an on-stage interview, I’ll ask Jordan for learnings from the recent global pandemic, which spurred one of the most challenging periods for global supply chains. Also, efficiency is more critical — and more accessible — than ever for modern manufacturing and distribution systems. I’ll ask Jordan how PepsiCo is sorting through the evolving avalanche of available automation and technology to deliver profitable growth.
Meanwhile, we’ve drafted a dream team for our popular Wall Street analyst panel: Bonnie Herzog of Goldman Sachs, Lauren Lieberman of Barclays, and Nik Modi of RBC Capital Markets. Together, we’ll discuss long-term risks and opportunities for major public beverage companies, such as Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Keurig Dr Pepper. And we’ll assess beverage company strategies, consumer trends, and market forces through a Wall Street lens.
So, grab a colleague and join us in New York. Our team can’t wait to see you.
I’m beyond pleased to announce our first confirmed speaker for Future Smarts 2023: Coca-Cola Consolidated President and COO Dave Katz.
Dave will bring to December’s Future Smarts audience a deep expertise and broad perspective when it comes to the US Coke system. Having joined the former Coca-Cola Enterprises in 1993 as a logistics consultant, his work at the massive North America bottler included managing supply chain strategy, procuring billions of dollars worth of materials for the Coke system, and managing sales operations on the East Coast. Dave joined Coca-Cola in 2011 after the company’s acquisition of CCE, running bottling operations in the Midwest. After moving to Coca-Cola Consolidated in 2013 as a senior vice president, Dave would eventually serve as CFO before being named COO in late 2018.
Dave manages daily operations at a bellwether bottler within the US Coke system. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Coke Consolidated is the largest US Coke bottler, handling a fifth of Coca-Cola’s bottle and can volume in the country, according to BD’s The Coke and Pepsi Systems franchise map book. Operations stretch across 14 Southeast, Midwest, and Mid-Atlantic states and Washington D.C. The company is the only publicly traded bottler in the US Coke system.
I’ll sit down with Dave for a fireside chat to discuss his up-to-date views on soft drink pricing, important consumer and retail shifts, sustainability pressures, and more. He’ll also discuss how Consolidated’s focus on culture and purpose drives business decisions.
That interview and our other stage chats, presentations, and panels will be hosted on Dec. 11 at a venue that is new to Future Smarts. We chose Convene in part for its modern networking spaces that will make connecting easy and productive. Our conference sessions, sampling expo, networking meals and breaks, and registration will be on a single floor with plenty of room to both mingle and do business.
In addition to this terrific venue, our content will be as compelling and timely ever. And that now starts with Dave Katz. Look for more announcements soon and we’ll see you at Future Smarts 2023.