15th Innovation in Non-Alcoholic Beverages 2026

Explore the latest trends and growth strategies in non-alcoholic beverages

23 - 24

September

2026
  • 155 Bishopsgate, London
  • Ticketed
  • Why attend?
  • Agenda
  • Speakers
  • Plan Your Visit
  • Event Gallery
  • 2026 Sponsors
  • Media Centre
  • Contact Us

Why attend?

Trending Topics: Explore new, fresh and energising topics across key categories and trends in non-alcoholic beverages. This year’s Non-Alcoholic Beverages Conference will address key themes, including:

  • The future of key categories
  • Consumer preferences and demand
  • Additional ingredients and new flavours
  • Health benefits and sugar reduction
  • Packaging and sustainability
  • Sustainability initiatives
  • New categories like sparkling fermented tea & plant-based drinks

 

Market Led Content: Take away exclusive insight through case studies, presentations, Q&As and panel discussions delivered by leading brands.

High-level audience: Join influential leaders and high-level experts across the industry who have a focus on Innovation, Branding, Marketing and Commercial Development, and Sustainability.

Access to new technologies: Meet with experts across sustainability solutions, packaging, labelling, artificial intelligence, ingredients and colouring, functional ingredients and nootropic ingredients.

Networking opportunities: Meet, connect and network with the people that can transform your brand. Initiate powerful conversations with experts across the industry and discover future potential partnerships that will get your business ahead.

What to expect for 2025

150+

Attendees to meet each year

15+

Exhibitors to meet each year

30+

Speakers

75%

Attendees at Director+ level
150+

Attendees to meet each year

15+

Exhibitors to meet each year
30+

Speakers

75%

Attendees at Director+ level

Testimonials

Find out what you could be a part of:

Agenda

  • 23 Sep 2026
  • 24 Sep 2026
Expand All

Streams

Stream one

Stream A: Innovation

Stream two

Stream B: Best Practice

2:05 PM

AI-Driven Consumer Personalisation

  • Turn complex sensory data into simple, intuitive taste characters that shoppers understand
  • Match consumers to their perfect drink in seconds with quick digital taste profiles
  • Use 2.5 million global taste profiles to spot market gaps and de-risk new product launches

  Senior representative, Vinhood (to be Introduce to speaker)

Speakers

Kelly Moss
Head of Compliance, The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA)

2:20 PM

Navigating the Regulatory Roadmap

  • Sugar Tax Reform: Managing the shift as the Soft Drinks Industry Levy expands thresholds and includes milk-based alternatives by 2028
  • DRS Readiness: Aligning operations for the October 2027 Deposit Return Scheme launch
  • Digital Standards: Implementing new 2D barcode and data matrix requirements critical for container identification and circularity tracking

2:40 PM

Analysing Emerging Health Trends

  • Moving beyond general wellness to age-defying and cellular-health ingredients
  • Prioritizing emotional health through adaptogens and nootropic blends
  • Tailoring products to specific biological needs - gut biomes and hormone health

7:30 AM

Registration and Refreshments

8 AM

Breakfast Deep-Dive

GLP-1: Threat, Opportunity, Growth and Innovation Catalyst

Join this expert-led, peer-to-peer deep-dive session to discuss the data underpinning and hear from those in the know. Take back to your business an understanding of what it takes to succeed and lessons learned from those who have been there, done that.    

Delegates must pre-register interest prior to the day of the event.

HOSTED BY: GlobalData

Speakers

 Dr. Markus Müller
Managing Director, Wagner Rail

8:50 AM

Chairman’s Opening Remarks

Speakers

William Blackett
Director of Consulting, GlobalData

9 AM

GlobalData Insights: Category Performance and Future Outlook

  • Analysing the latest data on category performance
  • Identifying key trends and developments
  • Outlook for the future

Speakers

William Blackett
Director of Consulting, GlobalData

9:20 AM

Keynote: Trends Facing the Industry

  • Future-Proofing Trends: Identifying the key shifts shaping the next era of non-alcoholic beverages
  • The New Hydration: Decoding the evolving needs and lifestyle demands of the modern consumer
  • Category Winners: Pinpointing which beverage segments are dominating market share and consumer preference

