Travel

AIRPORT:

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is 22 miles away from the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge. For more information, please visit www.skyharbor.com 

GROUND TRANSPORTATION: 

The JW Marriott Desert Ridge recommends using either Lyft or Uber as a mode of transportation to and from the airport. 

Phoenix Taxi Information: 

• The first mile is $5 

• Each additional mile is $2.30

• Each hour of a traffic delay is $23

• The minimum fare is $15 

Rates are subject to change. Click here for taxi companies and more information

ATTIRE:

Attire for all scheduled business and social functions is casual. Attire for the Annual Banquet is TBD at this point in time. More information to come. 

WEATHER: 

May can be hot in Phoenix! The average temperature can range from a comfortable 69 degrees to a whopping 95 degrees BUT the low humidity keeps things bearable.

Sessions

The Art of Navigating Change with Erik Wahl, Synthesizer of Art and Business
 

Change is no longer something to prepare for, it’s something we live inside every day.

In The Art of Navigating Change, Erik Wahl delivers an immersive keynote experience that helps leaders and teams rethink how they respond to uncertainty, disruption, and rapid transformation. Through powerful storytelling and perspective-shifting insights, Erik challenges audiences to let go of outdated thinking, embrace adaptability, and approach change with creativity and confidence.

This keynote moves beyond theory to spark real mindset shifts, helping individuals and organizations turn complexity into clarity and uncertainty into opportunity.

Seven Leadership & Life Lessons with Susan O’Malley, Former President of the Washington Sports and Entertainment & First Female President of a Professional Sports Franchise
 

In an engaging and upbeat presentation, Susan O’Malley outlines the seven seminal ‘rules’ for leadership and life and shares insider stories about entertainment, hockey, and basketball. Her message is influenced by her family and the management lessons she learned in her successful, unprecedented career. Many life lessons are learned early, from family and familial experience. Sitting around the kitchen table listening to parents and grandparents discuss the struggles and triumphs of life and work is one of the most vital learning experiences for any leader. By focusing on the lessons of her own childhood and then reinforcing them with her proven business expertise, O’Malley offers vital insights for leaders of all stripes. A trailblazer for herself and others, she is hilarious, brilliant, genuine, and inviting. Her warm sense of humor, self-described “folksy” style, entertaining stories, and sharp wit make her lessons memorable and an instant favorite among audiences. She leaves listeners thoroughly entertained and uplifted and with practical takeaways for their own lives and businesses.

Leading a Switch with Dan Heath, Author and Podcast Host
 

Why do some big changes happen easily while many small changes prove impossible? The answer hinges on some of the most fascinating findings in psychology. Our mind is divided into two different systems—an analytical mind and an emotional mind—that are often in conflict, particularly in situations of change. Building on this research, and based on the book, Switch, which spent 47 weeks on the New York Times best-seller list, Dan will reveal a simple, three-part framework that will help you change things in tough times. All of us have things we want to change. Many organizational leaders are confronting economic headwinds and changes in consumer demand. New kinds of collaboration, across traditional silos, may be required for them to succeed. How does a wise leader begin a change effort? And what should they do when they face resistance? This session is a must for any change leader who is struggling to make progress. Dan’s talk will give leaders the specific tools—and the inspiration—they need to make change happen.

Killing Headwinds: Pivotal Challenges Facing the Alcohol Industry
 

This strategic workshop identifies and tackles the major headwinds confronting the beverage alcohol industry. Attendees will hear from leading experts in the areas of GLP-1, the economy and consumer spending, and low and no alcohol. These experts will interact with a panel of leaders from the beverage alcohol industry. This engaging session should provide a spirted discussion about these “headwinds” and how to better navigate them.

THC Perspectives – Getting Down in The Weeds
 

This interactive panel and workshop explores the many viewpoints shaping the legal cannabis ecosystem — regulation and compliance, distribution and sales, as well as health and safety. Participants will attend three 30-minute presentations with guided Q&A. These three smaller workgroups will rotate through each perspective from the spirits industry, the cannabis industry, and the public health sector. Attendees will gain a practical, multi-stakeholder understanding of how competing priorities, opportunities, and constraints influence business decisions and policy outcomes across the legal cannabis sectors.

