PRESSING ON

Even before coronavirus came on the scene, the Kentucky Bourbon Festival (KBF) had a transformation on the horizon. Earlier this year, the festival board announced Randy Prasse as its new president and COO; it was decided that things needed shaking up and, with his 25 years of experience in festival and event management, he was just the person to do it. Now, several months and one pandemic later, the festival is gearing up for its 29th year, with just one more small change: all events are being held online, as the festival goes virtual.

While the festival has certainly achieved great things since its inception nearly three decades ago, it needed modernising, as Randy tells me, “The leadership of the festival, comprised of many representatives from distilleries and from the Bourbon industry, realized a year ago that the festival was not accomplishing what it was intended to do.” The festival board recognised that the