9:40 AM

GLP-1: Next-Gen Functional Formulation

  • Rising demand for functional, low-sugar, and hydration-focused drinks
  • Realigning portfolios to capture health-conscious GLP-1 consumers
  • Anticipating reduced calorie intake and smaller portion sizes

10 AM

Session TBC

10:30 AM

Morning Refreshments and Networking

11 AM

Panel Discussion: Hybrid Occasions & Fragmented Routines

  • How are consumers replacing traditional meals with liquid snacks or hybrid drinks?
  • Designing drinks that act as problem solvers for the consumer’s daily schedule
  • Focussing on products that fit into specific tasks - mid-afternoon focus coffee or pre-sleep wind-down functional tea

Speakers

Lenina Lotufo
Senior Insights Manager, Global Pepsico

11:40 AM

Creating Irresistible Human Connection for Brands

  • Building bold visual identities that cut through the noise of congested beverage aisles
  • Extending the product story beyond the label into immersive, 360-degree consumer experiences
  • Combining high-level strategy with creative flair to ensure brands remain relevant as trends evolve

Senior representative, Pearlfisher (to be Introduce to speaker)

12 PM

The Future of Fruit Juice

  • Functional juice innovations in 2026 - enhancing immune support through added probiotics and prebiotic fibres
  • Delivering healthier options - sugar reduction paired with exotic, botanical-infused flavour profiles
  • Shifting toward sustainable production methods

12:20 PM

Session TBC

Senior representative, Mycofeast (to be Introduce to speaker)

12:40 PM

Lunch and Networking

1:40 PM

Designing the Future of Flavour

  • Creating sophisticated profiles for non-alcoholic beverages
  • Crafting bespoke botanical and fruit extracts that define a brand’s unique sensory identity
  • Ensuring shelf stability: delivering high-performance and consistent flavours systems that maintain their profile

Senior representative, McCormick (to be Introduce to speaker)

2:05 PM

Innovative Malt-Based Solutions for The Non-Alcoholic Beverage Sector

  • Understanding why malt is a versatile ingredient
  • Using malt-based bases and concentrates to create new beverages
  • Introducing nutritious malt syrups that serve as a natural source of sugars, acidity, and colour for sports and health drinks

Senior representative, Soufflet Malt (to be Introduce to speaker)

2:20 PM

Case Study: Brand Story Launch & Scaling Up

  • Out-pacing the crowd with bold flavors and first-to-market functionality
  • Identifying areas that large competitors are too slow to fill
  • Winning the category by proving our product moves faster than legacy brands

Speakers

Freya Twigden
Founder, Fix8

2:40 PM

AI-Driven Personalisation & NPD

  • Using AI to identify occasions driving consumer preference and loyalty
  • Exploring how major brands use AI and big data to predict flavour trends
  • Accelerating NPD timelines from years to months

   Senior representative, Ai Palette 

3 PM

Bespoke Glass Packaging for A Wide Range of Premium Brands

  • Create bespoke glass shapes with low-cost tooling to own the shelf
  • Boost sustainability credentials with high-recycled content and 100% recyclable glass
  • Scale fast with flexible production runs tailored for craft and premium non-alcoholic brands

  Senior representative, Beatson Clark (to be Introduce to speaker)

3:20 PM

Panel discussion: Where Is the Focus of Innovation in the Beverage Industry in 2026?

  • What defines trailblazing innovation in the beverage sector today?
  • Which categories are leading the way in functional beverage development?
  • How can we monitor flavour and functionality trends to drive a successful NPD strategy?
  • Understand the drinking occasion: What does the consumer really want from the drinking experience?

