Registration
South Lobby
12:00pm – 5:00pm
This is where attendees will check in with the group, pick up their credentials, and receive a welcome gift bag.
Opening Reception
META
6:00pm – 8:00pm
Attendees will meet for buses in the lobby at 5:30pm and make their way to the shuttle busses. They will be taken to the opening reception. Each guest will receive 2 drink tickets for the reception with their credentials at check in. The drink tickets are for the cocktails on the special menu at Meta. After they use the drink tickets, attendees will be able to purchase additional cocktails off the special menu at a discounted price. Anything not on the menu will be at regular bar pricing.
There will be light bites provided from 6pm – 8pm during the reception. After 8pm attendees are on their own to explore Louisville and network with each other. Registration will also be available from 6pm – 8pm outside of the bar for those who arrive late.
Please note if attendees arrive later than registration hours, they will need to contact their Team Leaders to get their credentials and pick up their welcome gift bag.
Breakfast
J. Graham’s Café (Home of the Hot Brown)
7:00am – 8:30am
For attendees wishing to have breakfast, they will be able to use a breakfast voucher issued at check-in. Then you will be able to go into the buffet and eat. Please do not wait until the last minute to get breakfast, seminars start promptly at 9am!
Seminars
The Brown Hotel Meeting Spaces (Follow signs for Chilled 100 Elevate)
9:00am – 10:00am
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Group A:
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Group B:
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Group C:
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Group D:
Brands attending: Buskers | Lustau | Deanston | Traverse City Whiskey | Hood River
Break & Monin Syrups
10:00am – 10:30am
Attendees can stop in the break area for refreshments, snacks, tastings, and more. You might even get to take part in a podcast with the Bartenders!
Seminars
The Brown Hotel Meeting Spaces (Follow signs for Chilled 100 Elevate)
10:30am – 11:30am
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Group A:
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Group B:
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Group C:
Brands attending: Lustau | Angostura Rum | Traverse City Whiskey | Hell House | Hood River
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Group D:
Break & Lustau Tasting
11:30am – 12:00pm
Attendees can stop in the break area for refreshments, snacks, tastings, and more. You might even get to take part in a podcast with the Bartenders!
Seminars
The Brown Hotel Meeting Spaces (Follow signs for Chilled 100 Elevate)
12:00pm – 1:00pm
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Group A:
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Group B:
Brands attending: Absinthia | Traverse City Whiskey | 4 Roses | Chinola | Hood River
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Group C:
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Group D:
History in a Glass: A Seminar with Master Distiller of Chicken Cock Whiskey, Gregg Snyder
Luncheon brought to your by Chopin Vodka
1:00pm – 3:00pm
A luncheon with speaker Tad Dorda (founder of Chopin Vodka)
Break & Del Maguey Tasting
3:00pm – 3:30pm
Attendees can stop in the break area for refreshments, snacks, tastings, and more. You might even get to take part in a podcast with the Bartenders!
Seminars
The Brown Hotel Meeting Spaces (Follow signs for Chilled 100 Elevate)
3:30pm – 4:30pm
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Group A:
Brands attending: Bespoken | Infinium | Chinola | Log Still Bourbon | Hood River
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Group B:
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Group C:
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Group D:
Break & Red Breast Tasting
4:30pm – 5:00pm
Attendees can stop in the break area for refreshments, snacks, tastings, and more. You might even get to take part in a podcast with the Bartenders!
Seminars
The Brown Hotel Meeting Spaces (Follow signs for Chilled 100 Elevate)
5:00pm – 6:00pm
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Group A:
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Group B:
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Group C:
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Group D:
Message From Lynyrd Skynryd & Hell House Whiskey Toast
TBD
6:15pm – 6:30pm
Attendees can stop in the break area for refreshments, snacks, tastings, and more. You might even get to take part in a podcast with the Bartenders!
Dinner Shuttles
Hotel Lobby
7:15pm – 7:30pm
Everyone meets in the lobby to board the busses in shifts that are going to their designated dinners.
