For the past 35 years, Nightclub & Bar Show in Las Vegas has been the nation’s largest expo for bar and restaurant professionals to gain insight into trends, attend talks and workshops, develop relationships with suppliers, and discover industry-disrupting products. The show offers up over 400 suppliers showcasing everything from wine, beer, and spirits to innovative bar and kitchen equipment and new POS technology.
It’s time to book tickets for the next installment, coming June 22 to June 24, 2020. A bonus: VinePair readers will get $30 off the ticket price with promo code VINEPAIR.
The massive Las Vegas Convention Center, located less than a mile away from the Strip, transforms into the lively Nightclub & Bar Show expo hall. The space is broken up into different zones — including the F&B Innovation Center, Sports Bar, Wine Café, and NxT — where you can experience everything from food and beverage tastings to talks with leading industry experts like Naren Young, Linden Pride, Sammy Hagar, Damon Wayans Jr., and Kris Jones. These conversations will cover important topics like employee health and wellness, minimum wage, and raising capital for new businesses. Also on the docket: offsite tours and bootcamps in some of Las Vegas’s most impressive locales.
The expo kicks off with the Food Festival Welcome Party, with local food trucks, live entertainment, and beverages from sponsors, including White Claw and Heineken, and the party continues.
At the center of the 2020 Nightclub & Bar Show will be NxT (pronounced “next”), an area dedicated to what’s next in the beverage industry. At NxT, attendees can get to know the newest products on the market, including non- and low-alcohol drinks and cannabis-infused beverages, while enjoying live music and playing games like beer pong and corn hole. Don’t miss power talks from industry disruptors on the NxT Stage.
This year will also feature a Sports Bar hosted by Bob Peters of Creative Cocktails & Consulting LLC. This experiential bar is where attendees can taste new recipes and test out equipment, including glassware, refrigerators, and bar accessories. Here, mixologists and industry suppliers will also highlight ways to grow and improve bar business.
Over in the Wine Cafe, show-goers can sample reds, whites, and sparkling wines from around the world, while getting an inside look at new canned wine products, lesser-known wine varieties, and Wineemotion’s wine dispenser and preservation system (deemed the “Wine Wall”).
The F&B Innovation Center is full of cutting-edge kitchen equipment from companies that include The Middleby Corporation and Vito Fryfilter, among others, which can help simplify and streamline bar and restaurant operations, along with live demos from industry experts and chef meet-and-greets. Don’t miss the F&B Innovation Center’s mixology training workshop, or the Center’s panel discussion on up-and-coming culinary trends featuring chef Brian Duffy, founder of the consulting firm Duffified Experience Group.
The three-day lineup of over 70 talks, panels, bootcamps, workshops, off-site trainings, and industry parties might be a little overwhelming. To make things easier VinePair culled the conference program for what are sure to be the most insightful beverage-focused talks and trainings this year. Here are the five to be sure to have a seat at:
The Rise of Zero-Proof & Low-ABV Drinks
From Aperol Spritzes to session beers, low-proof and zero-proof drinks are an industry trend that continues to build steam. Co-founder and VP of tech startup Partender (a bar inventory system), Anjali Kundra, and Armon Noori, lead bartender of Wynn Las Vegas’s Encore Beach Club, will discuss how to incorporate alcohol-free and low-ABV drinks into bar and restaurant menus in a way that will not only elevate the guest experience, but simultaneously generate revenue.
The Anti-Waste Era: Drink Like You Give a F*ck
Trash Tiki bartenders Kelsey Ramage and Iain Griffiths have opened the eyes of the bar world with their sustainably minded way of working. In this seminar, they’ll go deep on how to reduce waste while increasing your bottom line. “This is about so much more than replacing plastic straws [to save] turtles and having a few recipes on your menu that reuse ingredients,” they explain. They’ll outline their methods of squeezing flavor and profit out of ingredients that are typically tossed out.
How to Create an Approachable & Profitable Wine Program Using Data & Professional Insights
Join VinePair CEO Adam Teeter and David Foss, managing partner of Brooklyn’s LaLou wine bar as they discuss how to create a fun and easy wine program that’s not intimidating to your guests. Topics will include how to train a staff to talk about wines tableside and how to curate an approachable wine program that’s profitable for your business..
Mixology Training I & II
Head over to one of the world’s most advanced beverage training facilities, The Academy Room at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, to explore the latest in mixology trends. During the training, world-renowned mixologists will discuss what’s next in the world of cocktails with tips on how to execute an impressive and effective beverage program.
Risky Business: The Systems for Beating the Odds in the Bar Business
The bar business has never been more competitive than it is right now. In this information-packed workshop, hospitality coach Sean Finter reveals the key to making your bar financially successful. Finter explains the basics of calculating and tracking costs, hidden profit killers to look out for, and how to create a healthy work culture to attract and retain staff.
For more information on the Nightclub & Bar Show, or to buy tickets, visit ncbshow.com. Remember! VinePair readers will get $30 off their ticket price with promo code VINEPAIR.
This article is sponsored by the Nightclub & Bar Show.
