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- UK Soft Drinks Conference 2023
UK Soft Drinks Conference 2023
For over 20 years, Zenith Global’s annual UK Soft Drinks Conference has brought together senior industry producers, suppliers, retailers, innovators, opinion formers and advisers to provide the fullest possible one day overview of the latest developments, issues and opportunities, alongside extensive networking. In association with British Soft Drinks Association.
About the event
Zenith Global's annual UK Soft Drinks Conference is the industry's leading annual forum to hear about the latest market developments, explore emerging trends, debate key issues and network with other business leaders.
The 2023 programme will feature a series of presentations from industry leaders, experts, retailers and innovators sharing exclusive insights from the past 12 months, alongside interactive panel discussions where delegates can put forward their questions and participate in polling. The 2023 InnoBev Awards will also be presented in an awards ceremony at the end of the day.
Dedicated networking breaks will enable attendees to build new connections, with an expected audience comprised of 160-200 senior industry managers, innovators, retailers, suppliers, opinion formers and advisers.
The 'Innovator marketplace' will offer brand companies the opportunity to showcase their beverages free of charge in display fridges for all attendees to discover and taste.
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Speakers include
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Tuesday 16 May
Daisy Frecklington, Consumer Insight Director for Kantar Worldpanel
Paul Graham, GB Managing Director of Britvic and President of British Soft Drinks Association
joined by
Natalie Tomlinson, Soft Drinks Buying Manager for Asda
Rachel Scott, Senior Global Brand Manager for Innocent Drinks
Caroline Bethell, Managing Director – Europe for Ocean Spray Europe
Alan Eriksen, Group Insights and Product Development Director for Princes
Caroline Wilding, Head of Marketing – Juices for Tropicana Brands Group
Refreshments and networking
David Gell, Policy Lead – Deposit Return Schemes at Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Liz Nieboer, Head of Sustainability and External Affairs for Suntory Beverage & Food Europe
joined by
Sam Gold, Public Affairs Manager for British Soft Drinks Association
Donald McCalman, Programme Director of Circularity Scotland
Mike Harding, Commercial Director – UK Beverages for PepsiCo
Lisa Hughes, Vice President – Strategy, Insights and Transformation, for Coca-Cola Europacific Partners
Panel discussion
Lunch and networking
Robin Shuker, Chief Executive Officer of Field Agent UK
Sarah Lawson, Head of Marketing – Soft Drinks for SHS Drinks
Sarah Baldwin, Chief Executive Officer of Purity Soft Drinks
Mark Livings, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Lyre’s
Panel discussion
Olivia Ferdi, Co-founder of TRIP
Simon Gray, Founder and Chief Energising Officer of Boost Drinks
Jim Cregan, Founder of Jimmy’s Iced Coffee
Olivia Ferdi, Co-founder of TRIP
Refreshment and networking
Rose Bax, Founder of Bax Botanics
Josh Tarlo, Founder of Headstand
Freya Twigden, Founder of Fix8
Ian Webb, Commercial Director of Smart Soda
Andrew Gibb, Founder & Managing Director of Coldpress Foods
Questions and discussion
Presentation of 2023 InnoBev Awards winners
Drinks reception
Close
Speakers
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Natalie Tomlinson
Soft Drinks Buying Manager for Asda
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Rose Bax
Co-founder of Bax Botanics
Entrepreneur Rose has worked with flavours for many years, creating recipes using wild & cultivated plants. In 2019 she put her skills into alcohol-free drinks seeing a space for drinks that taste fantastic and are made with Organic, Fairtrade herbs.
Rose’s early career was in the design world, painting flowers and the outdoors were strong influences on her as the Yorkshire countryside was on her doorstep. Eating a plant-based diet from her teens, meant flavours were always important. In 2006 Rose co-launched Taste the Wild where she inspired with recipes for 15 years, ultimately leading to the creation of Bax Botanics.
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Simon Gray
Founder and Chief Energising Officer of Boost Drinks
Simon established Boost Drinks in 2001 to Energise Everybody in Every way, with a dual mission of supplying consumers with functional drinks that taste great and are excellent value for money..
Since the launch of the brand’s first 1L PET bottle in 2001, Boost Drinks has gone from strength to strength. Today, Boost Drinks is recognised as the only brand to operate in four functional categories – Energy Stimulation, Isotonic Sports, Ready-to-drink Iced Coffee, and Protein Shakes. Where stocked, Boost Drinks is the #3 largest selling functional drinks brand. As the #3 largest selling Energy Stimulation brand and #2 largest selling in Sports and RTD Iced Coffee, Boost Drinks holds a leading position across all the categories which it operates in.