*PLEASE NOTE: The people attending dinner at Proof on Main must be in the lobby at 7:00 pm for the shuttles. Everyone else must be in the lobby at 7:15 pm.
Dinner
7:30pm – 9:30pm
Dinners will be held at:
Vincenzo’s Italian Restaurant (Sponsored by Traverse City Whiskey)
LeMoo (Sponsored by Courvoisier) – Neka
Proof on Main (Sponsored by Samson and Surrey) – Kathy *Lobby at 7:00pm – 7:30pm
Dragon King’s Daughter (Sponsored by The House of Suntory) – Lennie
Charity Masquerade Ball
Crystal Ballroom at The Brown Hotel
10:00pm – 12:00pm
Join us for a Night of Mystery and a Noble Cause! Be a part of this fun and exciting event supporting a great cause! Come dance the night away with us in our masks while indulging in the tasting tables and cocktails from our brand sponsors. Enjoy the beats of a great local DJ, and don’t forget to participate in the raffle draw for a chance to win some amazing, donated items.
The event aims to raise funds for the Helen David Relief Fund (HDRF) through the USBG Charitable Foundation. The HDRF was created to honor the late Helen David, a revered Port Huron, Michigan bar owner and community leader who battled breast cancer twice. Her resilience and fighting spirit remain an inspiration to those who are fighting against cancer. The fund provides financial assistance to individuals in the bar industry undergoing treatment for, and recovery from, cancer.
The HDRF offers immediate cash grants to those in the hospitality industry, regardless of USBG membership status. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to have fun while contributing to this noble cause!
Breakfast
The Brown Hotel
7:30am – 8:00am
Grab and Go Breakfasts!
Join us on the side of the hotel for breakfast before we board the designated buses for our distillery visits. Punctuality is key, so please don’t be late. Need a little pick-me-up? No worries, our bus sponsor, Zing Zang, has got you covered!
Transportation to Distillery Tours
8:00am – 9:00am
Distillery Tours
9:15am – 12:15pm
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Groups A & B:
Legent Jim Beam Tour and Ice Carving Class with Hidetsugu Ueno owner of Bar High Five in Tokyo.
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Groups C & D:
4 Roses Tour
Return to Hotel for Lunch
12:15pm – 1:15pm
Lunch
Crystal Ballroom at The Brown Hotel
1:30pm – 3:00pm
Luncheon and seminar brought to you by Heaven Hill.
Break & Terlato Tasting
3:00pm – 3:30pm
Attendees can stop in the break area for refreshments, snacks, tastings, and more. You might even get to take part in a podcast with the Bartenders!
Seminar
3:30pm – 4:30pm
Break & Chinola Tasting
4:30pm – 5:00pm
Attendees can stop in the break area for refreshments, snacks, tastings, and more. You might even get to take part in a podcast with the Bartenders!
Seminar
5:00pm – 6:00pm
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Whole Group:
Break
6:15pm – 7:00pm
During this break we recommend attendees get ready for dinner.
Transportation for Dinner
Hotel Lobby
7:00pm
Attendees will board the busses by group to head to dinner where they will reunite with the entire group for the evening’s activities.
Dinner & Best-in-Class Cocktail Competition
Nick and Norman’s in Whiskey Row
7:30pm – 11:30pm
Join us for a fantastic dinner event presented by Lobos 1707 Tequila at Nick and Norman’s in Whiskey Row, where the entire group will be in attendance. After dinner, head next door for the Best-in-Class cocktail competition where you can view and vote for the top five finalists. Watch as these talented bartenders compete to become the Lobos 1707 brand ambassador – who will reign supreme?
