Delivered in partnership between The Knowledge Bank and Worldpanel by Numerator, From Challenge to Opportunity: Navigating the Drinks Market with Confidence is a new half-day event focused on providing expert market, consumer and shopper insights to drinks brands looking to grow within the UK.
Designed to bring together Scotland’s vast and varied community of alcohol and drinks producers – including low & no-alcohol – the exclusive in-person event will feature a range of exciting talks and sessions from expert guest speakers, covering everything from changing consumer habits to the latest market data.
As the retail and hospitality landscapes evolve – shaped by shifting consumer preferences, category innovation, and increasing competition – understanding what drives purchase, loyalty, and brand relevance is more critical than ever. Through data-led presentations, trend deep dives, and practical perspectives, From Challenge to Opportunity will provide actionable intelligence that supports stronger listing conversations, sharper brand positioning, and smarter innovation.
Agenda
As well as the opportunity to network and build connections with other drinks industry professionals, the agenda will include the following sessions:
Flavours, Formats and Fertile Imagination – delivered by Andrew Niven, The Knowledge Bank Strategic Market Insight Manager
Navigating the New: Macro Opportunities in the Drinks Landscape – delivered by experts from Worldpanel by Numerator
Shifting Preferences: Consumer Change Across the On and Off Trade – delivered by experts from Worldpanel by Numerator
Making Changes in Industry Legislation Work for You – delivered by experts from Worldpanel by Numerator
Ticket Prices
Member Early Bird* – £79 + VAT
Member Standard – £129 + VAT
Non-Member Early Bird* – £239 + VAT
Non-Member Standard – £359 + VAT
*Early Bird tickets available until midnight Sunday, 31 August
The Knowledge Bank
Established in 2021, The Knowledge Bank provides a new approach to managing, sharing and disseminating market research, data analysis and consumer insights to the Scottish food and drink industry, helping producers and businesses to grow, be more resilient and stay informed. The team's expertise covers everything from using intelligence to inform strategy to identifying new routes to market and developing resilient supply chains.
Worldpanel by Numerator
Worldpanel by Numerator decodes shopper behaviour to shape the future of the world’s leading brands and retailers. Providing currency-grade consumer data representing nearly 6 billion consumers in 50+ countries, the data and technology company offers brands a multi-dimensional view of how people think, how they shop, and how they consume, so they can set bold strategies and drive sustainable business impact.
Speakers
Carol Saunders, The Knowledge Bank
Carol is Head of Insight at Scotland Food & Drink, where she leads The Knowledge Bank, a market intelligence service dedicated to supporting the growth of Scotland’s food and drink sector. Appointed in 2023, she brings over two decades of experience in sales, marketing and strategic insight across the food and drink industry.
Andrew Niven, The Knowledge Bank
Andrew is Strategic Market Intelligence Manager for The Knowledge Bank. With 25 years’ experience of consumer insight and market intelligence he has worked for some of the biggest and smallest alcohol brands in the world. An authority on global trends, his latest work can be found in numerous The Knowledge Bank reports covering flavours, formats and where drinkers are going next.
Alex Brown, Worldpanel by Numerator
Alex is a seasoned strategist with six years' of experience in the alcohol category, working with leading brands to decode shopper and consumer behaviour. His work spans across insights, innovation, and activation – helping clients connect with consumers in the moments that matter. With a deep understanding of both retail dynamics and cultural trends, Alex brings a sharp, real-world perspective to how drinks brands grow in a competitive landscape.
Daisy Frecklington, Worldpanel by Numerator
Daisy has nine years' of experience in shopper and consumer insights, partnering with FMCG businesses to explore strategic issues using the power of behavioural data. During this time, she’s worked across a wide range of FMCG markets and in the last three years been focusing her expertise on the drinks industry.
David Elliot, Worldpanel by Numerator
David is Strategic Insight Director in the drinks team at Worldpanel by Numerator. He has over 12 years' of experience in the industry, leading strategic projects and building longstanding relationships with globally recognised alcohol and soft drinks companies.
Lesley Ann Gray, Worldpanel by Numerator (moderator)
Lesley Ann Gray joined Worldpanel in 2018 as its Strategic lead for Scotland. With over 30 years’ experience in the Scottish food and drink industry she works across Scotland’s Food and Drink sector, collaborating with companies and brands of all sizes, in addition to working with the retailers, the public sector and academics. She helps them to understand and decode shopper behaviour in order to grow.