Event Programme

Presentation: THE NEXT 10 YEARS: WHAT’S AHEAD, AND WHAT IT ALL MEANS FOR YOUR WATER BUSINESS

We are living in unprecedented times: The next 10 years will bring more change than the previous 100 years as we are entering an era where science fiction is increasingly becoming science fact. Machines that ‘think’, speak and understand and interact with humans (AI), super/quantum computing, synthetic biology and nanotechnology breakthroughs, and the global, radical shift to ‘green’ and sustainable everything (energy, water, food, construction, manufacturing and more) - just to name a few. Three revolutions will impact the water industry, going forward: the digital revolution (connected everything, everywhere), the sustainable revolution (the end of fossil fuels, and the rise of circular economy) and the purpose/human revolution (from a sole focus on profit and growth to a wider view towards people, planet, purpose and prosperity). Gerd will explain why he thinks the future is better than we think, and what the opportunities are, what challenges to prepare for, and what it all might mean for the water dispenser industry.

In addition to being the number one virtual keynote presenter worldwide, Gerd is also an ex-professional musician, a filmmaker, a former almost-made-it dotcom millionaire, a Forbes column contributor, a fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts (London), and a Visiting Professor at the Fundacao Dom Cabral in Brazel.

As a highly sought after futurist, Gerd is no stranger to the media, frequently sharing his often controversial but always prescient views with pieces in The Guardian, Harvard Business Review, Business Insider, Wired UK, and interviews with the likes of BBC, CNN, Arirang TV, Swiss SRF, ZDF/ARD, ARTE, and inclusion as special guest in over a dozen documentaries. He lives in Zurich, Switzerland.

Presentation: LATEST EUROPEAN MARKET AND INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS AND OUTLOOK

Statistics and insights for bottled and bottle-free water dispensers including integrated tap systems in East and West Europe to give a full overview for future business planning.  Delegates and WE Members will receive an electronic copy of a special WE member summary report.

Richard Hall is an acknowledged expert on the international food and drinks sector, chairing and speaking at numerous industry conferences.  In 1991 he formed Zenith as a specialist business consultancy for the food and drink industries.  The company now has more than 1000 clients in over 50 countries.  He also chairs FoodBev Media, which he founded in 2000.  Its team publishes four business journals, including “Refreshment”, and manages the foodbev.com website.

Presentation: THE FUTURE OF SAFE HYDRATION

Hydration has evolved enormously over the past 30 years. And it is about to again change significantly. What are the latest trends on hydration? Will bottled water be obsolete? How is lot-technology shaping the future of our industry? Hot topics for consideration!

Senol Agac, based in Germany, is an acknowledged European water technology expert and a former consultant of the Boston Consulting Group. Since 2016, he has worked on consulting assignments in the BWC, POU and water filtration business and has become a leading expert in innovative hydration solutions for workplaces, HoReCa and private homes.

Presentation:PIONEER IN SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE AUSTRIAN WATER HYDRATION MARKET

Sustainability is the key for our industry; to encourage consumers to avoid buying single-use-plastic bottles. More and more people are using refill-bottles for their hydration throughout the day. Water dispenser companies are introducing the technology and providing excellent product quality to increase this trend. Campaigns and environmental initiatives can underline the sustainable solution of water dispensers. Robert will show which practices Culligan Austria with “Aqua Alpina” have already implemented and those for the future.

Robert has been in the water dispenser industry for 25 years. He established Triple A and its brand Aqua Alpina, which is now the market leader with over 30,000 installed units in B2B and B2C. Triple A has been part of the Culligan Group since 2019 and has put sustainability and environmental initiatives as one of their top priorities. As a result, Culligan Austria was awarded the Austrian Government eco- label “Umweltzeichen” for outstanding achievements in their daily operations.

Presentation:COMMUNICATING KEY BOTTLED WATER MESSAGES ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE IMPORTANT ROLE PLAYED BY A GLOBAL BOTTLED WATER ASSOCIATIONS.

Joe Doss will consider the effective use of social media to communicate about key bottled water issues, such as healthy hydration, recycling, environmental sustainability, and water use. He will also address the important role played by the International Council of Bottled Water Associations and its members, which includes Watercoolers Europe.

Joe Doss has served as President and CEO of the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) since 1999. He has extensive experience in association management and food and drug, government affairs, public relations, and legal issues. He has a proven track record of strategic thinking and planning, managing complex and controversial issues, and building consensus among small, medium, and large companies.

