Archives: Agenda

Seedlip founder and game changer Ben Branson, takes on 10 quick fire questions from Jonathan Ford, co-founder of Pearlfisher and Rosalind Michaluk, Strategy Director at Pearlfisher — the creative force behind Seedlip’s iconic branding — to uncover what the past 10 years tells us about the next.

• Nootropics are the New Buzz: How brain-boosting ingredients are creating a white space for brands, and what makes nootropics different from other functional claims
• Bridging Science & Storytelling: Practical ways to educate consumers on complex ingredients without losing the ritual and fun of the drinking occasion
• From Ingredient to Icon: What it takes for a mind-enhancing beverage to stand out. Formulation, sourcing, regulatory guardrails, and flavour are all part of the brand promise
• Lessons from Kin: How we’ve navigated brand development, marketing, and community-building around cognitive function
• A Wellness Status Symbol: Why the next generation of drinkers sees cognitive wellness as the ultimate luxury, and how that shifts category strategy for innovators and suppliers alike
• Where We Go Next: What’s on the horizon for brands ready to push beyond mindful drinking into mind-bending territory

• Dives into GLP-1s and how this is changing beverage consumption
• It explores how GLP-1s are driving a shift from alcohol to soft drinks and how this impacts innovation
• Unpacks what innovation needs to look like for GLP-1 consumers – touching on hydration, greater functionality, taste innovation to deliver on consumer experiences

• Introduction of company
• Introduction of ingredient collagen and bioactive collagen peptides
• Collagen in beverages opportunities
• Technical feasibility in beverages
• New product teaser

• Where are we with the low alcohol descriptors? What are these and why shouldn’t we use them on soft drinks?
• The importance of ‘lower’ options in the growth of low and no.
• What is mid-strength? Is this the right time to introduce a new descriptor or is this just another way to say ‘lower’?
• What’s next for the low and no sector?

• What defines trailblazing innovation in the beverage sector today?
• Science and research: Innovations being explored to enhance consumer experience and drive sustainability
• Which categories are leading the way in functional beverage development?
• How can we monitor flavour and functionality trends to drive a successful new product development (NPD) strategy?
• Understand the drinking occasion: What does the consumer really want from the drinking experience?

• The journey from kitchen fermentations to national listings: how L.A. Brewery carved a space for fermented drinks in the UK, responding to market evolution and leaning into non-alcoholic wine proxies – sparkling tea
• Crafting mindful drinks: blending botanicals, fermentation, and flavour to elevate non-alcoholic occasions
• Navigating challenges in scaling a live product – from cold chain logistics to consumer education
• Why fermented drinks are not a fad: creating a brand with longevity in the functional drinks and low no category

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: Collective Innovation for a Greener Sip: A Cross-Industry Roundtable on Sustainable Packaging That Inspires Consumer Choice in the Non-Alcoholic Beverage Market

• Championing Circularity Through Collaboration
  A goal of fostering cross-industry solutions that reduce environmental impact and promote circular economies.
• Driving Innovation with Purpose
  Discussions around co-create packaging that not only stands out on shelf but also meets evolving consumer expectations for eco-conscious products.
• Consumer-Centric Sustainability
  With insights into consumer demand for sustainable packaging, using data beverage brands and packaging producers can design packaging that influences purchase decisions in a fragmented market.
• Scalable Solutions Remains Imperative
  Scalable, sustainable packaging innovations are critical to ensure long term success for the entire value chain.
• Material Leadership Meets Market Agility
  Lightweight, durable aluminum packaging offers a unique material advantage for brands seeking both sustainability and differentiation in a competitive beverage landscape.

Chas Aylsworth, Director, Commercial, Trivium Packaging

Prachi Mantri, Director of Strategy and Business Development, Trivium Packaging

Felipe Watanabe, Sustainability Associate, Trivium Packaging

Roundtable 2: NO MOQ, No Limits: How Digital Can Printing Is Changing the Game for Beverage Cans

• No Minimum Order Quantity, Maximum Impact. Personalise your cans without limits—perfect for seasonal campaigns, one-offs, or small-batch runs.
• Next-Level Brand Storytelling. Achieve photo-quality print with unlimited colours, specialty finishes, and unrivalled adhesion—even after pasteurisation.
• Forget Labels and Sleeves. Go fully recyclable with printed beverage cans. It’s sustainable, efficient—and EPR-compliant.
• Certified Quality. Produced at our FSSC 22000 and ISO 9001 certified facility in Leamington Spa.
• Speed to Market. Move fast. React to trends. Get your product on shelves in record time.
• Effortless Management. A user-friendly platform puts you in control—from artwork upload to delivery tracking.

Konstantin Schwarzkopf, Head of Design, NOMOQ

Dave Rigby, National Account Manager, UK & Ireland, NOMOQ

Roundtable 3: Flavour Trends – Tailored R&D and Trend Foresight Process, Helping Brands Deliver Imaginative, Culturally Resonant and Future-Ready Flavours That Align With Modern Tastes and Market Demands

• How we define our Annual Flavour Trends using our Culinary ambassadors, personal visits and insights from Innova Market Insights, Mintel, and The Food People
• How we leverage our people’s outstanding expertise and our global reach on technologies, taste & trends
• How we combine top-down and bottom-up perspectives on social, environmental, and demographic shifts, as well as consumer demands
• Taste together some examples of natural flavour, taste & colour solutions capturing consumer preference, with winning market results

Emily Sawtell, Beverage Applications Lead, Nactarome

Kirsty Dailly, Key account Manager, Nactarome

William Dowling, Technical Sales Manager, Nactarome

Roundtable 4: Clean Label, Real Taste: Navigating Consumer Expectations in Clean Label Beverage Development

Exploring what “clean” really means for consumers, regulators, and the future of beverage innovation.

• What do consumers really mean by Clean Label, and how does that align with legislation?
• How can the beverage industry respond to the demand for Clean Label in product development?
• What does a “Clean beverage” look like in practice? A Flavoured Water case study in action.

Tom Cleghorn, European Beverage Category Development Manager, Synergy Flavours

Jill Ngo, European Applications Manager, Synergy Flavours