Executives from Pernod Ricard, Suntory Global Spirits and De Kuyper Royal Distillers will speak at Just Drinks’ Spirits Strategies and Innovation Conference in London this week.
The event, which takes place on Thursday 22 October at The Minster Building in London’s financial district, will discuss the strategic questions facing the global spirits sector from the durability of premiumisation to the bumper growth seen in RTDs to the role of low- and no-alcohol products.
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The agenda will begin with a breakfast deep-dive on the “premiumisation paradox”, hosted by William Blackett, consulting director at GlobalData, Just Drinks‘ parent. The session will examine whether trading up remains a durable consumer behaviour or has become less sustainable amid pressure on household budgets.
Delegates will also discuss whether premium spirits brands risk pricing themselves out of Gen Z consumers’ consideration sets and whether premium spirits-based RTDs can expand the category or primarily redistribute sales at lower margins. Those wishing to attend the breakfast session must pre-register their interest before the event.
Later in the day, Blackett will moderate a panel on the priorities spirits companies should set to remain relevant, resilient and positioned for long-term growth.
The panel will include Jason Tagg, consumer insights lead at Pernod Ricard’s Absolut and Crystal brand unit; Sarah Isaac, UK marketing director at Suntory Global Spirits; Daniel Szor, founder and CEO of The Cotswold Distilling Company; and Tim Blake, co-founder of Crossip Drinks.
The wider speaker line-up includes executives and founders from US whiskey business Segamore Distillery, UK RTD firm Whitebox Cocktails, aperitivo brand Allora and UK non-alc start-up Sentia Spirits.
Low- and no-alcohol spirits will be a key focus in the afternoon. A panel moderated by Crossip’s Blake will assess recent developments in the global category.
Jerome Pellaud, the managing director of Sentia Spirits, Hamilton Lowe, co-founder of UK low-and-no business Smiling Wolf Drinks, De Kuyper brand and customer marketing director Marieke Liesting and Christophe Tremp, the founder and CEO of alcohol-free brand Rebel 0.0%, will take part in the discussion.
The conference will close with a keynote from Erika Eklundh, founder of Gnista Spirits. Eklundh will consider rising consumer interest in moderation, the shift from simple alcohol replacements toward botanical-forward formulations and the flavour engineering techniques used to attempt to recreate the mouthfeel, viscosity and aromatics of full-strength spirits.
For more information on the conference agenda and booking details, head to the event website.
