Discussions

Judges of the World Beverage Innovation Awards 2016 announced

The judging panel for the World Beverage Innovation Awards 2016, which will be presented at BrauBeviale in November, has been announced. They include Julian Warowioff, managing director of ChariTea & Lemonaid, plus Generosity Water CEO Micah Cravalho. They are joined by Distill Ventures CEO Shilen Patel; Erteco senior category manager of beverage Daniel Nguyen; Imbibe manager of flavour innovation Aparna Oak; director of the Active & Intelligent Packaging Industry Association Eef de Ferrante; Dragon Rouge Brazil’s Alexander Sugai; Larry Hobbs, who is the executive director of the International Society of Beverage Technologists; and Elle Morris, president of the Americas for Elmwood. http://www.foodbev.com/news/judges-of-the-world-beverage-innovation-awards-2016-announced/

When e-Commerce meets Food & Beverage

TCPOS, leading provider of future-proof POS solutions for retail and hospitality recently sponsored an in-depth research edited by NetComm Suisse, regarding the impact of e-Commerce in the Food & Beverage sector and the hospitality business. NetComm Suisse is the first and only Swiss Association of e-Commerce. The main goal of NetComm Suisse is to support the interests of all companies operating in e-Commerce, supplying services and promoting networking activities for operators and merchants. In collaboration with ContactLab, the NetComm Suisse Observatory released beginning of June 2016 an original study on e-Commerce and food and beverage consumers, their habits and behaviors, and the challenges of omnichannel integration.http://www.tcpos.com/en/e-commerce-meets-food-beverage/

STARBUCKS INTRODUCES “SANGRIA” AND COCONUT MILK MOCHA BEVERAGE!

Just when we couldn’t handle the excitement of Starbucks‘ Sunset Menu launched just last month, today we get two scintillating new offerings from our fave Coffee purveyor! We’d like you to meet the Berry Sangria Herbal Tea and the Iced Coconut Milk Mocha Macchiato!http://www.mrwillwong.com/food-starbucks-introduces-sangria-and-coconut-milk-beverage/

This Indore-based food and beverage startup is bootstrapping its way in conquering the $50 bn packaged food market

It was a warm summer of 2014. Abhishek Bardia and his wife Shikha Jain were enjoying a fun conversation during a holiday in Mauritius. During the course of the conversation, they decided to start something of their own. Considering they were passionate about food, they decided to venture into the business of food and beverages. Once they returned to India, Abhishek, who was a Senior Vice President with IDFC Ltd. in Mumbai, put his papers and both Shikha and Abhishek moved to Indore two months later so that Shikha could continue her CA practice. It was after six months of building and dropping several business plans, that the duo was finally able to start Shikha Foods in Indore last January.https://yourstory.com/2016/06/shikha-foods/

Barnes & Noble to expand food and beverage offerings

Barnes & Noble Inc. is taking a page from restaurants and creating expanded cafés with larger menus, table service, and beer and wine sales, the company said last week. Executives of the New York-based bookseller told an investor conference Thursday that the first of four expanded cafés would open at the Vernon Hills Shopping Center in Eastchester, N.Y., in October. The other three are planned for the Edina Galleria in Edina, Minn.; the One Loudon mixed-use community in Loudon, Va.; and the Palladio at Broadstone Mall in Folsom, Calif. http://nrn.com/onsite/barnes-noble-expand-food-and-beverage-offerings

Stuff your face with food and beverage stocks

Frustrated by all the Brexit market volatility? Why not eat, drink and be merry ... and buy some food and beverage stocks? Pepsi reported strong earnings Thursday morning and raised its guidance as well. Shares of the soft drink and snacks giant rose nearly 2.5% on the news ... to an all-time high. And Pepsi (PEP) is not the only supermarket staple doing well. In the past week, shares of cereal kings General Mills (GIS), Kellogg (K) and Post (POST) have hit new records. So has Campbell Soup (CPB). And Smucker (SJM). And Pepsi rival Dr Pepper Snapple (DPS). And spice maker McCormick (MKC). And Gores Holdings (GRSH) -- the investment firm that's planning to buy Twinkie-maker Hostess and take it public.http://money.cnn.com/2016/07/07/investing/food-stocks-record-highs-pepsi-mergers/index.html

How Brexit impacts US food and beverage manufacturers

While the direct and immediate impact of Brexit — the United Kingdom's recent decision to leave the European Union — is greater overseas, food and beverage companies in the U.S. also face potential market ramifications. This is particularly true for companies whose sales are highly exposed to the euro, such as Mondelez (40% of sales tied to European exposure), Kellogg (20%), McCormick (14%), WhiteWave (14%), General Mills (10%), and Kraft Heinz (10%), according to a Credit Suisse report. http://www.fooddive.com/news/how-brexit-impacts-us-food-and-beverage-manufacturers/421580/

