Tales of The Cocktail Foundation Toasts to Another Record-Breaking Conference In 2024

Tales of the Cocktail celebrated its 22nd annual event in New Orleans, July 21-26, featuring more than 400 unique events, 65 educational seminars, and a spotlight on 290 brands

NEW ORLEANS, LA (August 19, 2024) — Tales of the Cocktail Foundation (TOTCF) is pleased to report the overwhelming success of its 22nd annual cocktail conference, Tales of the Cocktail® (TOTC), which took place in New Orleans, July 21-26, 2024. The record-breaking celebration welcomed guests from 52 countries, showcased over 400 unique events, partnered with 290 brands, and made an incredible impact on New Orleans’ local economy. 

“The 22nd annual Tales of the Cocktail was a tremendous shared success for the global drinks industry. We are so grateful to the thousands of individuals who traveled from all parts of the world to gather with us and create such a memorable experience in our host city, New Orleans,” said Tales of the Cocktail Foundation CEO Eileen Wayner. “Tales continues to grow in attendance year over year, with individuals participating from all aspects of the industry. We are so proud of the work the Foundation is able to do and we look forward to continuing to create programming that educates, advances and supports the global drinks industry.”

Featuring a robust line-up of 55 educational panels, nine Beyond the Bar activations, Meet the Distillers, New Orleans Cocktail Tours, the annual Spirited Awards®, Tales Catalyst, the first-ever Futures Lab, 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 the beverage industry.

Select TOTC2024 content is available for streaming on the Tales of the Cocktail YouTube channel, including highlights from the 18th Annual Spirited Awards®. Viewers are invited to check back regularly as a variety of TOTC2024 content–including several marquee seminars– will be rolled out in the coming weeks.  

TOTC 2024 Facts & Figures: A Quick Reference

• • 407 total programming events
    • 175 presenters
      • Over 50% of the sessions were led by women and/or BIPOC presenters.
      • 33% of the seminars were led by international presenters, from countries including: Mexico, Netherlands, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, the UK, and more. 
    • 55 seminars
    • 9 Beyond the Bar workshops
    • 290 brands spotlighted
  • The number of overall attendees overview this year by: 
    • Occupation
      • 40.5% hospitality industry professionals
      • 29% production, importers, sales, and marketing
      • 11% other attendees 
      • 9.5% enthusiasts
      • 5.3% media
    • Tales Attendance
      • 48% newcomers
      • 52% returning participants
    • Residence
      •  52 countries represented
      •  50 US states and territories
  • 68,337 agenda views on Whova, TOTC’s ticketing and agenda platform
    • 69% of attendees downloaded the  mobile app
    • 7,949 in-app messages
    • 68,337 agenda views
    • 1,746,420 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 November. 

ANTICIPATING THE FUTURE: TALES OF THE COCKTAIL® 2025

The excitement continues as Tales of the Cocktail Foundation announces the 2025 Seminar Proposal Period will open beginning September 12, 2024, through November 29, 2024, at 11:59 CST. Prospective presenters can submit their proposals for the conference’s 23rd annual event, set to take place in New Orleans in July 2025. Event dates will be announced in the fall of 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 our Official Water of TOTC: Maison Perrier; our Medallion and Diamond Level Partners: BACARDÍ Limited, Brown-Forman, Campari, DIAGEO, Pernod Ricard, Rémy – Cointreau, 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 lasting impact in our host communities. Tales of the Cocktail Foundation is the global leader in spirits education and a platform to tackle issues facing the industry. The pillars of the Foundation are to Educate, Advance, and Support the hospitality industry through programs that benefit individuals and organizations in the community and to make a lasting impact in communities that host our events. 

 

Media Inquiries: 

Foxglove Communications

Gia Vecchio, [email protected], 917.280.5043

Julia Hollings, [email protected], 504.202.7566