Post Dinner Activities
11:30pm
Our guests are welcome to explore the lively streets of downtown Louisville’s whiskey row. Maison Ferrand is having a popup cocktail party at Epiphany Cocktail Bar from 10pm-12am and Elevate attendees are welcome to join in the fun as well. For those who choose to stay out, please note that they will be responsible for their own transportation back to the hotel. Those wishing to return to the hotel after the competition, our shuttle service is also available for the return trip. As we have an early start for breakfast and distillery tours, we kindly ask that you do not stay out too late. Make sure to get a good night’s sleep!
Breakfast
The Brown Hotel
7:30am – 8:00am
Grab and Go Breakfasts!
Join us on the side of the hotel for breakfast before we board the designated buses for our distillery visits. Punctuality is key, so please don’t be late.
Transportation to Distillery Tours (Groups C & D)
8:00am – 9:00am
Transportation of attendees to Legent Jim Beam and Ice Carving Class with Hidetsugu Ueno owner of Bar High Five in Tokyo.
Transportation to Distillery Tours (Groups A & B)
9:00am – 9:45am
Transportation of attendees to Hirsch/Bardstown for a distillery tour.
Return to Hotel
12:30pm – 1:30pm
Transportation from distilleries to hotel for seminars. Boxed lunches will be served by the distilleries.
Seminars
The Brown Hotel Meeting Spaces (Follow signs for Chilled 100 Elevate)
2:00pm – 3:00pm
Break
3:00pm – 3:30pm
Attendees can stop in the break area for refreshments, snacks, tastings, and more. You might even get to take part in a podcast with the Bartenders!
Seminars
The Brown Hotel Meeting Spaces (Follow signs for Chilled 100 Elevate)
3:30pm – 4:30pm
Break & Ponyboy Slings
4:30pm – 5:00pm
Attendees can stop in the break area for refreshments, snacks, tastings, and more. You might even get to take part in a podcast with the Bartenders!
Seminars
The Brown Hotel Meeting Spaces (Follow signs for Chilled 100 Elevate)
5:00pm – 6:00pm
Break
6:00pm – 7:00pm
We recommend attendees use this time to get ready for dinner. Dress for the after party as you will be going directly from dinners to the after party!
Meet in Lobby For Dinner Transportation
Hotel Lobby
7:00pm
Dinner
7:30pm – 9:00pm
Dinners will be held at:
Liquor Lab (Sponsored by Hell House Whiskey)
Vincenzo’s Italian Restaurant (Sponsored by Knauppoge Castle Irish Single Malt)
Cured (Sponsored by Terlato)
La Bodeguita de Mina (Sponsored by Amber Beverage Group)
Roaring 20’s Theme Party
Tartan House
9:00pm – 11:00pm
Closing night party brought to you by Deutsch Family, featuring Redemption Rye.
Join us for a roaring 20’s themed closing night party hosted by our friends at Deutsch Family. This is your chance to let loose, network, and have a drink or two. Don’t miss out on the fun!
Breakfast
J. Graham’s Café (Home of the Hot Brown)
7:00am – 10:00am
For attendees wishing to have breakfast, they will be able to use a breakfast voucher issued upon check-in. Then you will be able to go into the buffet and eat.
Departures
11:00am
Guests will need to check out of rooms by 11:00am. Storage of bags is available through the hotel for those departing later in the day.
Dress code & Attire
Dress code & Attire
For all distillery tours and dinners, you are expected to be professional and dress in Business Casual attire. Closed-toed shoes are a must on tours. We highly recommend that you wear comfortable shoes as there is a lot of walking!
For seminars on Monday, we suggest dressing comfortably. Please do not wear branded T-shirts as many brands will be represented and we don’t want to be disrespectful.
Special Events: We highly recommend dressing up for the Masquerade and Roaring 20’s closing night parties! It’s not everyday we get the chance to play dress-up!
It might be cold in Louisville at this time of year for many of you traveling in from warmer climates. Remember to check the weather app and dress appropriately.
We recommend leaving some room in your suitcase. Many of the brands will be giving out swag and then there are the raffle prizes for the charity ball. It would be a bummer if you had to leave some of it behind!