Food and Beverage Industry Trends

On Tuesday, June 28, Sensiba San Filippo proudly sponsored the San Francisco Business Times’ annual Food and Beverage Innovators Panel to discuss the trends, fads and innovation driving today’s specialty foods market. On the panel, five major players in the Bay Area specialty food industry discussed the ways in which their company remains relevant in the marketplace as well as some of the key challenges that they face on a regular basis. Here is a list of the Top 10 takeaways from this intriguing event:http://ssfllp.com/food-beverage-industry-trends/

News! 2016 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Culinary Demos and Beverage Seminar Details!

Today, we are excited to share details for the Culinary Demonstrations and Beverage Seminars that will take place during the 2016 Epcot Food and Wine Festival! Food and Wine Festival Updates 2016 Info Graphic Square Just in time to make all of your plans (whew!!), we now have details on the low-cost demos and seminars that are one of the hallmarks of the Festival. I know you’re just as anxious as we are to see what’s new this year! Booking all of your favorites starts in just a few days — July 21st for the general public, and July 19th for Annual Passholders, DVC members, Golden Oak Residents, and Tables in Wonderland Members! Culinary demos and beverage seminars represent great value when it comes to Festival events. They’re also a great way to learn in a fun, festive setting.http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2016/07/11/news-2016-epcot-food-and-wine-festival-culinary-demos-and-beverage-seminar-details/

What Startups Can Learn About Marketing From the Food and Beverage Industry

Whether you’re trying to transform transportation in the tech industry or sling a new cocktail in the restaurant industry, the odds are stacked against you. Nearly 80% of entrepreneurs who start businesses fail within the first 18 months. Anyone crazy enough to be an entrepreneur has plenty they can teach you, which is why I always advise young entrepreneurs to speak with founders across multiple sectors. There is plenty to learn. To give you some insight to my background, I talk with a lot of young people as a mentor at MIT. The vast majority believe tennis shoes and hoodies are the official uniform for any entrepreneur. Admittedly, having spent my career in the tech sector, I agreed with them at first. Then I started Adored, a loyalty experience platform, and began selling to the food and beverage community. Suddenly, I realized that restaurant and bar owners radiate the same traits—hustle, determination, anxiety, passion, etc.—that I previously thought were reserved for the Mark Zuckerbergs of the world. It made me think about the common denominators across different industries and what they teach us about entrepreneurship.http://www.blackenterprise.com/billboard/startups-can-learn-marketing-food-beverage-industry/

How Controllers Become Business Partners

Controllers have a new role in their organizations, and strategy is the key. Traditionally their role has been process driven and governed by routines such as month-end and statutory reporting. Financial statements, general ledger, cost accounting, payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable, budgeting, and tax compliance are typical responsibilities. Yet numerous research studies by IMA® (Institute of Management Accountants) indicate that corporate controllers are doing much more. Their role is expanding and changing in ways that mirror those of the broader finance function.http://sfmagazine.com/post-entry/july-2016-how-controllers-become-business-partners/

Templosion, Technology, And The Future Of Finance

What is templosion? How is it affecting finance? What role will artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and smart machines play in the future, and what impact will they have on the workforce? In the second of three episodes on Coffee Break with Game Changers Radio, panelists from Deloitte, LLP; Simplefi; and SAP continued their discussion about how technology is transforming finance. The radio program is presented by SAP and hosted by Bonnie D. Graham (Follow on Twitter: @SAPRadio #SAPRadio). (Listen to the episode.) The exponential pace of technological innovation is leading to a world of templosion (a term coined by futurist Edie Weiner, author of FutureThink), where very big things happen in increasingly compressed amounts of time. What does it mean for finance? According to Sam Parikh, managing director, SAP Practice at Deloitte, it means continuous change. “We cannot be complacent after we have done one project, one initiative, or one step towards transformation. It’s a continuous journey, and leaders have to visualize what is coming up next.”http://www.digitalistmag.com/finance/2016/07/21/templosion-technology-future-of-finance-04332134

How to manage your ad partners in regulated industries

Welcome to part 2 of my five-part series on using advertising partners in highly regulated industries. If you work in one of these industries — finance, retail, pharmaceuticals or education — you already know how complex this topic is, and you are likely in the market for some helpful tips on managing your partners. You’ve come to the right place. In part 1, I outlined six advertising challenges facing these industries, including the number of documents that need to be reviewed, the involvement of lawyers, who exactly gets blamed when a partner breaks the rule and the reality of advertising lawsuits. I also summarized key points about the four industries mentioned above, so take a look at part 1 to get caught up. Today, I will look specifically at the finance industry and how monitoring your affiliates can keep you off the government’s radar and improve your ad performance. My company, The Search Monitor, monitors ads, websites and blogs for policy and regulatory compliance and gives me a unique perspective on this topic.http://marketingland.com/manage-ad-partners-regulated-industries-finance-part-2-5-184543