Towards the end of 2022, Boost Drinks was acquired by A.G Barr plc, the long-established drinks company well known for acquiring and developing attractive brands. As part of Boost Drinks’ ambitious development plans, the acquisition marks an incredibly exciting time for the leading functional drinks brand, placing Boost Drinks in an even stronger position to take advantage of several exciting growth opportunities on the horizon.
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Sam Gold
Public Affairs Manager for British Soft Drinks Association
Sam Gold is the Public Affairs Manager at the British Soft Drinks Association, the national trade association representing the collective interests of producers and manufacturers of soft drinks.
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Paul Graham
Managing Director of Britvic and President of British Soft Drinks Association
Following a variety of commercial roles at both United Biscuits and Mars Confectionery, Paul Graham joined Britvic as GB General Manager in September 2012.
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Donald McCalman
Programme Director of Circularity Scotland
Donald has been in leadership roles on the DRS programme since he joined Zero Waste Scotland in early 2019 to develop the initial operating model for the Scheme Administrator and support the final legislation development.
Prior to joining Zero Waste Scotland Donald spent 13 years at BT and Openreach, delivering key roles including enterprise risk responsibilities for the Openreach Board, transformation projects in the public and private sector, and strategic business development. He has held a wide ranges of consultancy and delivery roles, and started his post university career fixing electronic data acquisition systems on a seismic boat.
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Lisa Hughes
Vice President – Strategy, Insights and Transformation, for Coca-Cola Europacific Partners
Lisa’s career has spanned industry and consulting, in various positions but always focused on putting insight at the heart of growing businesses.
Lisa went on to run her own freelance business working with the big 4 and strategy houses on consulting engagements across Consumer Businesses. She spent the past 10 years in consulting and latterly at CCEP generating cut-through insights enabling C-suite and leadership teams to make choices to inform their strategy and then cascading those strategies into business plans and priorities.
Lisa is originally from County Durham but now lives in Surrey with her retired guide dog Harriet.
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Andrew Gibb
Founder & Managing Director of Coldpress Foods
Andrew Gibb is the Founder and Managing Director of Coldpress®, the UK’s first and leading cold pressed / HPP (High Pressure Processing) juice brand, launched in 2011.
Andrew is a global pioneer in HPP juices, prior to Coldpress in 2008 he founded Preshafruit® juices in Australia, one of world’s very first HPP / cold pressed juice brands. In 2009 Preshafruit® was voted best new juice and beverage concept at World Beverage Innovation Awards in Germany.
Since launch in 2011 Coldpress® have won numerous awards and have dominated HPP juice innovation in the UK / European juice market:
2011 – UK’s first HPP juices, Foodbev.com Best Innovator Award
2012 – UK’s first take home HPP juice range, The Grocery Magazine Best New Adult Drink Winner
2013/4 – UK’s first HPP fruit smoothies – The Grocer Magazine New Product Awards Highly Commended
2015 -First take home HPP fruit and vegetable juices, first private label HPP juices for Tesco
2016 – First dairy free, fruit and nut milk HPP beverages, LSA Magazine France, Best International FMCG award
2017 – World’s first HPP fruit and sparkling water beverage (healthy soft drink) and cold pressed fruit and coconut water
2020 – Best Juice / juice drink World Beverage Innovation Awards
2022 - The Grocer Magazine New Product Awards Highly Commended
Coldpress® is stocked in over 3,500 outlets in the UK and we export to 14 countries, our goal is to be the world’s first global HPP brand and the most efficient HPP juice producer in the world.
We are on a mission to democratise juices, to ensure the taste and nutritional benefits of cold pressed juices are available to all juice and beverage consumers.
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David Gell
Policy Lead for Deposit Return Schemes at Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
David is the Defra policy lead for the introduction of a deposit return scheme for drinks containers.
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Robin Shuker
Chief Executive Officer of Field Agent UK
Robin Shuker is the Founder and CEO Field Agent UK Ltd. part of Field Agent Inc. global leaders in crowdsourced Real Time Shopper Insight and Retail Audits. He started his career in advertising working for major agencies in the London and Sydney.
We work with major brands and retailers to help them better understand how people are shopping, what they are buying and why? Their feedback includes Videos and Photos bringing their experience in store to life.
