Starting point. Marcos Salazar, CEO of the Adult Non-Alcoholic Beverage Association (ANBA), said the industry has grown rapidly in the last few years, but didn’t have its own group that provided people the ability to gather together and learn.

“There needed to be some infrastructure, as well as bringing the entire industry together with a voice to really support [it],” Salazar said. “Not just producers, but also partners and allies, everyone in the ecosystem.”

Early work. Although ANBA started with chapters here in the U.S., it has ambitious goals to open United Kingdom and European Union chapters later this year. The group also wants to create an environment that helps members succeed.

“I think one of the things we want to do as an association is create a success path for all of our members,” Salazar said. “So, whether you’re prelaunch, launch, or you’re ready to grow rapidly, or ready to expand internationally, making sure there are member benefits across every single one of those stages of the business. Benefits being the education resources you need, ways to navigate the regulatory environment, and also the connections you need to support your growth.”

Next steps. The pandemic affected how the industry developed, with most sales being online. However, as people return to events, bars, and restaurants, ABNA wants to help members get their products in front of in-person consumers. “I think by next year, we’re going to see so many of our members’ products in retail, in hospitality, and at conferences, events, weddings,” Salazar said.

The organization also plans to launch some online platforms for members and consumers. “We’re going to be launching what’s called ANBA Academy, and that’s a full-on education platform to support members’ business growth, but also education across the entire sector—from distributors, to suppliers, to retailers, restaurants, and bars,” Salazar said. “Later this year, we’ll be launching a consumer-facing side to the association, a separate website to really educate consumers and let them know there are all these adult nonalcoholic beverages available to them.”

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