Joe has a B.A. in government from The College of William and Mary and a J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He has completed an executive management course at the Center for Creative Leadership. Joe is a member of the Bar in Virginia and the District of Columbia. He serves on the Board of Directors at the International Council of Bottled Water Associations and is a member of the Food and Drug Law Institute and the American Bar Association.

Presentation:HYDRATION – NOT JUST WATER – SPARKLING WATER, FLAVOURED WATER, JUICES, COFFEE – ENHANCING YOUR OFFERING FOR THE DISCERNING CUSTOMER

With people continually changing their habits, the hydration concept has evolved in terms of what the market is offering and its environmental and sustainable solutions. Join this workshop to get an overview of what is happening in the market and future trends.

Blupura is an Italian manufacturing company of mains-fed water dispensers. With a Masters Degree in International Economics and Business, Debora joined Blupura in 2013. She is now one of the most longstanding employees of Blupura and has actively contributed to its development; one of the major players of the water dispenser industry. Debora is Chair of the WE Suppliers & Fair Committee.

Presentation:MAKING SOCIAL MEDIA WORK FOR YOU

Katie will be talking about how to unlock social engagement with your content. What and how to use social media to communicate with customers and the effectiveness.

Katie, a marketing professional, serving as the Head of Marketing at Culligan, overseeing the general marketing activities for the UK division. As a member of Chartered Institute of Marketing , Katie has 7 years in the field, bringing a wealth of expertise to drive strategic marketing initiatives and foster brand growth.

Presentation:CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE & RETENTION

In today’s business landscape, staying ahead in the area of Customer Experience (CX) is paramount for securing the sustained success of our organizations over the medium and long term. But why exactly is CX of such significance? How can we effectively measure its impact? And what steps can we take to build a customer centric culture? Join this workshop as we dive into these crucial topics!

Ruediger worked for 11 years in auditing, Mergers & Acquisition consulting and as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) before joining Eden Springs. He joined the bottled water world and Eden Springs 14 years ago. During that time he has spend 11 years as CFO and Group Controller, over 2.5 years as Regional Director of Belgium, Germany, Netherlands and Scandinavia and since January 2023 he has been responsible for European Customer Care.

Presentation:HYGIENE AWARENESS TRAINING COURSE

The WE’s mission is to ensure that its Members offer the highest standards of quality, safety and hygiene to the consumer together with an unimpeachable product and service. The cooler choice Water is a food product – hygiene and safety are essential and strict guidelines must be followed. WE offers their Members this Hygiene Awareness industry specific training course, ensuring that Members produce safe, high-quality products and strictly adhere to European Directives and regulatory and legislative requirements.

At the successful completion of the course the delegate will be able to understand: WE best practice, the hygiene requirements of bottled and plumbed-in water dispensers, the range of food safety legislation, which applies to the water dispenser industry and how it  affects delegates and their employers, the difference between mineral, spring and purified bottled water and water sources for bottled and plumbed-in dispensers, the principles of food safety as applied to water and water dispensers, the food safety hazards involved from bottling and storage to delivery of bottled water and dispensers and the appropriate and necessary control measures, the main ways in which water dispensers can be kept in a hygienic condition, the role of the WE audits.

Exam format: 30-minute multiple choice 15 question exam. A minimum of 9/15 must be achieved for a pass. 
Certification: Issued by the WE 
Validity: 3 years 
Who should attend: Personnel undertaking delivery/sanitisation/sanitary maintenance/plumbed-in installation either at a depot or at the customer’s premises,
Pass mark: 9/15

Based in Barcelona, Spain, Alex has extensive experience in food and water systems. Alex serves as writer or co-writer of different Audit Quality Checklists, Training Materials, Technical Manuals, Sanitation Validation Protocols for different local and European associations. And has been Vice-Chair of different Standards Committee's for local and European Associations. Currently he is Chair of the Technical & Standards Committee and Vice-Chair of Watercoolers Europe Association since April 2023.

Alex holds University degrees in Pharmacy and Food Science & Technology from the University of Barcelona (Spain) and a PDD Executive Education from IESE Business School University of Navarra (Spain). mRPharmS UK from 1998 to 2021.

Prior to joining Primo Water Europe- Eden Springs as a Group Quality Director, he enrolled for 14 years with Oliver Rodes Laboratory, Barcelona (Spain) where he carried out duties in different roles: Bottled Water & Spa’s Manager, Quality Manager, Training and Audit Manager, R&D Project Manager, Product Development Director and Management Committee Member. After that he was NSF Technical Director for 2 years providing training and auditing services for beverage, water contact and food and dietary supplements programs.