WSWA ANNOUNCES JASON MOMOA TO ATTEND 2023 ACCESS LIVE AS KEYNOTE SPEAKER AND TO LAUNCH CRAFT BRAND MEILI VODKA

Momoa will be joined by business partner Blaine Halvorson to share their vision for creating beautiful and sustainable products

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) is pleased to announce movie star, entrepreneur and activist Jason Momoa as the keynote speaker at WSWA's 2023 Access LIVE, formally WSWA's Convention & Exposition. The can't-miss beverage alcohol industry event will be held April 2–5, 2023, at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

"It's an incredible honor to address my new friends and colleagues in the wine and spirits industry as the chosen keynote speaker," said Momoa. "I'm not only proud, but extremely excited to celebrate the launch of Meili Vodka — our new sustainable brand of craft spirits. These three days will center around the elevation of discovery, shared stories and the beauty of new frontiers," he added.

Access LIVE is the industry's leading event, bringing together wholesalers, suppliers, retailers, service providers, importers and exporters all under one roof. It is the place for industry access, unrivaled relationship building, deal making, interactive experiences, content-producing opportunities, celebrity engagement and hot-topic panel discussions.

Momoa will be joined by his business partner and co-founder of Meili VodkaBlaine Halvorson on the showroom floor to share their vision for creating beautiful and sustainable products, as well as introduce those in attendance to Meili. Known as a radical innovator and brand builder, Halvorson is a hands-on creator who dreams up experiences, spaces and tactile collections. Halvorson was the founder of Junk Food Clothing, a global leader in vintage music and nostalgia apparel, which he led to its successful public offering in 2005. In 2013, Halvorson founded his luxury brand, MadeWorn, focused on sustainable manufacturing and locally sourced materials with products entirely made in America. Now, Momoa and Halvorson have joined forces to create a spirits brand where every ingredient is purveyed with the utmost quality and character in mind.

"Jason and I are thrilled to be able to acknowledge and celebrate our partnerships through Access LIVE. We hope to introduce our vision — and the true ethos behind our creation — as we gather new friends to share this incredible journey with," said Halvorson, designer, owner of MadeWorn and co-founder of Meili Vodka. "Just like Meili, we realize sustainability is a core principle within Access LIVE, and we strive to create awareness of sensible and responsible practices moving forward. We plan to set the bar for what's possible within the wine and spirits industry — and lead the marketplace by example as the global standard, inspiring others for decades to come," he added.

WSWA is also pleased to announce a growing list of 2023 sponsors and major industry players such as  Campari, Tito's, Responsibilty.org, Casa Maestri, Celebrity Chef Robert Irvine'sIrvine's Spirits, Actor Shay Mitchell'sOnda, Women of the Vine & Spirits, Pour Agency, Infinium Spirits, Actor Elizabeth Banks'Archer Roose, LPGA Star Annika Sörenstam's Fizzy Beez, Jackson Family Wines, M.S. Walker, Disaronno International, Freixenet Mionetto USA, Hood River Distillers, Inventiv Software, Oracle NetSuite, Pronghorn, Shaw Ross International, Taub Family Companies, GoSpotCheck, just to name a few.

Access LIVE will have a larger media presence than ever before. If you are a member of the news or trade media, please apply for media credentials here.

Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America's (WSWA's) Access LIVE, formally known as the WSWA Annual Convention & Exposition, is the largest U.S. event uniting all tiers of the beverage alcohol industry. Featuring buy-sell engagements, high-level information panels, wine and spirits competitions and C-suite-level networking, this event has been a premier destination for beverage alcohol wholesalers, suppliers and now retailers since its inception in 1943. Distributor attendees represent more than 80% of all wine and spirits sold at wholesale in the United States, and exhibitors are comprised of some of the most exciting established and up-and-coming brands in the marketplace. There is no other event in the industry that rallies so much expertise and networking and so many solutions and opportunities under one roof.

WSWA is the national trade association representing the distribution tier of the wine and spirits industry, dedicated to advancing the interests and independence of distributors and brokers of wine and spirits.

To learn more, please visit accesslive.wswa.org or connect with us across our social platforms on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube or follow us at #AccessLIVE.

MEDIA CONTACT                                                                                                                     
Michael Bilello                                                                                                            
EVP, Strategic Communications & Marketing                                                                      
michael@wswa.org | (202) 716-4805

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SOURCE Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America