Speakers

Marina DelMonte
Strategic Category Lead, Waters Nestle & Premium Beverages

3:50 PM

Afternoon Refreshments and Networking

4:20 PM

Brewing the Future

  • Scale your sustainability with functional ingredients that capture CO2 during production
  • Deliver high-quality, plant-based nutrition using advanced, light-powered cultivation technology
  • Enhance your drinks with high-performance ingredients that require zero chemical additives

Senior representative, Arborea (to be Introduce to speaker)

4:40 PM

Make Scientifically Stable Infused Beverages, Good, and Topicals

  • Navigating, developing, and launching new infused products
  • Navigate a changing regulatory environment through competitor testing and product reformulation
  • Ensuring product’s legal compliance through in-house testing

 

Senior representative, Sourcetech (to be Introduce to speaker)

5 PM

Closing Keynote: Innovation in Energy Drinks

  • Launching functional drinks to capture specific moods and lifestyle moments beyond extreme sports
  • Balancing iconic flavour profiles with low-calorie, vitamin-fortified options for health-conscious consumers
  • Integrating cognitive-support ingredients to evolve from a physical stimulant to a mental performance partner

5:20 PM

Chairman’s Closing Remarks

Speakers

William Blackett
Director of Consulting, GlobalData

5:30 PM

Drinks Reception

6:30 PM

End of Day One

8 AM

Registration and Refreshments

8:50 AM

Chairman’s Opening Remarks

Speakers

William Blackett
Director of Consulting, GlobalData

9 AM

Keynote: Circularity & The Sustainable Supply Chain

  • Moving past recyclable labels to carbon-neutral logistics and verified green origins
  • Upcycling ingredients and flavours
  • Working with the UK Deposit Return Schemes (DRS)

9:20 AM

Source-To-Shelf Innovation in Non-Alcoholic Beverages

  • Leveraging networked data to identify functional ingredients and streamline formulation
  • Ensuring clean-label compliance
  • Building resilient supply chains with real-time supplier monitoring

Senior representative,Tracegains (to be Introduce to speaker) 

9:50 AM

Panel Discussion: Consumer Purchasing Behaviours Amidst Inflation

  • Identifying consumers who are willing to pay more for high-quality beverages
  • Tapping into high-disposable income groups who remain immune to inflation
  • Understanding the budget-conscious consumer - winning the price-sensitive buyer through value and essential health benefits

10:30 AM

Morning Refreshments and Networking

11 AM

Speaker Hosted Roundtables

Interactive roundtable sessions offer a unique opportunity to come together with your peers to share best practice and develop solutions to critical challenges facing the industry as a whole. Hosted by industry experts and each focused on a single issue, roundtables are an exciting, interactive way to build your personal network and learn from the experience and expertise of others. 

Each roundtable session lasts for 40 minutes and delegates may attend up to 2 roundtables.

Roundtable 1: Curated Solutions to Help You Stand Out in a Competitive Landscape

  • Recent innovations in flavourings, extracts, and essences
  • Exploring plant-based taste solutions
  • Launching products that satisfies increasingly sophisticated consumer demands

Senior representative, Synergy Flavours (to be Introduce to speaker)

Roundtable 2:Innovative Packaging to Elevate Your Brand

  • Using unique textures and sustainable materials to communicate brand quality
  • Engineering smart formats to support modern, active routines
  • Utilising QR codes and smart labels to provide instant access to ingredients and carbon footprints

Sponsor Session Available 

12:20 PM

Lunch and Networking

1:20 PM

Retailers Insight: Drivers & Focuses

  • Prioritising high-turnover functional brands that prove they can move as fast as legacy leaders.
  • Curating dedicated zones for sober-curious and health-optimisation drinks to simplify the shopper journey
  • Partnering with brands that justify premium price points through innovative ingredients and sustainable credentials

1:50 PM

Mastering Taste & Nutrition

  • Functional drinks with advanced masking and sweetness-modulation tech
  • Probiotics and botanicals to meet the food as medicine demand
  • Using global consumer insights to accelerate your NPD

 Available Sponsor

2:20 PM

The Next Wave of Coffee Innovation

  • Infusing brews with nootropics and adaptogens for sustained "calm energy" and cognitive focus
  • Introducing functional and wellness-oriented beverages
  • Attracting health-conscious Gen Z and millennial customers

2:40 PM

Panel: The Future of Functional Drinks – From Hydration to Living Liquids

  • Evolving consumer behavior, identifying who is moving beyond basic hydration and what’s driving the shift toward function‑first beverages.
  • Next‑gen functional innovation, gut health, mental clarity, stress relief and the rise of multi‑benefit “function stacking” in drink development.
  • The rise of living liquids, how kombucha, kefir and other fermented refreshments are becoming mainstream alternatives to probiotic pills.
  • Daily functional rituals positioning kombucha as a daily tool for digestion, immunity and mental clarity.
  • Probiotic diversity leveraging kefir’s broad strain profile to support long‑term gut resilience and immune defence.

