The Spirit World

I never intended to get into booze marketing.

The liquor industry is a $400 billion industry. One of my interns managed to get me a speaking gig last year at the Nightclub & Bar Show, which then turned into an ongoing blogging gig.  Nightclubs and bars are a $26 billion industry. (Does that mean everyone else is drinking at home or out of brown paper bags?)

I’m off tomorrow for my second year of speaking at the show in Las Vegas. It’s one of the more interesting trade shows I go to during the year — a business bazaar of skimpy uniforms and shot glasses, as well as incredible sophisticated technologies for bars and clubs. I’ve even become an avid watcher of Bar Rescue after meeting Jon Taffer and his entourage at last year’s show.

Like all industries, the spirits industry (and the places that serve liquor) are changing rapidly. I met one of my new office neighbors yesterday at WeWork — a company called Tablelist, which is like an Uber for nightclubs and bars. Branding has always been important in the liquor industry, but now the variety of products is vast and trends change constantly, as they do in the food world.

The places that serve alcoholic beverages are as varied as the spirits themselves — from tiny family-run dive bars to massive dance clubs with table service and celebrity DJs.

So, belly up to the bar and follow my adventures in Las Vegas over the next three days. Ironically, I’m not drinking, but that just means all my photos on Instagram will be in focus. Cheers!

Bar chat…

• Liquor trends for 2016, according to Forbes.
• The geeky side of the industry
• Last year’s show. (I did get to meet Captain Morgan.)
• My wonderful associate who found the show!