Tales of the Cocktail Foundation Raises a Glass to a Record-Breaking 2023 Conference

Tales of the Cocktail celebrated its 21st anniversary in New Orleans, July 23-28, featuring nearly 400 unique events, 68 educational seminars, 277 brands, and much more

NEW ORLEANS, LA (August 21, 2023) — Tales of the Cocktail Foundation (TOTCF) is pleased to report the smashing success of its 21st annual cocktail conference, Tales of the Cocktail® (TOTC), which took place in New Orleans, July 23-28, 2023. The record-breaking celebration welcomed guests from 48 countries, showcased nearly 400 unique events, partnered with  277 brands, and made a robust impact on New Orleans’ local economy. 

“Tales of the Cocktail’s 21st anniversary celebration underscores our enduring commitment to educate, advance, and support the global spirits community. The success and engagement from attendees, speakers, sponsors, and cocktail enthusiasts surpassed our expectations, making this gathering truly remarkable,” said Tales of the Cocktail Foundation CEO Eileen Wayner. 

Featuring a variety of educational panels, Beyond the Bar activations, Meet the Distillers, New Orleans Cocktail Tours, the annual Spirited Awards^®, the first-ever Tales Catalyst Luncheon, ever-popular brand events, and much more, this collective gathering of global beverage enthusiasts and industry leaders exemplifies the power of community in advancing the business, art, and culture of cocktails.

Select TOTC2023 content is available for streaming on the Tales of the Cocktail YouTube channel, including highlights from the 17th Annual Spirited Awards. Viewers are invited to check back regularly as a variety of TOTC2023 content, including more than 20 marquee seminars, will be rolled out in the coming weeks.  

TOTC2023 Facts & Figures: A Quick Reference

• 389 total programming events
  • 208 presenters
    • Over 60% of the sessions were led by women and/or BIPOC presenters.
    • 40% of the seminars were led by international presenters, from countries including: Australia, China, India, Netherlands, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, and more.
  • 68 seminars
  • 277 brands
• The number of overall attendee overview this year by:
  • Occupation
    • 43% hospitality industry professionals
    • 32% production, importers, sales, and marketing
    • 10% other attendees 
    • 8% enthusiasts
    • 7% media
  • Tales Attendance
    • 53% newcomers
    • 47% returning participants
  • Residence
    •  48 countries represented
    •  49 US states and territories
• 208,488 agenda views on Whova, TOTC’s ticketing and agenda platform
  • 83% of attendees downloaded the  mobile app
  • 8,779 in-app messages
  • 208,488 agenda views
  • 2,015,100 sponsor booth impressions
• *Please note that TOTCF is performing a robust economic impact report and will follow with additional information regarding its impact on New Orleans’ local economy in Q4. 

ANTICIPATING THE FUTURE: TALES OF THE COCKTAIL 2024

The excitement continues as Tales of the Cocktail Foundation announces the 2024 Seminar Proposal Period will open beginning Tuesday, September 12 at 10:00 a.m. CST through Tuesday, November 28 at 11:59 p.m. CST. Prospective presenters can submit their proposals for the conference’s 22nd anniversary edition, set to take place in New Orleans in July 2024. Event dates will be announced in January 2024. Seminar applications, comprehensive information about seminar types, requirements, and how-to videos will be available via the TOTCF website.

TOTCF extends a warm invitation to all interested speakers to submit their applications during the Seminar Proposal Period. The Foundation looks forward to collaborating with the TOTCF Education Advisory Committee to review the innovative submissions.

A NOTE OF THANKS

TOTC is made possible by so many supporters who care deeply about the cocktail community. The Tales team extends its sincerest gratitude to official 2023 sponsors, Perrier – the official water of TOTC; East Imperial – the official mixer of TOTC, and Libbey – Official Glassware of TOTC; our Diamond Level Partners: Bacardi, Beam Suntory, Brown-Forman, Campari, Diageo, Lyre’s, Pernod Ricard, and William Grant & Sons. A huge thank you to our host hotel, The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans. 

Please follow along for additional information on the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation, please visit the website, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. 

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About Tales of the Cocktail Foundation:

Tales of the Cocktail Foundation is a non-profit organization that Educates, Advances, and Supports the global hospitality industry and creates a lasting impact in its host communities. TOTCF is the global leader in spirits education and a platform that tackles critical issues and topics facing the cocktail community. This year, TOTCF  hosted its 21-year anniversary Tales of the Cocktail^® (TOTC) conference in New Orleans from July 23-28, 2023, and celebrated the theme Vitalize.

Media Inquiries: 

Foxglove Communications

Gia Vecchio, [email protected], 917.280.5043Hunter Smith, [email protected], 803.397.8878