IBWSS 2026 Brings Together the People Actually Shaping Bulk Wine & Spirits—With IMI Agency’s Evan Traub Taking the Stage

By Mallory Ambrose | June 24, 2026

The International Bulk Wine & Spirits Show (IBWSS) returns to San Francisco on July 28–29, 2026, bringing its signature focus back to the part of the beverage industry that rarely gets spotlighted, but drives a significant amount of it: how bulk wine and spirits actually get sourced, structured, and scaled.

While many industry events lean into trends and forecasts, IBWSS has always been more grounded than that. It’s where pricing gets discussed in real terms, where sourcing challenges are unpacked openly, and where private label and large-scale beverage programs are looked at through the lens of execution, not theory.

And this year, one of the voices helping guide that conversation is IMI Agency’s Evan Traub, who joins the 2026 speaker lineup as Director of Accounts.

Traub’s work sits at a unique intersection of hospitality operators, suppliers, and large-scale beverage programs, translating what operators need on the ground into strategies that suppliers can actually build around. It’s a perspective that reflects one of the central tensions in today’s beverage landscape: demand is evolving quickly, but execution still depends on aligning a highly complex supply chain.

“I’m looking forward to returning to the conference and leading a panel on How Multi-Unit Restaurants & Hotels Choose Beverage Partners in 2026,” said Evan Traub, Director of Accounts, IMI Agency. “The panel will include Jen Jackson – Enterprise Beverage Manager, Thompson Hospitality and Christian Gianaris – National Beverage Director, PPX Hospitality Brands, Legal Sea Foods Restaurant Group & Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group, Inc.”

A lineup built around how the business actually works

The first round of confirmed speakers brings together decision-makers across distilling, retail buying, private label development, hospitality, logistics, and global portfolio strategy, essentially the full ecosystem that determines how bulk wine and spirits move from production to pour.

Confirmed speakers include:

  • Patrick MacKenzie — Director of International Business Development, Tennessee Distilling Group
  • Sarah (Morra) Qualters — Vice President of Marketing, Rack & Riddle Custom Wine Services
  • Bruce Abbott — President, Liquor Stores USA North Inc.
  • Todd Azevedo — Wine & Grape Broker, Partner, Ciatti
  • Pete Barger — Co-Founder & CEO, Southern Distilling Company
  • Steve Beckner, CSW — Wine & Spirits Buyer, Grocery Outlet
  • Megan Brodie — Head of Global Portfolio & Winemaking, Archer Roose Wines
  • Rachelle Carandang — Senior Manager, Product Development & Sourcing (Beverages), Sam’s Club
  • Jan Kotowski Chang — COO, Archer Roose Wines
  • Thomas Gregory — VP & Corporate Director of Food & Beverage, Pacifica Hotels
  • Emily Haines — Winemaker, Trinchero Family Estates
  • Serena Harkey — General Manager, Cowboys Club
  • Caterina Mirabelli — Beverage Director, Back of the House
  • Horst Mueller — Global Head of VinLog, Kuehne + Nagel
  • Ankita Okate — Chief Growth Officer & Events Head, Beverage Trade Network
  • Sid Patel — Founder & CEO, Beverage Trade Network & IBWSS
  • Kimberly Shannon — Beer, Wine & Liquor Specialist, Giant Eagle, Inc.
  • Adam Spiegel — President & Master Distiller, Corning & Company
  • Evan Traub — Director of Accounts, IMI Agency
  • Katherine Wojcik — Director of Programs & Partnerships, IHG Hotels & Resorts

More speakers will be announced as the program develops.

Why Evan Traub’s perspective stands out

What makes Traub’s inclusion notable is the vantage point he brings into the conversation. His work at IMI Agency is rooted in the practical realities of beverage programs, how they’re built across hotel groups, restaurant operators, and multi-unit systems, and where supplier strategy either supports or slows down execution.

At IBWSS 2026, that lens becomes especially relevant. As the industry continues to navigate pricing pressure, shifting buyer expectations, and the growing complexity of private label and RTD expansion, the gap between strategy and execution is often where programs succeed, or stall.

Traub’s perspective helps bridge that gap in real time.

The agenda behind the conversations

This year’s programming reflects the same grounded approach. Sessions will explore bulk wine and spirits sourcing strategies for 2026, pricing dynamics and inventory cycles, private label program performance, and how buyer behavior is shifting across key categories including bourbon, tequila, agave spirits, rum, whisky, and neutral spirits.

Additional focus areas include contract distillation, barrel inventory, logistics, compliance, and the increasing role of data and AI tools in identifying buyers and accelerating sales cycles.

Why IBWSS continues to matter

At its core, IBWSS isn’t about predicting where the industry is going, it’s about understanding how it actually moves.

And that’s where voices like Evan Traub’s matter most. Not just as part of the conversation, but as a reflection of the work happening every day behind the scenes to make beverage programs function at scale.

As the category continues to evolve, IBWSS remains focused on the same question it has always asked: not just what’s next, but who is building it, and how.