- Events
- UK Soft Drinks Conference 2025
UK Soft Drinks Conference 2025
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. Held in association with British Soft Drinks Association.
Sponsors
About the event
The 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 2025 programme will feature 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.
Dedicated networking breaks will enable attendees to build new connections, with an expected audience of 175-225 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.
Speakers
Peverel Manners
Managing Director of Belvoir Farm Drinks
Peverel was educated at Eton College and graduated from Bristol University in 1985 with a degree in Economics and Politics.
In 1988, Peverel joined Rothmans International Tobacco, initially working as a PA to the group CEO. He completed a graduate training programme in Rothmans Australia and progressed to roles including promotions manager and brand manager in Australia. Upon returning to the UK, he served as assistant international brand manager on Dunhill before gaining accounts exposure in the International accounting area, where he authored the strategic plan for the whole group. After transferring to Rothmans UK, he underwent sales training and managed a sales territory in North London for a quarter, before returning to marketing in the UK prior to leaving to work at Belvoir.
In June 1992, Peverel joined his father in their family business, Belvoir Fruit Farms Ltd, which originated from his father’s Pick Your Own fruit farm. By 1992, the business had achieved annual sales of approximately £100,000. Initially serving as the sales manager/director, he became managing director in 1997.
He completed the BGP course at Cranfield Business School in 2003. Under his leadership, net sales have grown organically to over £22 million in 2023, driven by excellent products, innovation, and hard work from a dedicated team. This growth has been guided by a steadfast commitment to the company's vision and purpose.
The vision of the company is "To be the most loved premium soft drinks brand, with sustainability at its heart", while the brand purpose is "To bring natural goodness to people, while nurturing the land and adding to the Belvoir Farm legacy." This legacy encompasses the company's longstanding commitment to the local environment, spanning over 75 years.
Belvoir now sells its products in all major UK supermarkets, produces private label goods, and exports to over 30 different countries. The company anticipates continued sales growth in 2024, founded on the strength of its brand, its people, and its values.
Sam Lush
Category and Shopper Strategy Director at BRITVIC
Pip Brook
Co-founder UK of Fhirst
Pip is Co-Founder UK of the award-winning functional beverage FHIRST Living Soda.
Rebekah Hall
Chief Executive Officer of G Spot
Eoin Keenan
Chief Executive Officer of Goodrays
Eoin Keenan is Co-Founder and CEO of Goodrays, the UK's fastest growing and most effective CBD drinks brand.
Daisy Frecklington
Strategic Insight Director for Kantar
Daisy has eight years of experience in shopper and consumer insights, partnering with FMCG businesses to explore strategic issues using the power of behavioural data.
Mike Harding
Senior Commercial Director, GB&I Beverages at PepsiCo
Dr Alexander Denning
Founder of Progevity
Ciaran Foley
Chief Executive Officer of Re-turn
Ciaran Foley joined Re-turn as Chief Executive in October 2024, with over 30 years’ industry experience as a senior executive.
Prior to joining Re-turn Ciaran was the Managing Director of DHL Supply Chain Ireland, he led an organisation of almost 1000 employees providing logistical solutions for customers across multiple sectors. He established the DHL Supply Chain business as the leader in sustainability for logistics solutions in Ireland and secured an €80m investment for the long-term supply of biomethane to 100% decarbonise DHL’s transport business.
As Supply Chain Director of Tesco Ireland, he oversaw the best-in-class operations across all elements of supply chain and distribution within the company whilst taking on responsibilities for essential KPIs in retail, including waste and shrinkage.
He is also Non-Executive Director at FoodCloud Ireland, the charity that strives to reduce food waste in Ireland and internationally through innovative IT solutions that make excess food from retail outlets and providers available to charities.
William Watkins
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Radnor Hills, President of British Soft Drinks Association
William founded Radnor Hills in 1990 and the company is Wales’ leading soft drinks company.
Radnor is committed to environmental sustainability: it is a zero to landfill site, it recently opened a solar farm to power its manufacturing site, and its environmental management system and site have been certified to ISO 14001 standards.