To support Online Sales, we have launched Buy Try & Review, where customers buy your products and rate them in Online Reviews.
In preparation for the conference Field Agent recently conducted a survey to 500 shoppers and then 100 follow-up store visits in Asda, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Tesco looking at how shoppers choose what soft drinks to buy and why.
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Freya Twigden
Founder of Fix8
Freya is the founder of Fix8 Kombucha and Fibe Prebiotic Soda. After graduating from Edinburgh University with a First Class degree in Politics, she quickly eschewed a career in the city in the pursuit of spreading gut-health through soft drinks.
Since launch, Fix8 Kombucha has become known for it’s delicious taste, bold-branding and science-backed probiotics. Available across the UK in Waitrose, Ocado, Planet Organic amongst other independent retailers.
More recently, Freya launched Fibe Prebiotic Soda – which combines that ‘classic’ soda taste, with 5g fibre per can for optimal gut-health benefits. The aim with Fibe is to bring more soda drinkers into functional health beyond just kombucha.
As a qualified yoga teacher, she is passionate about combining her love of food, drink, and wellness with a positive purpose. Alongside Fix8 and Fibe, Freya is currently studying Nutrition and Public Health at the University of Westminster.
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Josh Tarlo
Founder of Headstand
After 20 years as a coffee roaster working with farmers all around the world Josh created Headstand, a coffee leaf seltzer.
Brewed coffee leaf has been around for centuries but until recently there has never been a way for consumers to try this part of the plant we love. Tasting like a rich black tea that's full of antioxidants by harvesting coffee leaf we can double the income a producer makes from every tree. An important feat when almost half of coffee farmers live below the UN poverty line.
Josh will be speaking about coffee leaf and how it will be a critical part of the next generation of coffee.
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Rachel Scott
Senior Global Brand Manager for Innocent Drinks
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Jim Cregan
Director of Jimmy's Iced Coffee
At 27, Jim ditched his rain soaked labouring job and headed to Oz for the road trip of a lifetime. Little did he know that a stop at a petrol station would change the course of his life.
Back on home soil and totally put off by the sickly sweet Iced Coffee offering in stores, he set out with his sister Sooz on a mission to create a truly refreshing range of RTD Iced Coffee. Using their strapline ‘Keep Your Chin Up’, bags of enthusiasm and simple common sense, they bleeped their first Iced Coffee through the tills of Selfridges on April 7th 2011. Fast forward 12 years, a Jimmy’s is sold every 2.5 seconds, 24/7.
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Daisy Frecklington
Consumer Insight Director for Kantar
Daisy has seven years of experience in shopper and consumer insights, partnering with FMCG businesses to explore strategic issues using the power of behavioural data.
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Mark Livings
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Lyre’s Spirit Co
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Caroline Bethell
Managing Director of Ocean Spray
I am a Cranberry lover! Having worked for the last 10 years on building the Ocean Spray International brand and business in Europe, I now consider myself a Cranberry fanatic!
My career started in Insight, followed by Consumer Marketing and Brand-Building for Unilever where I contributed to the successful real Women Dove campaign. After a few years at Coca-Cola Entreprises as Marketing and Franchise Branding Manager, I then joined the Ocean Spray team as EMEA Marketing Director.
As Ocean Spray International European Managing Director for the last 3 years, I have built a strong team, embracing different cultures and different markets. A true European role which has given me a strong knowledge and understanding of the Juice and Soft drinks Markets.
15 years’ experience in FMCG has taught me to be humble in consumer insight, impatient for change and ambitious for profitable growth.
On a more private note, I am also mum to 3 wonderful teenagers who keep me on my toes when not at work!
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Mike Harding
Commercial Director – UK Beverages for PepsiCo
Mike has over 15 years’ experience in GB soft drinks working across all sub categories for companies including GSK, Suntory and PepsiCo and on brands such as Pepsi, 7UP, Ribena, Lucozade and Highland Spring.
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Alan Eriksen
Group Insights and Product Development Director for Princes
Alan has spent 17 years working in FMCG, predominantly within Brand Marketing, Innovation and Consumer Insight.
Having held several Brand Marketing roles with Princes Group, Alan spent four years as Marketing Director, working across a wide portfolio of Brands as well as implementing a centralised Innovation team and function.
Alan's current role as Insights and Product Development Director ensures Consumer Insight is central to the Princes Food and Drink Innovation agenda for both our Brands and Customer Own Brands.
