The ways that strategics — large consumer companies that are able to buy and sell other brands — operate have large implications for the entire food and beverage world. So while selling to a strategic entity is a rare — but prized — opportunity for most food and beverage entrepreneurs, the language and ideas that fuel strategic acquirers is a necessary part for those who intend to grow a strong business, as it can affect valuations, investor attitudes, and even retail attitudes toward different product types.

That’s why BevNET is pleased to announce that Michael Sands, the EVP of Snacks for strategic B&G Foods, will be speaking at FBU in Los Angeles on Sept. 11, 2014. Mr. Sands, — who recently sold Rickland Orchards, a snack brand he co-founded, to B & G Foods –has been both an entrepreneur and an executive with large strategic food and beverage companies. He will map out the basic ways that strategics and entrepreneurs conduct business with each other from an investment and partnership point of view. He will take entrepreneurs through the basics of a deal sheet, while also introducing them to financial classification concepts that can serve them from their earliest organizational incarnations. The strategics might not always come knocking, but you never know who will be on the other side of the door — and this look at how strategics view the world will provide insight into ways that companies can best present themselves to any number of financial or strategic entities.

Sands will be speaking as part of FBU’s introduction to growth financing strategies, an important section of the full-day event that will be taking place at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. Also covering product development, routes to market, sales and financing tools, FBU LA will provide a full survey of the key challenges and strategies that can help early-stage food and beverage entrepreneurs prepare themselves for successful launch and growth.

Early registration pricing is still available for FBU LA.

About Michael Sands
With over 25 years of consumer package goods experience as an Entrepreneur and Intrepreneur, Michael has led and created top-selling products across several food and beverage companies including Snapple and Ben & Jerry’s. Currently as EVP Snacks at B&G Foods, he is in charge of Pirate’s Booty, New York Style, TrueNorth And Rickland Orchards, which he co-founded and sold to B&G Foods in October 2013.  Additionally he has served as the CEO of Balance Bar Nutrition Co., Chief Marketing & Operations Officer at Snapple Beverage Group, where he was also a key player in the turnaround of Snapple following the acquisition from Quaker Oats for $300 million and its sale three years later for $1.1 billion to Cadbury.  Other positions include Chief Marketing Officer at Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, Co-founder/CEO of Lesserevil Brand Snacks, and strategic marketing roles at Inbev, Unilever, and Grey Advertising. Mr. Sands earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Babson College and was inducted into the Advertising Hall of Achievement for executives under 40, and was an Inc. 500  award winner for one of the fastest growing private companies in 2009 with Lesserevil.

About BevNET FBU

BevNET FBU LA, which takes place on September 11, will help deliver the knowledge and connections needed to create and grow a successful brand. The program combines success stories from company founders with expert advice from industry thought-leaders and is delivered in an encouraging and intimate environment that facilitates networking, both with speakers and with fellow entrepreneurs. Attendees come away with a road map to inevitable challenges they will encounter, as well as the tools needed to face those challenges.