General Session + Vibe Operator and Supplier Awards
Session details:
A Techno Futurist + AI Predict 2030 Pours
Your beverage strategy for tomorrow starts now.
Join Sarah DaVanzo, Technofuturist & Chief Innovation Officer at Porter Novelli, for a provocative exploration of what’s next in on-premise beverages. Sarah will decode the six macro forces reshaping beverage futures, and each trend will be grounded in real-world data, emerging signals, and a unique spin to help you see beyond the obvious.
Attendees will learn how to spot signals of change in social media, subcultures, and alternative data sources, then translate them into actionable innovation opportunities.
The presentation will also feature a live demonstration of Porter Novelli's Synthetic Futurist, which will lay out three 2030 scenarios for on-premise beverage programs.
Attendees will learn:
- How to anticipate disruption rather than react to it using the "Three Horizons" model to predict flavor, category, and occasion trends before they go mainstream.
- New KPIs linking beverage strategy to guest engagement and profitability.
- Data dashboards and how to leverage them for menu optimization and margin mapping.
- A framework for translating macro-trends into actionable innovation strategies for beverage programs.
- 3–5 actionable foresight practices to integrate immediately into menu planning, partnerships, and experimentation.
- Three future scenarios for beverage from neuroadaptive drinks tailored to mood, to zero-footprint circular operations, to AI mixologists co-creating with guests in real-time.
Walk away with the Liquid Leverage mindset: think in futures, act in sprints; use data creatively, not just analytically; design drinks as experiences, not inventory; and leverage communication innovation as a competitive advantage.
The future isn't coming to your venue — it's already at the table. What will you serve it?
Plus, stick around as we announce the winners of a few Vibe Operator & Supplier Awards categories!
