Strategy Sessions Live!

Inspired by our industry-focused podcast series, Strategy Sessions Live! is designed to equip wine and hospitality professionals with practical, real-world strategies to grow, evolve, and transform their brands. The program is comprised of six panel-based workshops, intentionally built to foster thoughtful dialogue, candid insights, and meaningful interaction between speakers and attendees.

Cost of registration includes:

• Access to all sessions
• Continuous beverage service throughout day
• Hot breakfast
• Mid-morning snack
• Lunch buffet
• Afternoon snack

• Comcast Business (Presenting Sponsor)
• Pennsylvania Restuarant & Lodging Association
• Pennsylvania Wine Association
• Delaware County Community College
• Mid-Atlantic Events Magazine
• Citadel Credit Union
• Waterloo Container
• Niagara Label
• Philly Wine
• Eastfolk Creative Co.

Thirsty Bandit Co. is a strategy and growth advisory for hospitality, beverage, and consumer brands. The company works with founders, operators, and leadership teams to clarify vision, sharpen brand positioning, and develop practical strategies for sustainable growth. Its approach blends market insight, operational expertise, and brand thinking to uncover opportunities and translate them into measurable results. From wineries and restaurants to hospitality groups and emerging CPG brands, Thirsty Bandit partners with businesses navigating change, expansion, and reinvention.

Info: In an increasingly crowded and commoditized market, brand identity is no longer just about storytelling. It’s about signaling value, trust, and relevance at every touchpoint. This session explores how wine and hospitality brands can clarify who they are, stand out authentically, and build emotional connections that drive loyalty, pricing power, and long-term growth.

Info: In wine and hospitality, the guest experience is the brand, and it directly impacts loyalty, spend, and word-of-mouth advocacy. This session examines how intentional experience design across service, space, and digital touchpoints can turn first-time visitors into lifelong customers and brand ambassadors.

Info: Sustainability has moved beyond regulatory compliance to become a powerful driver of brand trust and competitive advantage. This session explores how substantiable practices, along with frameworks like B Corp and JUST certifications, can be leveraged not only to validate values, but to strengthen operations, attract conscious consumers, engage teams, and deliver measurable business growth.

Info: AI is rapidly reshaping how hospitality businesses operate, but its greatest value lies in enhancing (not replacing) the human touch. This session explores practical, real-world applications of AI that improve personalization, efficiency, and decision-making while preserving the authenticity and emotional connection that define exceptional hospitality.

Info: As consumer behavior becomes more fluid, mobile, pop-up, and seasonal retail offer powerful ways to meet guests where they are and capture incremental revenue. This session explores how flexible retail formats, from carts and festivals to seasonal activations, can extend brand reach, drive trial, and unlock new growth beyond your brick-and-mortar.

Info: The most successful organizations understand that meaningful growth rarely happens alone. This session explores how collaboration and strategic partnerships can expand capabilities, spark innovation, and create value that no single team or brand could achieve on its own.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Desmond Hotel Malvern, a DoubleTree by Hilton, One Liberty Boulevard, Malvern, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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