Breakfast & Registration

1:1 Meetings

• Justin Ray

  , Senior Category Merchant, Beer & Spirits, Whole Foods Market
• Samantha Fletcher

  , Senior Category Merchant, Adult Beverage, Whole Foods Market
• Michelle Abdollah

  , Category Manager, Alcoholic Beverages, Extra Mile

  

  Michelle Abdollah

  Category Manager, Alcoholic Beverages, Extra Mile

  Michelle Abdollah is a seasoned retail expert with over 15 years of experience in merchandising and operations. Currently, she serves as Category Manager for Alcoholic Beverages and Private Label Development Manager at Extra Mile convenience stores, overseeing merchandising strategies for wine, beer, and spirits across 1,100+ locations in 11 states. With a proven track record of driving growth and profitability, Michelle has honed her skills through various leadership roles at 7-Eleven and Target. Her expertise has earned her recognition as one of the Top Women In Convenience by Convenience Store News in 2024. Michelle's dedication to innovation and customer satisfaction continues to propel her success in the convenience store channel.

• Michael Blumfield

  , Region Vice President, Sunset Distributing Company

  

  Michael Blumfield

  Region Vice President, Sunset Distributing Company

  Michael Blumfield serves as Region Vice President for Sunset Distributing Company (SDC), a division of Hand Family Companies—one of the largest family-owned beverage distributors in the U.S. With a legacy dating back to 1949, Hand Family Companies now operates across four states, employs over 1,000 people, and distributes more than 50 million cases of beer, spirits, and non-alcoholic beverages annually. With more than 15 years of experience in the beverage industry, Michael has held leadership roles across both supplier and wholesaler organizations, including Heineken USA and Classic Beverage of Southern California. His background in brand strategy, route-to-market development, and organizational development has made him a versatile and trusted leader in the beverage space.

• Peter Heimark

  , President, Heimark Distributing LLC

  

  Peter Heimark

  President, Heimark Distributing LLC

  Peter Heimark is President and CEO of Heimark Distributing LLC (HDC.) Heimark Distributing is an Independent Beer and beverage Distributor based in Indio, California servicing communities in eastern Riverside County and Southern San Bernardino County including the Coachella Valley, San Bernardino National Forest, Joshua Tree National Park, and surrounding communities. Peter is the third generation of Heimark Family Members at the Helm of Heimark Distributing. He began his career with an internship working for Anheuser-Busch in Spain and Denmark. He spent the first twenty-three years of his career with Heimark Distributing’s sister company, Triangle Distributing, based in Santa Fe Springs. Upon conducting a territory swap with Anheuser-Busch in 2020, Peter moved to Heimark Distributing LLC. Peter has served as the Anheuser-Busch Advisory Panel Chairman, the Chairman of the National Beer Wholesalers Association, and has served on the board of the California Family Beer Distributors Association.

• Sinead Carey

  , Director of Beer, Breakthru Beverage
• Kevin Day

  , Director of Trade Development - Beer, Breakthru Beverage

• Justin Ray, Senior Category Merchant, Beer & Spirits, Whole Foods Market
• Samantha Fletcher, Senior Category Merchant, Adult Beverage, Whole Foods Market
• Michelle Abdollah, Category Manager, Alcoholic Beverages, Extra Mile
• Michael Blumfield, Region Vice President, Sunset Distributing Company
• Peter Heimark, President, Heimark Distributing LLC
• Sinead Carey, Director of Beer, Breakthru Beverage
• Kevin Day, Director of Trade Development - Beer, Breakthru Beverage

Welcome Remarks

Presentations

Sponsored Workshop: Brewing Up Opportunity: Leveraging Seasonal Events and Technology to Drive Year-Round Revenue

• Margaret Kelly

  , Account Executive-Inside Sales, Tripleseat Software

  

  Margaret Kelly

  Account Executive-Inside Sales, Tripleseat Software

  With over four years in the hospitality industry, Margaret Kelly brings a unique blend of analytical thinking and industry expertise to her work. She began her career as a neuroscience research fellow for the U.S. Army before transitioning into hospitality sales at Toast POS, where she helped restaurants optimize their operations through technology. Today, Margaret supports breweries, wineries, and distilleries at Tripleseat, empowering them to streamline their event management and drive growth through smarter systems. Her passion lies in helping beverage brands enhance their guest experience while simplifying the business side of events.

• Margaret Kelly, Account Executive-Inside Sales, Tripleseat Software

Awards & Rising Stars Video Announcement

Lunch Powered by Rationale, Sampling & Livestream

Pitch Slam

Sampling, Networking & Livestream

Presentations

Official Party, Presented by Firestone Walker