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Sarah Baldwin
Chief Executive Officer of Purity Soft Drinks
Sarah Baldwin is chief executive at Purity Soft Drinks, the drinks manufacturing business behind JUICEBURST and Firefly.
The business has seen its revenue grow substantially over the last two years, with its fruit juice brand JUICEBURST growing nine times faster than the overall soft drinks market, whilst its botanical drinks brand Firefly is growing at three times the pace of the soft drinks market.
Sarah herself has more than 25 years’ experience in the food and drinks sector and has worked at leading brands including Arla Foods, KP Foods, Asda and GÜ Puds, where she was managing director before taking the role of CEO at Purity Soft Drinks in 2018. Sarah also sits on the Board of the British Soft Drinks Association.
As CEO at Purity Soft Drinks, Sarah is squarely focused on helping the business navigate through a challenging inflationary landscape so it can continue the build on the strong growth it has enjoyed so far across its retail and food service channels under her guidance.
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Sarah Lawson
Head of Marketing – Soft Drinks for SHS Drinks
Sarah joined SHS Drinks in August 2021 as the Head of Marketing for their soft drinks portfolio.
“Moving to the SHS drinks business was an easy choice for me as they have some amazing, quality brands, focused on taste and all with authentic heritage and back stories. We are passionate as a business about delighting consumers – something that I am also personally driven by and that is at the heart of all that we do in marketing”.
Sarah has worked in FMCG marketing for over 15 years, starting her career in dairy at MÜller and moving into snacking at Tyrrells & KP Snacks prior to SHS Drinks.
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Ian Webb
Commercial Director of Smart Soda
Ian has extensive experience in the water and drinks industry. Graduating in Hotel Management, he enjoyed a career in hospitality before entering the drinks sector.
In 2021 he helped set up Smart Soda UK, a division of Smart Soda Inc based in Cleveland, Ohio. As well as being a director and shareholder in the UK he is also a main board advisor and shareholder in the US company.
He is married to Fiona, a college director, and has three children; a TV Producer, an accountant and a vegan sustainability consultant. All of whom try and keep him on his environmental and social media toes!
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Liz Nieboer
Head of Sustainability and External Affairs for Suntory Beverage & Food Europe
Liz is a senior communications professional with over 20 years corporate, sustainability and consumer communications experience, gained both as an external consultant and in-house, working for some of the world’s leading brands.
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Olivia Ferdi
Co-founder of TRIP
Olivia Ferdi is the co-founder of TRIP, the UK’s fastest growing soft drinks brand & Europe’s #1 CBD brand, on a mission to share calm in the everyday chaos – and transform the way the world deals with stress and mental well-being -
After a career in law at Allen & Overy LLP and Farfetch, Olivia launched TRIP in 2019 with her husband and co-founder, Daniel Khoury. Olivia and Daniel discovered CBD after a transformative personal experience in 2018 and were so moved by its positive effects that they wanted to share it with the world. Since then, TRIP has introduced millions of people to their first CBD experience.
Featured in Vogue, described as "Glossier for CBD" by Dazed magazine - TRIP's range of CBD infused drinks and wellbeing products are crafted to support daily stress and anxiety.
Harnessing plant-power, TRIP is sold in the most prestigious bars and restaurants, globally, including Soho House and wellness destinations including Boots.
Sold in 20,000 stores nationwide and owning 88% market share of CBD drinks, TRIP is well on the way to becoming the global leader in next generation wellness.
At the front and centre of rising trends in wellness, functionality and alcohol alternatives TRIP, aims to become a world leading well-being brand.
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Caroline Wilding
Head of Marketing – Juices for Tropicana Brands Group
Caroline joined the brands, formerly under PepsiCo, in 2017. In 2022, PepsiCo and PAI Partners formed a joint venture and Tropicana Brands Group was founded.
Caroline’s career started at L’Oréal where she spent 5 years in brand and shopper marketing. In 2010 she joined Kao Brands, helping to establish the digital marketing blueprint for John Frieda which earned her Power 100 Nxt Gen recognition by Campaign Magazine. In 2013 she relocated to Germany where she was responsible for Kao’s B2C and B2B beauty brands across Russia, Middle East, and Eastern Europe. Caroline has a degree in Commerce with French from the University of Birmingham and the Sorbonne University, Paris. In her personal life, Caroline spends far too much time seeking out inspiration on Instagram and Pinterest for her house renovation project!
Innovator marketplace
The Innovator marketplace is your opportunity to display and promote your products to all conference attendees and gain valuable first-hand feedback from industry experts and your peers.
