The News
The Beverage Forum, a premier executive conference for the beverage industry, will take place April 28-29, 2026, in Manhattan Beach, California. It is now in its 31st year and will feature discussions on evolving consumer behavior, retail strategy, and the role of capital, culture, and celebrity in beverage innovation. The event will include keynote conversations with celebrities, retailers, founders, and investors driving beverage category growth.
The Beverage Forum’s return to Manhattan Beach on April 28–29 confirms that the all‑beverage summit still draws more than a thousand leaders in one place. For operators, that means the dialogue happening there continues to influence retail and on‑premise decisions—especially around celebrity‑backed brands and functional drink trends.
The 31st edition attracted over 1,300 participants—from founders to senior executives at Walmart, Sprouts, and Target. Those attendees are the ones shaping shelf placement, private‑label mixes, and distribution strategies that reach the very shelves where your products sit. The fact that it remains the only global, all‑beverage executive conference series shows that the industry still values high‑level alignment, even as beer sales edge into seltzer territory.
The program’s focus on consumer behavior, retail strategy, and functional innovation dovetails with a Symrise North America survey finding that 37 % of consumers actively seek functional benefits in their beverages. When the forum hosts panels around protein‑enhanced drinks—highlighted by a Jocko Willink/Chris Pratt collaboration—it signals that operators who want to stay relevant must consider how functional attributes can be woven into brand narratives and shelf space, not just as gimmicks.
Off‑premise beer sales slipped 0.8 % in volume last year according to Circana data. The decline may feel like a warning, but the forum’s lineup of retail leaders such as Walmart’s Brian Salmon and Sprouts’ Don Clark suggests that the shift toward private label and celebrity‑backed products could offset broader category contraction. If your brand sits on a retailer’s shelf, you need to be ready for a conversation about how those new narratives can drive volume in a tightening market.
The modest 1.5 % CAGR projected for U.S. beer sales alongside the robust consumer appetite for functional drinks underscores a strategic pivot: brands that combine flavor with perceived health or performance benefits are likely to see steadier demand than straight‑line beer. The forum’s emphasis on this trend gives operators a clear cue—invest in functional ingredients, develop stories around them, and partner with retailers who already have the infrastructure to test these concepts.
For distributors, the real play is not simply adding another SKU but preparing to slot that SKU into a retailer’s private‑label mix or a bar’s curated tap list. The forum’s gathering of retail executives indicates that distribution channels are testing how celebrity endorsements and functional attributes translate into sales lift. Operators should therefore align their product development cycles with the retailer calendars highlighted at the conference, ensuring new launches hit shelves when demand is primed.
Original Press Release
Following last year's sold-out gathering featuring Jay Shetty, Lewis Hamilton, and Tom Holland, the premier executive conference returns to Manhattan Beach April 2829, 2026
The Beverage Forum, the beverage industry's premier executive conference, will return April 2829, 2026 at the Westdrift Manhattan Beach in Manhattan Beach, California, bringing together top-tier industry leaders including founders, retailers, suppliers, and investors driving the next era of beverage innovation.
The conference follows a milestone 2025 program that featured groundbreaking conversations with cultural and industry leaders including Jay Shetty, Lewis Hamilton, and Tom Holland, reflecting the growing intersection of beverage, culture, and entertainment.
Now in its 31st year, The Beverage Forum has become one of the industry's most influential gatherings, attracting the leaders behind many of today's fastest-growing and category-defining beverage brands.
Through keynote conversations, executive panels, and interactive workshops, this year's program will explore the forces transforming the beverage landscape, from evolving consumer behavior and retail strategy to the expanding role of capital, culture, and celebrity in building the next generation of beverage brands.
Highlights of The Beverage Forum 2026 include:
Keynote conversations with celebrities, retailers, founders, executives, and investors driving beverage category growth
Insights from major retail leaders, including Brian Salmon, Vice President of Beverage at Walmart; Don Clark, Chief Merchant at Sprouts Farmers Market; and Shawn Darmody, Vice President of Merchandising, Snacks, Beverages, Candy and Impulse at Target
A featured conversation with NFL champion and Garage Beer co-owner Jason Kelce
A panel on protein with Actor and Producer Chris Pratt and Jocko Willink, partners behind Jocko Fuel and Warrior Kid
Strategic discussions on the evolving intersection of CPG, culture, capital, and consumer behavior
The event continues to be guided by Danny Stepper, CEO and Co-Founder of L.A. Libations, one of the beverage industry's most influential innovators. Through L.A. Libations, Stepper has helped forge strategic partnerships with Molson Coors, The Coca-Cola Company, and Keurig Dr Pepper while helping launch high-profile beverage brands including BERO (Tom Holland), HAPPY (Robert Downey Jr), PLEZI (Michelle Obama and Stephen Curry), and ZOA (Dwayne Johnson).
"We are excited to continue building on the incredible legacy of The Beverage Forum," said Danny Stepper, CEO and Co-Founder of L.A. Libations. "The beverage industry is evolving faster than ever, and this gathering creates a unique environment where founders, retailers, investors, and innovators can come together to exchange ideas, build partnerships, and help shape what comes next."
Sources consulted (web research):
- Beverage Forum Returns With Focus On Innovation And Growth
- 98283 The Beverage Forum Returns For 31st Edition
- The Beverage Forum Returns For Its 31st Year Convening 1 300 Leaders…
- The Beverage Forum Returns For Its 31st Year Convening 1300 Leaders S…
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Source: BevNET