Ready-to-Drink Cocktails: What’s Fueling one of the Only Growth Engines in Beverage Alcohol?
 

Ready-to-drink cocktails have defied broader alcohol slowdowns, emerging as one of the few categories delivering sustained growth. But what’s really driving that momentum—and how durable is it? In this candid, executive-level panel, four industry leaders unpack the real forces behind RTD’s rise, moving beyond the easy answers of “convenience” to examine shifting consumer mindsets, evolving occasions, and the strategic tradeoffs brands are making. The conversation will explore whether RTDs are attracting new drinkers or reshaping existing spirits occasions, how control factors like ABV, calories, and portion size are influencing demand, and where innovation matters most—liquid, packaging, or storytelling.  The session will also look ahead to what a “mature” RTD category could look like in five years—and what could cause growth to stall. This session is designed for anyone navigating strategy, innovation, or portfolio decisions in beverage alcohol who wants an unvarnished view of where RTDs are truly headed.

Registration Instructions

Need help logging in? Click here and use the “Forgot Your Password” tool to reset your login information. Your email address is your username. If you are unable to reset your password with this method, contact nabca.info@nabca.org.

REGISTERING YOURSELF:

• Click on the link that was provided to you.
• Click the REGISTER button
• Enter your username and password.
• Click on REGISTERING MYSELF
• Continue with the registration process.
• After you submit your payment, you can print & download your invoice for your records. You can also find the invoice in your member portal under Invoices tab.

NOTE: Please enter your credit card information manually. The billing information should match the credit card you are using.

REGISTERING A CO-WORKER:

• Click on the link that was provided to you.
• Enter your username and password.
• Click the REGISTER button
• Click on REGISTERING A CO-WORKER
• Continue with the registration process.
• Please enter your credit card information manually. The billing information should match the credit card you are using.  
• After you submit your payment, you can print & download the invoice for your records
• On the Payments page, where you enter your payment information, under Order Details, you can email the confirmation to your co-worker by entering their email address in the field.

NOTE: If you registered a co-worker, the invoice will be in your member portal under the Invoices tab. You can also download and print the invoice from there.

REGISTERING A SPOUSE/PERSONAL GUEST:

• State and Government registrants only can bring one spouse/personal guest.
• No spouses/personal guests are allowed for Supplier, Broker, Association & Allied registrants.
• Your guest can be a spouse, partner, or anyone who does not work for your company.
• You must register first before you can register a guest. Once you submit your payment, the option to register a guest is available.
• If you register a co-worker and they have a guest, first register and pay for the co-worker, then register & pay for the guest.

Note: Registering a guest separately allows attendees to keep their records separate from their guests. This is helpful if you are receiving reimbursement from your company and allows you to pay for your guests separately.
 

• On the Payments page, where you enter your payment information, under Order Details, you can email the confirmation to your co-worker by entering their email address in the field.
• After you submit your payment, you can print and download your receipt by clicking the Print Invoice button. Otherwise, you can log in to your member portal, go to the Invoices tab, and print your invoice there. If someone else has registered on your behalf, please see them for your invoice.
• If you have any questions, contact lisa.dixon@nabca.org.

REGISTERING A GROUP:

• If you are registering a group, you can only register people within your company. You can also add a person if they are not listed.
  • If this group includes guests, register the entire group and submit your payment. This will create an invoice for the entire group.
  • If you have registered a group, and they have a guest, you can register the guest separately, or they can register their guest through their member portal.
• On the Payments page, where you enter your payment information, under Order Details, you can email the confirmation to your co-worker by entering their email address in the field.
• After you submit your payment, you can print and download your receipt by clicking the Print Invoice button. Otherwise, you can log in to your member portal, go to the Invoices tab, and print your invoice there. If someone else has registered on your behalf, please see them for your invoice.
• If you have any questions, contact lisa.dixon@nabca.org.