3:20 PM

Afternoon Refreshments and Networking

3:50 PM

The Packaging Edge: Functionality & Futureproofing

  • Active Preservation: Extending shelf life and reduce food waste
  • The Circular Loop: Designing compostable bioplastics and reusable systems
  • Optimising bottle and cap designs for easier recycling

Sponsor Session Available

4:10 PM

Beyond Alcohol-Free: The Shift to Functional Benefits in Flavored Non-Alcoholic Beer

  • Explore how evolving consumer expectations are reshaping the future of flavoured non-alcoholic beer.
  • Take a closer look at how brands are redefining innovation in flavoured non-alcoholic beer by blending taste and functionality.
  • Discover a case study that pushes beyond traditional beer boundaries, revealing how brands can unlock new relevance by tapping into adjacent categories.

Speakers

Flaminia Carbonari
Innovation & Insights, Asahi Europe & International

4:30 PM

Chairman’s Closing Remarks

Speakers

William Blackett
Director of Consulting, GlobalData

4:40 PM

End of Conference

Speakers

Select a speaker to learn more

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Freya Twigden
Founder, Fix8

Session Details:

Case Study: Brand Story Launch & Scaling Up

2026-09-23, 2:20 PM

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Lenina Lotufo
Senior Insights Manager, Global Pepsico

Session Details:

Panel Discussion: Hybrid Occasions & Fragmented Routines

2026-09-23, 11:00 AM

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Marina DelMonte
Strategic Category Lead, Waters Nestle & Premium Beverages

Session Details:

Panel discussion: Where Is the Focus of Innovation in the Beverage Industry in 2026?

2026-09-23, 3:20 PM

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Flaminia Carbonari
Innovation & Insights, Asahi Europe & International

Session Details:

Beyond Alcohol-Free: The Shift to Functional Benefits in Flavored Non-Alcoholic Beer

2026-09-24, 4:10 PM

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William Blackett
Director of Consulting, GlobalData

Will Blackett brings over 25 years of Drinks, Retail and Foodservice experience to GlobalData. Prior to joining GlobalData, Will worked clientside at Sainsbury's, McDonald's and Heineken, working in various innovation, brand and commercial roles. Will also has extensive consultancy experience, leading a global vertical at Dunnhumby and heading the Consumer division of Savanta, a full-service insight agency, where he partnered with some of the world's largest drinks companies.

Session Details:

GlobalData Insights: Category Performance and Future Outlook

2026-09-23, 9:00 AM

Session Details:

Chairman’s Opening Remarks

2026-09-23, 8:50 AM

Session Details:

Chairman’s Opening Remarks

2026-09-24, 8:50 AM

Session Details:

Chairman’s Closing Remarks

2026-09-24, 4:30 PM

Session Details:

Chairman’s Closing Remarks

2026-09-23, 5:20 PM

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Katherine Willis
Founder, Cupsfull – Coffee
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Plan Your Visit

Venue

155 Bishopsgate, London

155 Bishopsgate Convene 155 Bishopsgate Floor 2 London EC2M 3TY, UK

2026 Sponsors

Select a sponsor to learn more

SESSION SPONSOR

Silver Sponsor

Bronze Sponsors

Exhibitors

Media Centre

MEDIA PARTNERS

Become A Partner

Enquiry

Contact Us

SPONSORSHIP ENQUIRIES

Ben Gemmell

Head of Consumer Portfolio

+44 207 661 8841

SPEAKER ENQUIRIES

Alfred Mani

Conference Producer

+44 (0)20 4540 7582

MARKETING ENQUIRIES

Kellee Halliburton

Marketing Manager

SPONSORSHIP ENQUIRIES

To enquire about sponsorship opportunities for the conference, please contact:

Ben Gemmell

Head of Consumer Portfolio


+(44) 207 661 8841

SPEAKER Enquiries

To enquire about speaking opportunities for the conference, please contact:

Alfred Mani

Conference Producer


+44 (0)20 4540 7582