Delegates can sign up to feature their product(s) in our sampling fridges and on a table display within the networking foyer.
This free of charge opportunity is available to event attendees on a first-come, first-served basis.
Reasons to sign up:
- Enhance brand visibility: Gain valuable, high-quality industry exposure by putting your product in the hands of gatekeepers, investors, retailers, buyers and consultants.
- Priceless feedback: Gain valuable feedback on all aspects of your product, including taste, feel and design. Take the opportunity to chat with other industry members about your broader marketing and business approach. Use constructive criticism to your advantage and come away with key ideas and opportunities to help move your product forward.
- Get people talking: Product sampling creates the opportunity for great conversation. Watch and listen as attendees react to and talk about your product. Take notes and see how competitor products are also received.
Please contact us once you have received your booking confirmation for the conference if you would like to take part.
For more information, please contact e events@zenithglobal.com t +44(0)1225 327900
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Attendees
Over 165 attendees have secured their ticket for this year's event, with attendees including
InnoBev Awards 2023
Zenith Global's annual InnoBev Awards celebrate excellence and innovation across all sectors of the global soft drinks industry. Open to entrepreneurs and established brands worldwide, entries are invited in 16 categories, covering innovation, marketing, technology and packaging.
Entries close 24 March 2023. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony during the UK Soft Drinks Conference 2023 on Tuesday 16 May.
AWARD CATEGORIES
- Best Low/No Sugar Drink
- Best Functional Drink
- Best Dairy Drink
- Best Energy Drink
- Best Premium Drink
- Best Low/No Alcohol Drink
- Best in Can
- Best in Carton
- Best in Glass
- Best in PET
- Best Packaging/Label Design
- Best Marketing/Social Media Campaign
- Best Technology Innovation
- Best New Brand
- Best Brand Extension
- Best New Drink Concept
Products can be entered into multiple categories.
For more information, visit the awards page on our website or contact awards@zenithglobal.com
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| Pay by 31 Jan Super saver rate | Pay by 31 Mar Early booking rate | Pay by 16 May Standard booking rate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full event | Per delegate | £575.00 | £625.00 | £695.00 |
| Concession* | £175.00 | £195.00 | £225.00 | |
| Group booking rate (four attendees)** | £1,380.00 | £1,500.00 | £1,650.00 |
Substitutions will be accepted at any time. Cancellations will be subject to £80 + VAT administration charge and cannot be made after 31 March. Bookings are subject to Zenith Global Event Terms and Conditions, available here.
*A concession rate is offered to start-ups and early-stage entrepreneurs. To be eligible, companies must be within two years of formation and with annual sales below £500,000. For more information and to book at this rate, please contact events@zenithglobal.com
**To access our group booking rates (for four or more delegates from the same organisation), please contact events@zenithglobal.com.
e events@zenithglobal.com t +44 (0)1225 327900
Sponsorship
Our event and awards sponsorship packages offer a unique and effective opportunity to showcase your brand and services to a highly relevant audience.
You can choose from our Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze sponsorship packages, or we can create a custom sponsorship package to suit your specific needs and budgetary requirements.
Sponsorship opportunities include:
- Presentation within the main event programme
- Opportunity to host a workshop, roundtable or drinks reception
- Exhibit display in the networking area
- Distribution of marketing material / product samples
- Delegate passes
- Discounted delegate access for your clients
- Branding across event collateral, including stage backdrop, lectern and programme
- Logo on events webpage hyperlinked to your website
- Sponsored email communication to all attendees
- Sponsored social media posts
- Regular mentions in Zenith Global's event marketing and press releases.
For information and pricing, please contact Francesca Hall, Events Director
e fhall@zenithglobal.com t +44 (0)1225 327900
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Venue
The Congress Centre is an ideally located and contemporary venue in the heart of London's West End. It is situated close to Tottenham Court Road underground station, from which you should use exit 3.
Congress Centre, 28 Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS
t +44 (0)20 7467 1318 f +44 (0)207 467 1313
For further details, visit www.congresscentre.co.uk/location
Dress code: Business suit or smart casual
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Accommodation
For delegates looking to book accommodation close by, an allocation of rooms is available at the nearby Bedford Corner Hotel (formerly My Bloomsbury Hotel) at a 15% discounted rate.
Please book online at https://booking.bedfordcornerhotel.com, entering the promo code ZENITH.
Address: 11-13 Bayley Street, London WC1B 3HD
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