Imbibe live logo in white
1–2 July 2024
Olympia London

Imbibe Live Online, part of Global Bar Week – October 2020

Maximising your online presence to engage customers, drive footfall and build loyalty

Digital marketing in hospitality is on the rise, and with venues not being able to rely on their physical presence in lockdown, a strong online strategy is even more pertinent. It is essential that bars, restaurants and other venues communicate and connect with customers in the digital world and entice increasingly research-savvy guests. 

Speakers:

Samuel Boulton, Company Director, The Pineapple Club

Alexandra Chatwin, Director and Co-Founder, LX PR

Mark McCulloch, Founder & CEO, Supersonic Inc.

Annica Wainwright, Director, 2Forks, Founder, The Food Marketing Club

Mark Stretton, Managing Director, Fleet Street Communications

Mindful Aperitif: The Art of No & Low

Discover the delicious and exciting world of no & low with drinks expert, wellness specialist and founder of La Maison Wellness, Camille Vidal. Understand the principles and practices of Mindful Drinking, moderation, and conscious consumption, learn about no & low aperitifs and what really makes aperitif cocktails delicious (hint: it has little to do with the amount of alcohol in the glass), and discover leading brands in this space and some of the Imbibe No & Low awards winners.

Speakers:

Camille Vidal, Founder, La Maison Wellness

Now is the time to Discover Cider

Just as the apples are being harvested, join The Ciderologist, Gabe Cook, to unearth the little known story of cider. We will explore that cider has a heritage beyond the UK, how cider can be the best food match there is and to highlight the work of a new campaign - Discover Cider.

Speakers:

Gabe Cook, The Ciderologist

Essential Armagnac

Speakers:

Hannah Lanfear, Director, The Mixing Class

Re-inventing champagne service without mixing

To reach the 25-35, Instagram-crowd is becoming tougher than ever in this post-lockdown climate and there are days when a classic straight serve just won’t cut it. With your bars, restaurants and hotels in mind, Comité Champagne www.champagne.com and Champagne Bureau UK’s webinar on Re-inventing Champagne Service without Mixing, will demonstrate creative, easy to replicate and effective techniques to entice Generation Z and Millennials and sell more Champagne. 

Speakers:

Francoise Peretti, Director, Champagne Bureau UK

Leading the way to creating a sustainable hospitality business

Sustainability has become increasingly at the forefront of consumer purchasing power and business strategy. And recent UN warnings on climate change, emissions, waste, slavery, equality and more mean that drinks and hospitality businesses are going to have to take radical action, and soon. This panel will examine how the hospitality industry can help tackle some of the biggest global challenges and improve its impact on the environment, workers, the community and customers.

Speakers:

Jonathan Raggett, Managing Director, Red Carnation Hotels

Kate Sandle, Director of Programmes and Engagement, B Lab UK 

Andrea Rasca, Founder and Chief Executive Dreamer, Mercato Metropolitano

Nathan Larkin, Founder, Speak in Code 

Louisa Dodd, Project Manager, Sustainable Restaurant Association

Jacopo Mazzeo, News Editor, Imbibe UK 

The Top 10 Bartender Rum Myths

Global Rum Ambassador, Ian Burrell shares a few stories & myths that he has heard across the globe over the past few years.

Speakers:

Ian Burrell, Global Ambassador for the Rum Category, The Equiano Rum Company

Agave Martini – The Next Modern Classic Cocktail?

Megs Miller takes you through her favourite cocktails to make with agave spirits.

Speakers:

Megs Miller, Global Drinks & Bar consultant

The green future of hospitality and how to get there

Ryan Chetiyawardana and Douglas McMaster are pioneers in sustainability and the zero-waste movement. Ryan’s first bar was also the first cocktail bar in the world to use no perishables, and this low-waste sustainable approach remains across his other venues. Doug has been leading in this field for over a decade and in 2015 opened Silo, the first zero-waste restaurant. In this interview with Imbibe UK, they discuss the green future of hospitality and expanding and pushing sustainability forward. 

Speakers:

Ryan Chetiyawardana, Mr Lyan

Douglas McMaster, Owner/Head Chef, SILO

Robyn Black, Editor, Imbibe UK

Rising Giants – The new whisky distilleries around the world that are doing very well

Simo will look at distilleries around the world & how they came to be, what they do & what makes them stand out from the more traditional, older whisky brands.

Speakers:

Simo Simo, Managing Director, Milroys of Soho 

Storywood Tequila Virtual Tasting session

Join founder Michael Ballantyne as he walks you through the multi award-winning Storywood Tequila. We'll be tasting our core offerings in Speyside 7 Reposado and Speyside 14 Añejo, as well as the Speyside 7 Reposado cask strength, and our limited edition cask strength offerings in Sherry 7 Reposado and Double Oak Añejo. 

Speakers:

Michael Ballantyne, Founder, Storywood Tequila

How to: Batch for take away cocktails

Understand the pros and cons of batching cocktails, get practical advice on batched cocktail design, and learn common mistakes and how to avoid them.

