Heineken USA gathered its distributors this year in Chicago at the historic Oriental Theatre to present their 2017 plans. For brand Heineken, lager is again "in the green," as SVP Heineken Ralph Rijks puts it, with depletions up 1.1% for the first half and non-promoted volume up 2.8%. "We still have work to do," said Ralph. Look for an increase in their focus on soccer (with the Champions League and MLS), and a new three year deal with the International Champions Cup which will hold games in major US cities next summer (and HUSA has secured 10k tickets).