Global leaders in the beverage trade industry came together this week to sample the best in beer, wine and spirits at USA Trade Tasting (USATT) in New York City. Over the three-day international trade fair, 180 exhibitors including industry-leading organizations from a number of popular wine-growing nations such as France, Italy, Germany, Australia, South Africa, and Portugal poured their product and award-winning spirits, ciders and craft beer companies enjoyed a debut with over 1000 visitors in attendance.
Sid Patel, the CEO of Beverage Trade Network and USA Trade Tasting was gratified by the resounding success of the event. “We are extremely pleased with the response we’ve received from the exhibitors at USATT’s inaugural event. The quality of the exhibitors and the satisfaction of the visitors has set the bar extremely high for years to come.”
Patel wasn’t alone in his enthusiasm:
Excellent USATT show. Staff did a great job, John Beaudette, President and CEO, MHW LTD
I received a lot of positive feedback from attendees. The consistent response related to the “quality of the people” they met. Donna H. Hartman, Esq, OlenderFeldman LLP
As a newbie to the alcohol industry, I found the conference extremely helpful and informative. So much so, I used some of the advice from Darryl Rosen during my sales call this morning and walked away with a sale when I didn’t think I would. Heather Hellwinkel, Finch and Vail, LLC
Over the first two days of the event, the USATT Grand Tasting was complemented by a number of innovative campaigns that added a great deal to the variety and tone of the event. These included the Brand Pitch Sessions, which is a networking system designed to match brand owners with appropriate and interested importers and distributors, and a number of masterclasses by The Wines of South Africa, World of Whiskies and the New York Wines Organization.
World of Whiskies Masterclass by Raj Sabharwal, PVI Global
On the third day, some of the best known leaders in the industry brought it home by offering key strategic insights for up-and-coming brands during the much-anticipated BTN Educational Conference. Presentations were structured around a ‘how-to’ tutorial format and included topics around best practices in sales, distribution and marketing; they provided essential take-aways for the day-to-day operation of effective businesses. Notable presentations included: an extensive break-down of international sales planning by Jim Ryan of Constellation Brands; an in-depth market analysis from Danny Brager of Nielsen and a study regarding the benefits and challenges in establishing a resilient employee base from Josh Wand, of BevForce.
Conference Session: Rob Bradshaw, Cape Classics
Conference Session: Felicity Carter, Wine Business International
The USATT was covered by a variety of independent media outlets, as well as the event’s official media sponsors: Beverage Media Group; Food and Beverage Magazine; The SOMM Journal; Meininger’s; The Tasting Panel; Artisan Spirit; Distillery Age; Drinks International; The Beverage Journal; Distillery Trail; Microshiner; and Wine & Craft Beverage World.
The event was organized by www.BeverageTradeNetwork.com, the world’s leading online platform for connecting importers, distributors and retailers with suppliers from around the world. “Results from this year’s show clearly demonstrate that the trade show blueprint for networking solutions developed by BTN, works inside the constraints of the three-tiered system, while opening the door to better business, said industry veteran Steve Raye, President of Bevology Consulting.
BTN Management Team : Left to Right: Malvika Patel, VP, BTN; Sid Patel, CEO and Founder, BTN; Zach Milne Haverty, Chief Editor BTN; Mauricio, CTO, BTN.
Next year’s USA Trade Tasting will take place at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York, from May 16-17, 2017. For more information on USATT 2017, please visit www.usatradetasting.com, or contact Beverage Trade Network: (e) info@beveragetradenetwork.com (t) +1.941.592.9254.
