Get your shakers ready and your spirits in hand, in an exciting move for cocktail enthusiasts throughout the industry, the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation confirmed the dates for the Tales of the Cocktail 2021. The cocktail conference is returning for its 19th year from September 20 to 23, 2021.
The event will be held in a digital format that will be available free of charge to cocktail professionals and enthusiasts across the globe, with supplemental physical activations in key cities around the globe, wherever safe and feasible. Additionally, The Foundation opened up its annual seminar process today for the 2021 conference.
The festival was converted into a digital conference last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The organisation connected thousands of attendees across 100 countries to experience over 125 events, broadening the depth and reach of its programming and audience. In 2021, the TOTCF is continuing its digital format to prioritise the health and safety of its attendees and ensure a global audience has complimentary access to participate in its programming.
TOTCF scheduled a September conference with the knowledge that early 2021 will continue to be a crucial time for establishments to focus on recovery efforts. The organisation is once again offering programming complimentary to all attendees, so that cost does not present a barrier for attendance.
President Caroline Rosen said: “As New Orleanians, we know resilience when we see it. There’s no doubt that the spirits industry had the tenacity and the grit to make it through 2020. Now, as we look ahead to 2021, it’s time to focus on the goal of true advancement of not only our craft but our industry’s culture and how we rise together.”
The 2021 theme for Tales of the Cocktail Foundation will be “Community.” TOTCF selected the theme to highlight the global drinks industry coming together to share knowledge and compassion after an unprecedented year. It also serves as a rallying cry for communing thought leadership to drive future advancement.
The conference will host a library of on-demand, pre-recorded videos in addition to live, interactive programming, networking opportunities and partner booths. Seminars, both pre-recorded and live, will follow Tales’ existing educational tracks – Beyond the Bar, Business, and Culture – and will provide attendees with the high calibre of education opportunities they expect from the annual conference.
Additional marquee programming will return in 2021 and, for the first time, the conference’s wildly popular “Meet the Distillers” event will be converted to a digital stage. The festival’s annual Beyond the Bar program, dedicated to championing a sustainable lifestyle for the bartending and spirits community, will resume with a focus on virtual mental health and wellness initiatives. The 15th annual Spirited Awards will also be hosted during Tales of the Cocktail 2021.
Brand partners will once again have the opportunity to design and curate designated virtual booths. The booths will offer opportunities for personal interaction between brand and attendee, as well as a place for each partner to share information, content, and videos about their brand and products. TOTCF partners will also have opportunities to host virtual experiences, live chats, panel discussions, happy hours and product reveals within the TOTC schedule.
TOTCF intends to return to a primarily in-person format in New Orleans in 2022.