Speakers:

Kuba Korzynski, General Manager, Black Rock

Who run the world? – Speed Rack’s new initiatives for celebrating and supporting women in bartending

Speed Rack is a key event in most female mixologists’ calendar – not only a high-octane, exciting competition and important fundraising initiative, but also a community of women supporting and celebrating women in the industry. While the usual physical event can’t run this year, the Speed Rack team still have plenty of initiatives in store to support their fellow female bartenders. In this interview with co-founders Lynnette Marrero and Ivy Mix, learn about plans for their new mentoring scheme for female bartenders, stirring new online summit, and how bars and bartenders can continue to close the gender gap and champion women behind the bar.

Speakers:

Lynnette Marrero, Bar Director, LLama Inn and LLama San, Co-Founder, Speed Rack

Ivy Mix, Owner, Leyenda, Co-Founder, Speed Rack

Millie Milliken, Deputy Editor, Imbibe UK

Trends in beer label, can and pump clip design

Beer is the most popular alcoholic drink on the planet, but few who enjoy it have seriously thought about how it has managed to cajole, intrigue and persuade us to buy it in the first place. With thousands of breweries and tens of thousands of beers the space for a beer to stand out has gradually been shrinking. The design of the pump clip, beer label and can will often tip us into a decision about which beer we choose or continue to prefer.

Speakers:

Pete Brown, Writer and consultant, Freelance

Snack, drink, match! Pairing drinks and bar snacks

What wine goes with waffles? What cocktail pairs with chicken wings? What to sip with scotch eggs? From humble classics to more modern bites, join this panel of experts as they match bar food, snacks and small plates with drinks.

Speakers:

Nicole Sykes, Venue Manager, Satan's Whiskers

Sunny Hodge, Founder, Diogenes the Dog

Claire Strickett, Senior Planner, adam&eveDDB

Millie Milliken, Deputy Editor, Imbibe UK

How to: Use ‘waste’ in your cocktails

Join this session with Drink Guru London Carl as he makes “waste at home cocktails". Make the most of everything in your drinks recipes – easy peeler skins you were about to throw out, bananas that have gone brown that you don't want to eat, and more! Learn some fun, simple cocktails that taste amazing with zero effort (and zero waste).

Speakers:

Carl Anthony Brown, Founder, Crossip

How to: Judge wines for competitions

Studies have shown that medals and awards in the wine industry have a positive effect on consumers’ buying behaviour; they shorten the time consumers spend choosing a wine and lower the consumers’ perception of risk of making a bad selection. This session will offer top tips for judging wine at professional competitions. Join the Sommelier Wine Awards’ Head of Judging and Team Leaders, as they share their judging experiences and why exactly it is so important for their careers to judge at wine competitions.

Speakers:

Harry Crowther, Consultant, Grain to Grape

Christine Parkinson, Drinks Specialist, Brimful Drinks

Charlie Young, Founder, owner, Vinoteca

Micaela Ferreira, Competition Director, Sommelier Wine Awards

Modern Irish Hospitality

Aaron and Ciarán from Homeboy Bars discuss Modern Irish Hospitality, what this means to truly put warm hospitality at the heart of what you do, the pride of purpose for staff, and the benefits for running a venue.

Speakers:

Aaron Wall, Co-Founder, Homeboy Bars

Ciarán Smith, Co-Founder, Homeboy Bars

Millie Milliken, Deputy Editor, Imbibe UK

Putting diversity and inclusion at the heart of your business

Hospitality is a diverse and vibrant industry, but still that is not always reflected in the workforce. While in recent years the industry has made great progress in this area, it remains an ongoing and entrenched issue. This session will examine how diversity and inclusion is critical for business success, how to create a welcoming environment and culture for staff and customers alike, and what meaningful actions the hospitality industry can take to be more inclusive.

Speakers:

Cressida Lawlor, General manager, London cocktail club

Deano Moncrieffe, Agave Spirits Expert, Hacha Bar Owner

Lorraine Copes, Founder & Managing Director, BAME in Hospitality

Yannick Benjamin, Sommelier, Contento Restaurant, and Co-Founder, Wine on Wheels 

Millie Milliken, Deputy Editor, Imbibe UK

Supporting mental health and wellbeing in the hospitality industry

There has been increasing focus on mental health and wellbeing, and recent global events are expected to have significant and long-term effects on the drinks and hospitality community. Hospitality employees are under significant strain, many believing the job itself is damaging to their wellbeing. This panel of experts will examine the challenges faced by hospitality workers, experiences of dealing with mental health issues, and provide advice on where you can seek help for yourself and others.

Speakers:

William Meredith, Head Bartender, Lyaness

Camille Vidal, Founder, La Maison Wellness

Ross Carter, CEO, The Drinks Trust

Kat Hounsell, Founder, everyday people 

Robyn Black, Editor, Imbibe UK

Irish Whiskey: Depth and Diversity

Join Irish whiskey specialist John Cashman on an informed and educational trip through the Irish whiskey category. Irish whiskey isn't just a single brand or style. It is diverse and has depth. These differences unite it as a single category.

Speakers:

John Cashman, Irish Whiskey Specialist, Consultant