American Beverage Licensees Announces Additional Annual Meeting Speakers
February 13, 2018 – Bethesda, MD – American Beverage Licensees (ABL) is pleased to announce more featured speakers and panelists for the 2018 ABL Annual Meeting, to be held March 11-13, 2018 at Harrah’s New Orleans Hotel & Casino in New Orleans, Louisiana.
“As we count down to the ABL Annual Meeting, we are excited to add more impressive beverage alcohol industry leaders, analysts and media to what is already a great program,” said ABL Executive Director John Bodnovich. “These speakers will provide attendees with insights into beverage alcohol trends, retail market data, and industry association leadership.”
Additional speakers at the 2018 ABL Annual Meeting include:
Jim McGreevy | President & CEO | Beer Institute
A 20-year veteran of policy and political work, Jim McGreevy serves as President and CEO of the Beer Institute, the national trade association that represents America’s brewers, beer importers and supply-chain partners – a $350 billion industry that supports more than 2.2 million American jobs. As the national voice for the industry, Jim advocates on policy matters involving Congress, state legislatures, courts and regulatory agencies.
Kraig R. Naasz | President & CEO | Distilled Spirits Council
Kraig R. Naasz is the President and CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council, the national trade association representing producers and marketers of distilled spirits sold in the United States. The Council supports policies that increase adult market access for spirits products, provide greater convenience and choices for adult consumers, and encourage responsible and moderate consumption. Kraig previously served as the chief executive of the American Frozen Food Institute, The Fertilizer Institute and the U.S. Apple Association.
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Chris Furnari Editor | Brewbound
Chris Furnari is the editor of Brewbound, focusing on the beer business. In addition to overseeing daily content, Furnari also plans and executes Brewbound’s business networking events — Brewbound Session and Brew Talks. He is a regular at industry gatherings and has been cited in mainstream media publications such as CNBC, USA Today, The Boston Globe, Mashable and Wired Magazine, among others.
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Matthew Crompton | Client Director | Nielsen CGA
Matthew Crompton is an Client Director for Nielsen CGA and is responsible for the implementation of Nielsen CGA’s On-Premise services in the US. Since joining CGA Strategy in January 2010, Matthew has risen through the CGA ranks becoming an expert in all things On-Premise. Matthew has managed and provided consultancy for some of the largest Bev Al manufacturers across Europe including Diageo, Anheuser Busch and William Grant & Sons. He is now part of the U.S. On-Premise Specialist team, providing first-class insight into that market.
Danelle Kosmal | Vice President – Beverage Alcohol Practice | The Nielsen Companies
As Vice President of Nielsen’s Beverage Alcohol Practice, Danelle provides industry thought leadership and best practice solutions to beer, wine, and spirits clients, industry groups, and the media. She is committed to leveraging Nielsen’s breadth of resources to provide an integrated and holistic understanding of consumer behavior and retail trends across beer, wine, and spirits. Danelle has more than 15 years of marketing experience, and has been with Nielsen for over 10 years, working across various clients in the food, beverage, and consumer goods industries. Prior to joining the Beverage Alcohol Practice, Danelle led Nielsen’s business at MillerCoors in Chicago.
These meeting participants join other industry leaders, brands and organizations at ABL’s signature annual event. ABL will also honor Mark Brown, President & CEO of Sazerac Company, Inc., with the 2018 ABL Top Shelf Award. The ABL Top Shelf Award recognizes those who have demonstrated professional excellence in the beverage alcohol industry and have had a positive influence in their community, and is the highest honor presented by America’s beer, wine and spirits retailers. The award will be presented at the ABL Honors Gala on March 12, 2018.
Registration for the annual meeting is currently available online for $299 and includes access to all general sessions and hospitality-related events. Click here to view 2018 ABL Annual Meeting schedule of events. For more information on ABL or the annual meeting, please visit www.ablusa.org.
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American Beverage Licensees is the preeminent national trade association for beverage alcohol retailers. Direct retail beverage alcohol sales in the United States generate as many as 1.94 million well-paying jobs. ABL’s thousands of on-premise and off-premise licensee members are independent and often family-owned establishments. The beverage retailing industry pays over $25.3 billion in federal taxes and $18.36 billion in state and local taxes. To learn more about ABL, visit www.ablusa.org.
Source: ABL