Tony Abou-Ganim, also known as the Modern Mixologist, has had a busy year since emceeing at the 2016 VIBE Conference. Not only did he create the bar program for the 20,000-seat T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Abou-Ganim hosted the For the Love of Cocktails Grand Gala, where craft cocktails and charity come together. The 37-year industry veteran filled 2016 with myriad industry and charity events, and also opened social dining concept Libertine Social inside the Mandalay Bay with chef Shawn McClain.
To say he is a busy man is an understatement. That’s just one of the reasons that we were so excited to be able to grab a few moments of his time to discuss his role as emcee for the 2017 VIBE Conference. If you haven’t already done so, there’s still time to register. We hope to see you there!
What does emceeing the VIBE Conference mean to you?
It has been an amazing! To have been given the opportunity to emcee this important and prestigious beverage event for the third year is beyond thrilling. To have the chance to present in front of a room full of my peers is not only a great honor but extremely humbling.
What do you most look forward to at the VIBE Conference?
The opportunity to network with my friends and colleagues, some of the most influential professionals in our industry in a setting geared towards improving and elevating this profession that I have worked in for the past 37 years. It is also an opportunity for me to catch up with esteemed bartenders in our profession and sample their creations featuring the supplier partner’s brands. I never know when I’ll become inspired by that next great cocktail creation!
Why should beverage executives attend the 2017 VIBE Conference in San Diego?
This is the most important conference geared strictly at beverage mavens that brings suppliers and buyers together in an intimate setting. The VIBE Conference is where relationships are formed and friendships are nurtured.
The opportunities to grow and learn as a professional in this business are endless. From industry experts speaking on virtually every aspect of the beverage trade, to technology and the latest trends, if you participate you will leave VIBE better informed, more knowledgeable, and up to date on what’s driving our profession then when you arrive. And finally, you just might have a whole lot of fun while you’re at it!
What is your best advice for VIBE attendees to maximize their experience?
Be proactive, set up meeting in advance when possible, attend the seminars, and ask the right questions that will benefit your business. Attend the cocktail parties, this is a great opportunity for suppliers to showcase their brands so be prepared, enlist the services of a respected Mixologist to develop and prepare cocktails at both the cocktail receptions as well as in your suite. Make the most of each appointment.
If it is your first VIBE Conference – or your fifth – there is so much to learn and benefit from attending. This is where new contacts, relationships and partnerships are made and established that will grow throughout your career in this industry.
Participate! There are amazing prospects to be gained at VIBE, but you will only get out of VIBE what put into it. Attend the CORE dinner and participate by supporting this amazing charity that benefits those working in the beverage industry.