FBU Chicago 2015 Initial Lineup Announced

BevNET FBU (Food & Beverage University) is excited to announce an initial slate of seven speakers for its April 30 event in Chicago, Ill. With strong, active experience in food and beverage product development, sales, marketing, regulation and investment, these speakers bring a deep understanding of the day-to-day and long-range goals and challenges of entrepreneurial companies.

Speakers, and their areas of focus, will include:

  • Justin Prochnow, Attorney, Greenberg, Traurig, LLP — Regulations, Trademarks, and Other Trouble Spots
  • Andrew Whitman, Managing Partner, 2X Consumer Products Growth Partners — Attracting Early Stage Investors
  • Vivian Rhoads, Marketing and Innovation Consultant, Verge Strategy Inc. — Market Strategy for Entrepreneurs: Defining and Reaching Your Consumer
  • Eric Skae, Principal, The Bricktown Group — Coordinating Commercialization: Product Development and Co-packers
  • Brette Simon, Outside General Counsel, M&A Advisor — Building a Financially Ordered Business
  • Rob Welcome, Principal, Welcome Beverage Partnerships — Sales: Mastering Chain Accounts
  • John Blackington, Managing Director, GBS Growth Partners — Hacking Whole Foods: Surround and Influence

FBU one-day events are designed to provide a full-day kick-start for early-stage food and beverage entrepreneurs; The Chicago event will take place at Moonlight Studios, 1446 W. Kinzie St. in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood. It will take entrepreneurs and their teams through through the key decisions and challenges that accompany early growth, from commercialization, co-packing, and product design through the hard decisions that accompany structuring a company and a sales force, reaching key distribution and retail decision-makers, marketing products, while maintaining solid businesses that can attract growth capital. More speaker announcements and a full agenda will be posted soon.

Always friendly, timely, and well-managed, FBU events feature opportunities to maximize both learning opportunities through interaction with speakers and entrepreneurs, as well as the chance for entrepreneurs to sample their products for the audience.

Register Now for FBU Chicago 2015 >>

Early Bird registration is available now through March 30th. Discounted opportunities exist for active BevnetFBU.com subscribers, please contact Jon Landis at (617) 231-8834 or jlandis@bevnet.com to learn more.

Interested in gaining exposure with up-and-coming food and beverage brands? Sponsorship opportunities for FBU Chicago 2015 are still available, please direct all inquires to John McKenna at (617) 231-8825 or jmckenna@bevnet.com.