The National Beer Wholesalers Association’s Annual Convention won’t be taking place in-person in Orlando, Florida, this October after all.
The largest meeting of beer wholesalers in the country will instead go virtual from October 4-7. The NBWA was set to host its Annual Convention in Orlando in early October, however, the COVID-19 pandemic has rendered those plans unfeasible.
The cancellation comes as the total number of COVID-19 cases in Florida surpassed 500,000, to 502,739, and a growing number of hospitalizations related to the novel coronavirus, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Statewide, 7,627 deaths have been attributed to COVID-19.
The NBWA announced the move to a virtual event on its website today, touting a gathering of the beer industry “for keynote speakers, valuable education seminars and important industry discussions.”
“Our virtual platform provides the added benefit and increased accessibility of on-demand access,” the organization said. “That means you can re-watch or catch up on sessions, connect directly with vendors on the interactive Product Showcase and more – all on your own schedule!”
The slate of speakers for the 2020 virtual conference includes Anheuser-Busch CEO Michel Doukeris; NBWA president and CEO Craig Purser; NBWA chairman of the board and Heart of America Beverage Co. EVP and CFO Brian Gelner; and incoming NBWA chairman and Blach Distributing Company president Pat Blach.
In a frequently asked questions section posted to the website, the NBWA said registrations for the in-person convention will be transferred to the virtual event and attendees will be refunded the difference in cost.
Pricing for the virtual convention starts at $249 each for the first two employees, with a sliding scale for additional employees ($199 each for a third and fourth employee, $149 for the next four employees and $1,3999 total for 10-plus employees).
The NBWA added that exhibitors who registered for the event will be contacted about ways to present products or services to NBWA members on its virtual platform.
The NBWA’s Annual Convention brings together thousands of wholesalers, brewery owners and executives, and industry observers.
The NBWA’s cancellation of its premier industry gathering follows decisions by the Brewers Association and Beer Institute to cancel their respective event slates for the year.
UPDATE (11:15 a.m. August 7): NBWA president and CEO Craig Purser offered the following statement on canceling the in-person convention and moving it online:
“This week NBWA announced that we will be bringing the distributor community together virtually for NBWA’s 83rd Annual Convention. The need to communicate about the challenges and opportunities facing the industry has never been more important.
“These difficult times might keep us from gathering in-person, however our commitment throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has been to keep NBWA members up to date on the latest policy developments and best practices. We are continuing that commitment with a virtual Convention and Product Showcase that will enable many more beer distribution employees and industry partners to come together. We will have a tremendous amount of quality content that will allow industry members to participate in the general session, attend education seminars and visit the virtual interactive product showcase.
“While we all know this industry is built on meeting over a cold beer, we are using this time as an opportunity to share knowledge and celebrate in a healthy and appropriate way as we prepare for the future.”