Its brands include Radnor Spring Water, Radnor Splash, Heartsease Farm, Radnor Fizz and Radnor Fruits. The company produces over 400 million drinks every year. It is the only drinks manufacturer in the UK to produce drinks on site in all four packaging formats – glass, can, PET plastic and Tetra Pak.
Lauren Tredgett
Category Buying Manager - Soft Drinks for Tesco
Huib van Bockel
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Tenzing
Huib van Bockel is founder of TENZING, a 100% natural energising drink and former Head of Marketing at Red Bull in Europe.
Huib van Bockel started career as a management trainee at Unilever where he received 6 years on the job expertise and training. He then moved to MTV Networks and gained invaluable experience in traditional and new (social) media, and was responsible for one of the worlds first social networks.
He is seen as one of the new marketing thought leaders where brands should behave more like publishers then traditional marketers. His book, The Social Brand was published in 2014, a blue print on how to succeed in the new social era.
Huib van Bockel was voted on of the top 100 CMOs by HotTopics (2015), one of the top 100 best marketers (2014, 2015) by Campaign Magazine, one of the top 100 innovators (2015) Marketing Magazine and one of the top 50 Global Social Media Influencers 2016.
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.
Further speakers to be announced
Further speakers to be announced
Speakers include
Tuesday 13 May
William Watkins, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Radnor Hills, President of British Soft Drinks Association
Daisy Frecklington, Consumer Insight Director at Kantar
joined by Olivia Ferdi, Co-founder of TRIP
Mike Harding, Senior Commercial Director GB&I – Franchise Beverages for PepsiCo UK
Lauren Tredgett, Category Buying Manager – Soft Drinks for Tesco
Additional speakers to be announced
Refreshment and networking break
Speaker to be announced
Speaker to be announced
Speaker to be announced
Questions and discussion
Speaker to be announced
Ciaran Foley, Chief Executive Officer of Re-turn, Ireland
joined by Peverel Manners, Managing Director of Belvoir Farm
Lunch and networking
Sam Lush, Category and Shopper Strategy Director for Britvic
Speaker to be announced
Speaker to be announced
Questions and discussion
Huib van Bockel, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Tenzing
Eoin Keenan, Chief Executive Officer of Goodrays
Pip Brook, Co-founder and Head of Brand for Fhirst
Speaker to be announced
Refreshment and networking break
Rebekah Hall, Chief Executive Officer of G Spot
Speaker to be announced
Dr Alexander Denning, Founder of Progevity
Questions and discussion
Presentation of 2025 UK Soft Drinks Awards winners
| Pay by 24 Jan Super saver rate | Pay by 21 Mar Early booking rate | Pay by 13 May Standard booking rate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full event | Per delegate | £625.00 | £675.00 | £725.00 |
| Concession* | £225.00 | £275.00 | £325.00 | |
| Group booking rate (four or more attendees) | £1,590.00 | £1,790.00 | £1,990.00 |
Substitutions: Substitutions are allowed at any time, with no additional charge.
Cancellations: Cancellations are subject to an £80 + VAT administration fee per delegate and must be received by 21 March 2025. Unfortunately, cancellations cannot be processed after this date.
Booking Terms: All bookings are subject to FoodBev Event Terms and Conditions, which are available here.
Concession Rate: A concession rate is available for start-ups and early-stage entrepreneurs. To qualify, companies must be within two years of incorporation and have annual sales of less than £500,000. For more details or to book at this rate, please contact events@zenithglobal.com.
Group Booking Discount: A group booking discount is automatically applied when you register four or more attendees. No promo code is required—simply register and the discount will be reflected in your booking.
e events@zenithglobal.com t +44 (0)1225 327900
Attendees
Over 175 attendees have registered for the 2024 event, including representatives from:
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
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
Testimonials
A key annual event to learn and discuss the issues & opportunities in the Soft Drinks category Paul Graham, Managing Director of Britvic and President of British Soft Drinks Association
An excellent event for anyone in the soft drinks industry, who wants to gain real time, up to date, valuable information for experts and leaders in the beverage industry. Pip Brook, FHIRST Living Soda
I've never attended a conference so laser-focused on Soft Drinks with such a high calibre of speakers. The content was cutting-edge yet easily digestible. Not only this, but the attendees were high-level too which meant there were a lot of meaningful networking opportunities. The majority of the speakers stayed for the whole event and mingled with the attendees which made for a very intimate and welcoming experience. Kenny Goodman, Co-founder, HIP POP
The UK Soft Drinks Conference brings together a useful mix of the established market leaders, and the emerging innovators - presenting a thorough overview of the future of the category. Gareth Jones, International CEO, Icelandic Glacial Water
Great event, well organised with excellent content & high value attendees offering a unique opportunity for networking.
