Innovation in Drinks 2025

24 - 25

September

2025
  • Hilton London Bankside
  • Ticketed

Why attend?

What to expect for 2025

150+

Attendees to meet each year

15+

Exhibitors to meet each year

30+

Speakers

75%

Attendees at Director+ level

150+

Attendees to meet each year

15+

Exhibitors to meet each year

30+

Speakers

75%

Attendees at Director+ level

Find out what you could be a part of:

Agenda

  • 24 Sep 2025
  • 25 Sep 2025
Expand All

Streams

Stream one

Stream A: Non-alcoholic Drinks

Stream two

Stream B: Non-alcoholic Beers and Spirits

11:30 AM

How low and no alcohol beers meet the needs of health-conscious consumers

  • Why both low and no alcohol beers is needed in the market
  • Understanding the mindset of the low and no alcohol consumer
  • Will consumers under the legal drinking age be able to drink no alcohol beers in the future?
  • Premiumisation – does consumer perception change when drinking low and no alcohol beers?

12 PM

Available for sponsorship

Potential topic

Innovation in glass packaging

  • Why glass packaging is better at communicating a premium product
  • Is glass packaging a sustainable product?
  • The potential for recycling glass packaging

Enhancing the consumer experience through glass packaged premium products

12:30 PM

Working with on-trade to promote premium non-alcoholic drinks

  • How can brands work more effectively with on-trade partners to communicate the benefits and qualities of non-alcoholic spirits
  • Meeting the needs of consumers wanting non-alcoholic spirits
  • Educating the market on the premium qualities of non-alcoholic spirits

1 PM

Lunch and networking

2 PM

Available for sponsorship

Potential topic

Recycling in the closure industry

  • Transforming waste materials into new products and solutions
  • Creating new products that are environmentally friendly
  • End-of-life products: how bottle packaging can be reused in creative ways

2:30 PM

No, low, lower and now ‘mid’ – exactly what is the difference, do these descriptors matter and what’s next?

  • Where are we with the low alcohol descriptors? What are these and why shouldn’t we use them on soft drinks?
  • The importance of ‘lower’ options in the growth of low and no.
  • What is mid-strength? Is this the right time to introduce a new descriptor or is this just another way to say ‘lower’?
  • What’s next for the low and no sector?

3 PM

Available for sponsorship

Potential topic

Effective brand protection

  • Effective anti-counterfeiting solution can protect a brand and deliver value at the same time
  • Using AI technology to locate and raid counterfeited products in the market

3:30 PM

Afternoon refreshments and networking

8:15 AM

Registration and refreshments

8:50 AM

Chair’s opening remarks

Senior representative, GlobalData

9 AM

The future of key categories – how are non-alcoholic beverages evolving

  • Reviewing which categories have performed the best
  • Analysing consumer demand for key categories
  • What is driving the shift in consumer preferences?
  • Future outlook - how will key categories evolve to meet consumer needs

9:30 AM

Available for sponsorship

Potential topic

Nutrition: meeting the needs of modern-day consumers

  • Understanding the nutritional requirements of today’s on-the-go consumers
  • What do consumers look for in a meal replacement drink?
  • What key health-related ingredients do consumers look for in drinks

10 AM

Keynote: ACTIPH Water

10:30 AM

Dragons’ Den: Innovation In Products And Services

A highlight of the 2025 programme, a selection of companies will be invited to pitch their innovations to the industry. Companies will be carefully vetted to ensure they are recognized leaders with cutting-edge products and services. Delegates will benefit from learning about recent innovations at the forefront of the industry.

 

Available for sponsorship: Each company will have the opportunity to deliver a one-minute pitch.

11 AM

Morning refreshments

11:30 AM

Innovations in the fruit juice category

  • How are low sugar juices performing?
  • Alternative products for the traditional consumer
  • Additional ingredients and potential health benefits
  • Latest trends in fruit juice flavourings
  • What consumers are looking for in this category

12 PM

Available for sponsorship

Potential topic

Colourings for beverages

  • Understanding how beverage selection is increasingly influenced by the colour
  • Make your beverages naturally attractive by using colours created entirely from fruits, vegetables and edible plants
  • Looking at recent applications in sparkling drinks, fruit juices, smoothies and water

12:30 PM

Case study: What’s new in energy drinks

  • Development of new flavours through new ingredients
  • Promoting health benefits – how to change the consumer mindset
  • The latest in zero sugar energy drinks
  • What new ingredients can we expect to see in future energy drinks

 

1 PM

Lunch and networking

2 PM

Available for sponsorship

Potential topic

Innovations in flavour and specialty ingredients

  • Exploring innovative new ingredients for non-alcoholic beverages
  • Unique and differentiating tastes and scents that delight consumers
  • What’s new in aroma chemicals
  • New natural botanical extracts
  • What’s new in flavours

2:30 PM

How soft drinks continuously innovate to appeal to consumers

  • Ensuring consumers stay engaged with your brand
  • How to reinvent a classic so that it continues to attract consumer’s attention
  • Introducing new packaging and flavourings to revitalise a product and brand
  • Leveraging your sustainability initiatives to promote a clean green image

3 PM

Available for sponsorship

Potential topic

Innovation in plant-based and all natural ingredients

  • What’s new in caffeine-free beverages
  • Replacing sugar with healthy natural sweeteners
  • The health benefits of plant-based ingredients

3:30 PM

Afternoon refreshments and networking

4 PM

Spotlight: Case study from McCormick

4:15 PM

Case study: How sparkling tea is taking on ‘Champagne moments’

  • Introducing a relatively new category, a breakout product that has become phenomenally successful very quickly
  • Benefits of fermented tea
  • What makes Real Sparkling Fermented Tea unique
  • Understanding the consumers and trends driving demand for sparkling fermented tea

4:45 PM

Spotlight: Available for sponsorship

5 PM

The latest consumer trends and preferences in non-alcoholic beverages

  • Understanding the consumer mindset - Eastern Europe versus Western Europe
  • Consumer trends and preferences in the Middle East
  • Forecasted growth of low and non-alcoholic spirits, beers and RTD cocktails
  • Recent boom in plant-based drinks
  • How has the consumer purchasing habits evolved - on versus off trade?

