BCB Brooklyn reveals 2025 seminar line-up
This year’s Bar Convent Brooklyn will feature a robust and multi-layered education schedule spread over two days.
Bar Convent Brooklyn returns to Industry City on 10 and 11 June, bringing thousands of drinks professionals together for eye-opening sips and thought-provoking sessions. The year’s event will feature 14 Main Stage sessions as curated by Lynnette Marrero, BCB Brooklyn’s head of education, and a committee that includes bar luminaries like Julie Reiner, Derek Brown, and Kevin Diedrich.
“Our mission for this year’s Main Stage programme was to build something deeply relevant to where bartenders and operators are right now, while also sparking big ideas about where the industry can go next,” Marrero said. “From addressing real business challenges to exploring cultural identity through cocktails, we’re creating space for conversations that matter.”
The Main Stage conversations will cover topics shaping today’s bar world, focusing on mental health in hospitality, from work-life balance to boundary setting. Spirit-focused conversations will spotlight trends across categories including gin, Caribbean rum and alpine spirits. Additional sessions will look at cocktail costing strategies, fermentation methods, the rise of non-alcoholic offerings, the contributions of immigrant bartenders and regional cocktail traditions.
“There’s an energy and momentum behind this year’s education programme that reflects the best parts of our industry,” said event vice president Jackie Williams. “We are excited to be championing new voices, prioritising timely issues and pushing the conversation forward – ensuring our attendees walk away with real tools to grow their careers and businesses.”
New at BCB Brooklyn
New this year, BCB Brooklyn is offering two VIP+ sessions, exclusive conversations designed for deeper engagement. Highlights include ‘Cocktails, Cameras, & Credibility: Taking Your Career Online’ with Jordan Hughes, Luiz Fernandes and Miguel Buencamino, exploring how bartenders can build authentic digital platforms. In ‘Building a Brand Without Distillery Money (or Experience)’, Leo Robitschek and others will lead a candid discussion on launching a brand without traditional backing.
“I always look forward to BCB Brooklyn, but this year feels especially exciting,” said Robitschek, who is vice-president of food and beverage at Sydell Group and the co-founder of Second Sip Gin. “It’s not just New York’s biggest international trade event. It’s where so many of us come together to connect, share ideas and push the bar world forward. I’m really looking forward to experiencing the 2025 programming, catching up with old friends, making new ones and discovering all the incredible products and innovations coming to market.”
BCB Brooklyn will also be making efforts to deepen engagement and enhance the experience for exhibitors and attendees. Also new to 2025 will be a series of exhibitor-only sessions held on 9 June that will offer guidance on navigating no-and-low alcohol offerings. Those sessions include ‘Beyond the Buzz: Best Practices for Building a Successful Non-Alcoholic Brand’ and ‘New Category, New Rules: Legal Frameworks for the Future of Non-Alc Spirits’.
Debuting in the VIP Lounge, the Crafted Conversations series will provide fireside-style chats, offering dialogue around wellness, inclusivity and culture in hospitality. The Liquid Lounge Stages meanwhile offers immersive, spirits-led seminars focused on technique, culture and storytelling. Highlights include sessions on Venezuelan hospitality, Caribbean bitter profiles, menu strategy, bar revival and the global influence of iconic ingredients and regional spirits.
This year, the Liquid Lounge Stage will debut ‘86 Harassment Presents: Introductory De-escalation Tools for Safer Hospitality Spaces’, a Women of the Vine & Spirits key initiative. Led by Safe Bars, the course equips frontline professionals with practical skills to recognise escalation, diffuse conflict, set boundaries, and intervene effectively while maintaining safety.
Tickets for BCB Brooklyn 2025 are now available, starting at US$95 for one day. VIP+ tickets are available for US$300 and include access to exclusive sessions and premium perks.
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