Murray Diplock, Director, Foundry Farm
The UK Soft Drinks Conference 2024 provided us with an invaluable opportunity to meet important industry players - in particular, we were delighted to be able to introduce ourselves to key industry buyers. Andrea Fiore, Co-founder, OHMG
The 2024 Zenith UK Soft Drinks Conference was excellent, the speaker content professional as well as informative, and the presentations very engaging. 10 out of 10. Bradley Maines, National Account Manager, AQUA Carpatica
The event had an interesting cross section of speakers from emerging brands, challengers and categories. Great to meet such interesting delegates and try new products. A strong sense of positivity around boldness of action and innovation! Andrew Eyles, Chief Executive Officer, Bluemarlin
As a first time speaker and attendee I was hugely impressed at the organisation and coordination in advance of the event and also the day itself - it was informative, engaging and highly relevant. I look forward to next year! Emma Thackray, Co-founder, HIP POP
Great day of presentations and really good to taste so many different and new market products. Jill Ngo, Applications Manager, Synergy Flavours
A well organised event giving a good insight to both the Soft Drinks and Water markets. Ged Walsh, Key Account Manager, Saicaflex
I hadn't attended a Zenith event for a few years and the UK Soft Drinks Conference 2023 reminded me what excellent events they run - bang on trend content and excellent organisation. Andrew Gibb, Founder & Managing Director of ColdPress
These events are great. You always walk away with something you didn't even know you needed. A new contact, idea or just feeling inspired to do better. Maria Sehlstrom, Founder and CMO of Mindful Brands
Great place to get the knowledge about drinks industry and current trends. Lisa Gawthorne, Managing Director of Bravura Foods
Loved all the samples and particularly enjoyed hearing about the NPD in the last session as well as what Coca-Cola and Innocent are doing environmentally. Elaine Thompson, Strategic Insight Director for Kantar
Zenith events are consistently well executed and deliver exceptional industry insights and networking opportunities. Ross Colbert, Managing Director of Capstone Partners
Fantastic event with some great market insight delivered through inspiring speakers. A great opportunity to network and connect. Vicky Berry, Business Development Manager at Synergy
Zenith Global events are always informative, expertly moderated, and up to date on emerging trends, with speakers from established and newly launched brands. Well worth attending. Craig Hutchison, Founder and CEO of Mindful Brands
A fantastic event, full of insight and opportunity. George Glaisher, Co-founder of AVER
Your events are certainly the most interesting and productive on the calendar which we really enjoy being part of. The content is always stimulating, and you create a very collaborative and interactive environment, which makes it easy to chat with other delegates. Overall, it's a great opportunity to get an up-to-date understanding of the challenges and opportunities that established and entrepreneurial brands are facing in today's tough economic environment. Robin Shuker, Managing Director, Field Agent
A fantastically informative and educational event. Zenith brought together a great collection of speakers across the industry to tackle the relevant topics on everyone's mind. Madalina Popa, Food and Drinks Federation
The event was extremely well organised and ran flawlessly. The Zenith team were a pleasure to work with prior to, and during the event. Thank you very much for having me. Neal Duffy, Head of Brand at Grenade
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 FoodBev Events marketing and press releases.
For information and pricing, please contact Francesca Hall, Events Director
e francesca.hall@foodbev.com t +44 (0)1225 327900
Accommodation
For delegates looking to book accommodation close by, an allocation of rooms is available at the Numa London at a 15% discounted rate.
Please book online at numastays.com, entering the promo code UKSDC2025.
Address: 11-13 Bayley Street, London WC1B 3HD