Unilever buys Dollar Shave Club for reported $1B value

Unilever creates and captures a unicorn with its plans to acquire Dollar Shave Club. Announced this evening, the $130 billion dollar multinational consumer goods company is speculated to be paying $1 billion, all cash, for the startup, according to reports from Fortune. If the pricing is true, the transaction will be one of the largest ever in e-commerce. E-commerce is often a scary space for investors, but David Pakman, DSC investor and board member from Venrock, believes the space has a strong pulse.https://techcrunch.com/2016/07/19/unilever-buys-dollar-shave-club-for-reported-1b-value/

Crooked Trump Hit With Federal Probe for Campaign Finance Fraud

As Donald Trump gets ready to formally accept the Republican Party nomination tonight, his campaign is already running into legal trouble. This time, it arises from a complaint filed with the Federal Election Commission that alleges his use of the Trump Organization to do his political dirty work is a violation of federal law. “The complaint alleges five violations including illegally accepting direct corporate contributions, accepting services from a volunteer that were actually compensated, use of the Trump corporate name or trademark to facilitate campaign contributions, illegal use of corporate facilities by a campaign volunteer, and knowingly allowing volunteers to exceed the transportation expense limit,” said the Democratic Coalition Against Trump, the organization that filed the complaint with the FEC, in a statement.http://occupydemocrats.com/2016/07/21/just-crooked-trump-hit-federal-probe-campaign-finance-fraud/

Finance Transformation

Overhauling finance operations is one of the biggest challenges that a company can face. The rewards can be enormous but a poorly managed transformation can destabilize the business. A rapidly increasing pace of change, new technologies, and an explosion of data mean that the journey towards transformation can feel impossibly complex and fraught with danger. This collection of insights from Capgemini Business Services experts provides you with the guiding principles that will help you lay the foundations for an accelerated, secure finance transformation. Christopher Stancombe, Chief Operating Officer, Capgemini Business Serviceshttps://www.capgemini.com/business-services/finance-transformation-in-age-of-unprecedented-disruption

The impact of cloud technology on the finance sector

Every six months, we award a $5,000 scholarship to a US-based student majoring in accounting, finance, or economics. As Xero makes small business accounting software, these industries are very close to our heart – so we like to help promising students on their way to success. Our most recent scholarship winner is Hawk Jameson of the William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration. In his submission, he discussed ways in which cloud technology is changing the world of finance and the impact he predicts this will have on future jobs. Check it out below!https://www.xero.com/blog/2016/07/63351/

Chinese Search Giant Baidu Just Backed This Fintech Company

Baidu is making an investment in a U.S.-based fintech company, the Chinese search juggernaut announced on Monday. Baidu is making an undisclosed investment in ZestFinance, a startup that blends machine learning with big data analysis to pinpoint more accurate credit scores. This isn’t the first Chinese investment in ZestFinance. E-commerce site JD.com made an undisclosed investment in ZestFinance last year.http://fortune.com/2016/07/18/baidu-credit-scores/

English Test for the Finance Industry

Strong business communication skills are critical for growth and success of any organisation despite its location, size and objective. With the emerging flow of globalisation, English competency has become a crucial skill for the workplace. Banks rely on effective communication and interaction between sales executives, product teams, backoffice staff, partners, clients and vendors. Aptis is an English language assessment which can be tailored to the needs of specific industries. It can be delivered globally through an interactive test platform that allows you to:https://www.britishcouncil.org/aptis-finance-industry

Three Startups Shaping The Future of Commerce

Earlier this year, Visa announced the start of its second annual Everywhere Initiative, where startups go head-to-head to imagine the future of commerce. Three real-life business challenges gave 15 competing companies the chance to flex their commerce chops. Participants could use Visa’s APIs to create a payment solution, leverage social media channels to engage people at Visa-sponsored events or persuade Visa cardholders to go cardless. Three winners emerged: Giuliano Iacobelli, co-founder and CEO of Stamplay (API Challenge Winner), Puneet Mehta, founder and CEO of msg.ai (Cardless Challenge Winner), and Carlos Garcia, co-founder and CEO of Hyp3r (Global Events Challenge Winner). Karen Webster sat down with the winners of the competition to learn more about the inspiration behind their innovations and why they walked away with the prize. Here’s what she learned.http://www.pymnts.com/news/payments-innovation/2016/visa-everywhere-challenge-future-of-commerce/