BCB × Park Street University: a long-standing partnership, back on the show floor for our 20th anniversary
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Bar Convent Berlin celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2026, and we’re delighted to continue our long-standing partnership with Park Street University (PSU). PSU is a leading education platform for the global spirits industry, giving beverage alcohol professionals market insights and practical guidance through articles, podcasts, video and live programming.
As BCB’s business education partner, PSU will once again curate and host its own stage in Hall 20 from 12 to 14 October. It will run ten sessions for beverage alcohol founders, brand leaders and distributors, in a mix of presentation and roundtable formats with live Q&A. All sessions are recorded, so attendees can revisit them afterwards. The sessions address everything from market entry and growth strategy to innovation and category trends, with particular focus this year on AI and innovation, generational shifts in consumer behaviour and the RTD category.
Here are three of those sessions to put on your list, along with PSU content to explore before the show.
RTD Reimagined: Where the category goes next
13 October, 1:30–2:30 pm · BCB × Park Street University Stage, Hall 20
RTDs remain one of the few growth stories in beverage alcohol, but the easy wins are gone. Shelves are crowded, competition is sharper, and the brands that last will be the ones built to endure.
This session aims to give a clear, current read on where the category is heading, whether you’re already in RTD or deciding if it’s worth the investment. It tackles four questions:
- Where is consumer demand for RTDs actually pointing right now?
- Which formats have already stalled?
- What is genuinely working for independent brands today?
- How are the industry’s largest companies investing in the format?
Go deeper with PSU
- Heather Boyd on Suntory Global Spirits’ RTD innovation strategy: a global supplier’s view of the category — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVzGdSBZXcU&t=1s
- What It Takes: Surfside CEO Clement Pappas — https://www.parkstreet.com/what-it-takes-surfside-ceo-clement-pappas/
- What It Takes: BuzzBallz CEO and founder Merrilee Kick — https://www.parkstreet.com/what-it-takes-buzzballz-ceo-founder-merrilee-kick/
AI, flavor, and design: How new innovations are redefining spirits
12 October, 2:30–3:30 pm · BCB × Park Street University Stage, Hall 20
Innovation in spirits used to mean a new bottle shape or a limited release. Today it works on four layers at once:
- AI reshaping product development and supply chains
- Advances in production and at the liquid level
- Packaging shifts driven by sustainability
- New routes that bring product straight to the consumer
This session maps the layers of innovation in the beverage industry, separating where AI is actually being deployed in a meaningful way from where it’s just a buzzword, what’s genuinely new in production and packaging, and which new go-to-market approaches are actually gaining traction.
Go deeper with PSU
- AI in Spirits: The Tools and Strategies Every Brand Needs to Know (Expert Talks): how AI is already earning its place in day-to-day brand-building — https://www.parkstreet.com/ai-in-spirits-the-tools-and-strategies-every-brand-needs-to-know-expert-talks/
- A Blueprint for Smart Spirits Innovation: a founder’s framework for developing products people actually want — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glAw9DZHAzU
The State of the Spirits industry heading into 2027
12 October, 1:00–2:00 pm · BCB × Park Street University Stage, Hall 20
Scaling a spirits brand looks nothing like the growth chart everyone pitches to investors. There’s no single move that gets a brand to the next level. It’s usually a handful of specific strategies, executed well and at the right time.
In this session, industry leaders each take the stage for a focused presentation on one high-impact growth strategy. The questions include:
- What does a sales playbook that holds up as volume increases look like?
- How should a brand choose the right route to market for its current stage?
- What does it take to keep distributor and account relationships working under real growth pressure?
- How can brands capitalise on the core trends and shifts shaping the market today to position themselves for long-term growth?
Go deeper with PSU
- What the World’s Top Bartenders Want: How Brands Can Land Placements and Win the On-Premise in 2026 — https://open.spotify.com/episode/7c9S3hm21eGnn0gj4HHrVv?si=vQSZcPy6Sd2hm-z7Fs71bA
- Pernod Ricard on 2026 Spirits Trends: Why Premiumization Is Here to Stay — https://youtu.be/KHlPGVtbD88?si=j4HkiG7wokmQtV9u
- Beyond the Headlines: A Data-Driven Look at the State of the Spirits Industry — https://www.parkstreet.com/beyond-the-headlines-a-data-driven-look-at-the-state-of-the-spirits-industry/
- Roundup of Mergers and Acquisitions in 2026 So Far — https://www.parkstreet.com/roundup-of-mergers-and-acquisitions-in-2026-so-far/
Plan your BCB 2026
Bar Convent Berlin takes place from 12 to 14 October at Exhibition Centre Berlin. The PSU stage is in Hall 20. Check the full programme to plan your days, and start with the PSU resources above to arrive with the context already in hand
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