CELEB BRANDS AND THE NATION'S TOP RETAILERS CONVERGED AT THE 2026 BEVERAGE FORUM TO DISCUSS WHAT TRENDS WILL SHAPE THE INDUSTRY'S NEXT CHAPTER

This Year's Event Brought Together 1,300+ Attendees for Dynamic Discussions at the Intersection of Beverage, Culture, Capital, and Consumer Trends

LOS ANGELES, April 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Beverage Forum, the beverage industry's premier executive conference, successfully concluded its 2026 gathering at the Westdrift Manhattan Beach in Manhattan Beach, California, bringing together an influential community of celebrities, founders, retailers, suppliers, and investors shaping the future of the beverage landscape.

This year's event convened top leaders from across the industry including Walmart, Target, Sprouts, and Albertsons for an engaging program of keynote conversations, executive panels, and interactive workshops. Throughout the conference attendees explored the forces redefining beverage, including shifting consumer behaviors and retail strategies, to the growing influence of capital, culture, and celebrity in building modern brands.

The 2026 Forum attracted the minds behind many of today's fastest-growing and category-defining beverage companies, alongside cultural and industry leaders and distinguished guests, including Elizabeth Banks, Stephen Curry, Jason Kelce, Patrick Mahomes, Cheech Marin, Chris Pratt, Nikki Reed, Ian Somerlander, and Robin Thicke.

Highlights from The Beverage Forum 2026 included:

• Robin Thicke announced his brand new line of ready-to-drink cocktails, Mimá, a canned espresso martini inspired by one of the most ordered cocktails at bars and restaurants.
• James Corden opened The Beverage Forum by introducing his line of nootropic mood-enhancing drinks, Noot. The canned NA cocktails contain a blend of nootropics and adaptogens along with plant ingredients to clear the mind and lift the mood. 
• L.A. Libations Water introduced Re:Lid, the beverage industry's first resealable lid designed for aluminum cans, which will debut at retail through a launch with Gelson's Markets across all 26 markets and 2 convenience stores in Southern California.
• SkyPop, the protein soda brand rapidly gaining momentum at retail and growing strong popularity with consumers, also announced its continued national expansion across Target, Kroger, Walmart, Albertsons, Costco, and CVS, further solidifying its leadership in the fast-growing Protein Soda category.
• Kristin Piper, the VP of Merchandising / Wellness at Walmart noted that as wellness becomes more mainstream, the category has infiltrated all parts of the store, and Walmart is capturing this shift by offering clean, customer-first solutions across the retailers omni-channel ecosystem.
• During a panel discussion around elevating beverage innovation, Angela Weber, the Chief Merchandising Officer at Total Wine & More noted that her team has dedicated 28-30 feet of their shelf space to bringing in new beverages in order to give her customers the space to explore.
• Sally Lyons Wyatt, Global EVP & Chief Advisor Consumer Goods & Foodservice Insights at Circana highlighted the uptick in beverage products that support GLP-1 lifestyles noting, "The demand for nutritional drinks and shakes are continuing to drive innovation, with Kate Farms generating $19.5M and Atkins Strong generating $28.8M in revenue in just the last year."
• In the same presentation, Lyons Wyatt also mentioned that modern soda is bluring the lines of beverage boundaries and that the sodas that are winning in the space are the ones that combine everyday permission, flavor, and functionality leading to $1.7B growth of the category in 2025 alone.

"The Beverage Forum continues to be a place where the most important conversations shaping our industry happen in real time," said Danny Stepper, CEO and Co-Founder of L.A. Libations. "What stood out this year is just how quickly the beverage landscape is evolving, and how interconnected it's become across culture, capital, and consumer behavior. This event brings together the people not just reacting to those changes but actively driving what's next."

For more information about The Beverage Forum 2026, including highlights and future event updates, visit beverageforum.com.

About L.A. Libations:
L.A. Libations is a next-generation beverage incubator. At its core, the company consists of creators, seekers, motivators, and entrepreneurs. Always on the lookout for the next great beverage brand that satisfies an untapped need of the health-engaged consumer; the company's hustle is fueled by the collective dedication to health, wellness, and social responsibility. Most of all, L.A. Libations is a passionate tribe dedicated to bringing the most innovative, healthy, and tasty beverages to the world.

About The Beverage Forum:
The Only Global All-Beverage Executive Conference

Beverage Forum is more than just an event—it's where the future of the beverage industry takes shape. As a premier gathering of thought leaders, trailblazers, and innovators, this forum brings together the brightest minds in the space, from emerging brands to global powerhouses.

The leading and largest gathering for senior executives across the beverage industry, Beverage Forum annually welcomes over 700 distinguished guests, including top-tier industry leaders, retailers, innovative suppliers, financial analysts, and influential press members. As the most retail-centric all-beverage conference, it serves as the ultimate platform for decision-makers to connect, strategize, and shape the future of the industry.

Over two dynamic days, we explore the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the industry through thought-provoking keynotes, insightful panel discussions, and invaluable networking moments. It's a space where ideas turn into action, partnerships are forged, and the next wave of beverage innovation comes to life.

SOURCE The Beverage Forum