Having traveled across the world in search of experiences, Australian born Chris Hopkins has been at the forefront of the cocktail resurgence. Cutting his teeth in London before embarking on his US journey, he oversaw large scale beverage programming across hotels, bars, and restaurants as well as leading cocktail development for Bacardi USA. He is the founder of Hashtag Mixology, a creative agency dedicated to helping brands create relevant and inspired recipes for beverage programs on a national scale and DRINx+, a sales focused agency that establishes route to market networks and oversees the launch, growth, and expansion for emerging brands in the National Account, Cruise and Airline sectors.

Native Texan, Edward Allen has a successful history of leading large international teams operating some of the highest grossing restaurants, bars, night clubs, and cruise ships in the world. Over a career spanning more than 25 years, Edward has developed an encyclopedic knowledge of food, wine, spirits, and cocktails and although he has overseen many high-volume accounts, he has a clear track record of championing unique, craft brands and giving them the platform to be discovered. A true hospitality professional, Edward has dedicated his life to creating highly memorable guest experiences.