You BETCHA We Learned A Lot

We are basking in the afterglow of Beverage Industry Week in Minneapolis (June 15-17). It was such an energizing event both in and out of the sessions. Our speakers and panels were timely and stimulated a lot of relevant conversations that continue to this day.

Topics ranged from positively approaching challenges by Top 100 Hall of Fame member Gary Fisch, how AI is being used by retailer Quinton Jay, the success of THC beverages and the regulatory effort that may change their landscape, and the sharing of Experiential Retail ideas to bring more traffic.

The Category Management Workshop embedded in our ACTIVATE Advisory Board Meeting was a great start to a schedule of ongoing virtual meetings on the subject. All the attendees agreed that adopting some form of category management offers profitable opportunity as we navigate the changing tastes of our local customers. If you would like to participate in future discussions and case studies on this subject, please contact us.

We also heard from the distributors – SGWS and Breakthru Beverage – women leaders and on-premise operators. The whole event culminated with an Awards dinner on the 50th floor to honor the Top 100 Retailers, 40 Under 40, Bev X Movers and Shakers, and Control State / Wholesaler Best Practices winners.

A comprehensive review will appear in each of our Beverage Information Group magazines – subscribe to the magazines/e-news or bookmark the website Beverage Information Group to make sure you are up to date on the latest in our industry.

The consumer report focus this month is “Cheers to Choice: Gen Z is Drinking Differently”. The bottom-line? The 2026 Gen Z beverage landscape is not a story of one category replacing another. Instead, it’s a story of expansion. Find out where through clicking the link below.

Don’t hesitate to share your thoughts with me at mminor@epgspecialityinformation.com. Happy 250th Birthday!

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