Annual Convention Seminars

 

Below you will find a detailed schedule of the seminars by date at NBWA’s 88th Annual Convention & Trade Show. With over 20 seminars at this year’s convention, maximizing your time onsite and bringing back fresh ideas for growing your business has never been easier.

Make sure to register for the seminars you want to attend — click here to learn how to do so. If you have any questions about the event or how to register for your preferred seminars, please contact Grace Moery at gmoery@nbwa.org

MONDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2025 | 8:00 – 9:15 a.m.

Aye, Robot: A Tech Approach to Building Your Long-Term Workforce

Jonathan O’Neil, CEO, Block One Automation


Building a Culture of Continuous Learning and Innovation

Andrea Pellettiere, Director of Talent Management, Manhattan Beer and Beverage Distributors


Draft Beer is the Ultimate Sampling Opportunity

Jennifer Hauke, Founder, Draftline Technologies


Regulatory Insights & Updates Across the Beverage Alcohol Landscape

Wendy Turk, Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, Fintech
Dave Christman, Vice President, State Affairs, NBWA


Influencing Key Accounts

Thomas Fox, Partner, Fox Sales Coaching

New Frontiers: Lessons on Expanding Into Spirits/Wine/Energy

Tracy Neal, CEO, CPG Data / iSellBeer
Distributor Panelists 


Protecting Your Interests During Product Diversification

Michael Madigan, Madigan, Dahl & Harlan PA


A Smarter Approach to Fleet & Route Management

Nick Rider, Senior Account Executive, Descartes
John Barton, Service Execution Manager, Pepin Distributing Company
Cyndi Brandt, VP, Fleet Solutions – Descartes


Tone from the Top: Culture Starts With You

Matt Dahlstrom, Tone from the Top, In:trench Consulting Group, LLC
Grant Barrett, Senior Partner, In:trench Consulting Group
Darin Spenc, Partner, In:trench Consulting Group


Zoom Out, Win Big: Giving Your Team a Full View of the Total Beverage Alcohol Market

Kaleigh Theriault, Director, Beverage Alcohol Thought Leadership, NielsenIQ (NIQ)
Matt Crompton, Vice President On Premise, North America, CGA by NIQ
Drew Hummel, Director Beverage Alcohol Vertical, North America, CGA by NIQ

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2025 | 8:00 – 9:15 a.m.

Adapting to a Changing Landscape – Alliances and Brand Acquisitions

Craig Van Horn, Managing Director, Ippolito Christon & Co.
Keith B. Hochheiser, Partner, Hochheiser & Akmal
Rizwan Akmal, Partner, Hochheiser & Akmal


Do The Homework, Make the Grades: Getting an A+ On Your Technological Investments

Matt Ellis, Chief Systems & Consulting Officer, PDC/KPI


Evolve or Else: How Distributors are Adapting to the New Beverage Landscape

Dave Williams, President, BUMP Williams Consulting
JB Shireman, Director, Arlington Capital Advisors
Ryan Lake, Managing Director, Arlington Capital Advisors


Future-Proofing the Family Business

Ian Padrick, CEO, Ohanafy


Hemp Beverages: What a Difference a Year Makes

Christopher Lackner, Founder & President, Hemp Beverage Alliance
Michelle Bodian, General Counsel, Hemp Beverage Alliance

Rethink Keg Distribution Through Purposeful Design

Clay Kobernick, VP Category – Delivery Solutions, Rehrig Pacific Co


Risks and Rewards of Becoming a Total Beverage Distributor

Randy Jozwiakowski, Managing Director, Paragon Beverage Advisors, LLC
Drew Jaglom, Partner Tannenbaum Helpern Syracuse & Hirschtritt LLP
Mark Hall, Managing Director, Paragon Beverage Advisors, LLC
Scott Savage, Managing Director, Paragon Beverage Advisors, LLC
James Rieger, Partner Tannenbaum Helpern Syracuse & Hirschtritt LLP


More Profits and Volume with Less Infrastructure

Nick Rellas, Founder and CEO, Greater Industries


Turning Community Events into Wins for Your Company

Bill Kraich, VP, Platform Evangelist, Encompass Technologies


Who’s Wagging Who? Fix Broken Incentives and Take Back Control of Your Sales Strategy

Bud Dunn, President, Volume X Profit Technologies
Mike Hall, Director of Customer Success, VXP & Co-Host, Tapped In Sales Podcast