5:30 PM

Chairman’s closing comments

5:40 PM

Drinks reception

6:40 PM

End of day one

8:15 AM

Registration and refreshments

8:50 AM

Chair’s opening remarks

9 AM

Keynote: Introducing a new non-alcoholic functional drink

  • Insight into how we are approaching in-market product-market fit testing and brand/consumer relevance building
  • Consumer feedback: First positive reactions and early learnings
  • Launching products in an emerging market segment

9:40 AM

Available for sponsorship

Potential topic

Advancements in natural sweeteners - what flavours do consumers want?

  • Enhancing flavour in low/no alcoholic and sugar reduced beverages through: natural sweeteners, rare sugars, bulking agents, texturisers and organic acids
  • Using artificial and non-artificial low-calorie sweeteners
  • Recent developments in additives - additional ingredients that can enhance flavour and experience
  • What future innovations can we expect to see in sweeteners

10:10 AM

Case study: Tackling the sustainability challenge

  • Sustainability and recycling initiatives undertaken by leading brands
  • Ensuring a circular supply chain: how are brands recycling and reusing materials?
  • Understanding how a brands sustainability credentials influences consumer decision making
  • Meeting legal requirements in different markets and regions

10:40 AM

Morning refreshments and networking

11:10 AM

Speaker hosted roundtables

Interactive roundtable sessions offer a unique opportunity to come together with your peers to share best practice and develop solutions to critical challenges facing the industry as a whole. Hosted by industry experts and each focused on a single issue, roundtables are an exciting, interactive way to build your personal network and learn from the experience and expertise of others.

Each roundtable session lasts for 40 minutes and delegates may attend up to 2 roundtables.

Available for sponsorship

POTENTIAL TOPICS

  1. Stevia Innovation in Non-alcoholic Drinks  Explore the potential of plant-based stevia flavour modifiers, sweeteners and integrated solutions.  Learn how stevia delivers deep sugar reduction across product categories.
  1. Consumer Engagement Through New Digital Technologies Digital recognition technologies such as QR codes and NFC tags can be applied to reusable water bottles or glasses and used as powerful marketing and business management tools. By analysing consumption data, brands can benefit from greater efficiency in system management.
  1. Eco-Packaging Innovations Brands are switching to more sustainable and eco-friendly packaging to ensure they meet consumer demand for sustainable products. Innovation in low carbon packaging is key to helping brands lower their carbon footprint. Learn about the latest innovations in eco-packaging, the future of sustainable packaging and the technologies that are helping brands make a positive and definitive change to its carbon footprint.
  1. Blurred Lines In The Non-Alc. Space
  • The effect of social changes and changing consumer attitudes
  • Is alcohol now viewed as an ingredient?

 

12:30 PM

Lunch and networking

1:30 PM

Available for sponsorship

Potential topic

Ingredients for the rising functional beverage industry

  • How functional beverages offer convenient ways to support consumer lifestyle and wellness goals
  • Latest innovations in functional ingredients beverage formulations

2 PM

Case study: How a brand has successfully launched and scaled their business

  • Identifying commercial opportunities in a crowded market
  • Ensuring the brand heritage and key values are communicated in the new product
  • Analysing social occasions and customer experiences
  • Reviewing customer feedback and commercial success

2:30 PM

Available for sponsorship

Potential topic

Recent advancements in PET plastic bottles

  • Understanding the pros and cons: how does PET bottles meet your sustainability goals
  • Manufacturing PET bottles in an environmentally friendly way
  • Recycling PET bottles and how they are perceived by consumers

3 PM

Afternoon refreshments and networking

3:30 PM

Panel discussion: Crystal ball gazing – the future of state of mind drinks

  • Exploring consumer’s demand for state of mind drinks: Relax, Focus, Energy, Mood, Productivity
  • How functional drinks promote health
  • Latest developments in nootropics
  • The future of key ingredients: Caffeine, sugar, botanicals, CBD, BCAA amino acids and others
  • What is the future of CBD in drinks?

4 PM

Chairman’s closing comments

4:10 PM

End of conference

Plan Your Visit

Venue

Hilton London Bankside

2-8 Great Suffolk St, London SE1 0UG

Guests can make bookings at Hilton London Bankside for the nights of September the 23rd and 24th 2025. To secure a booking at our group's preferred rate, please click 'book your stay' below. The deadline to book your room is the 4th August 2025.

Sponsors

Select a sponsor to learn more

Lead Sponsor

Roundtable Sponsors

Spotlight Sponsors

Exhibitors

Networking Sponsors

Media Centre

MEDIA PARTNERS

Become A Partner

Enquiry

Contact Us

SPONSORSHIP ENQUIRIES

Ben Gemmell

Head of Consumer Portfolio

+44 207 661 8841

SPEAKER ENQUIRIES

Alfred Mani

Conference Producer

+44 (0)20 4540 7582

MARKETING ENQUIRIES

Madelayne Goodall

Marketing Manager

SPONSORSHIP ENQUIRIES

To enquire about sponsorship opportunities for the conference, please contact:

Ben Gemmell

Head of Consumer Portfolio


+(44) 207 661 8841

SPEAKER Enquiries

To enquire about speaking opportunities for the conference, please contact:

Alfred Mani

Conference Producer


+44 (0)20 4540 7582