Craft Beer Professionals

Experiential tourism is on the rise, and breweries have a unique opportunity to become must-visit destinations for travelers. This session dives into how breweries can attract new customers, build lasting relationships, and create memorable guest experiences with the help of Harvest Hosts.Join Harvest Hosts employees as they share insider tips and real-world success stories from breweries already leveraging the program. Learn how Harvest Hosts connects breweries with RV travelers who are eager to support small businesses and explore local craft beer scenes.We’ll discuss actionable steps to make your brewery a destination of choice, simple hosting strategies that fit seamlessly into your operations, and the powerful role of word-of-mouth marketing in growing your customer base. Whether you're looking to diversify revenue, attract loyal customers, or create an unforgettable experience, this session will provide valuable insights to help you succeed in 2024.Ali Lindsey, Senior Business Development Manager | Ali joined the Harvest Hosts team with a rich background in sales, business development, and hospitality. Her passion lies in nurturing growing companies and coaching, particularly in expanding Harvest Hosts' Host network. Originally from the suburbs of Manhasset, NY, Ali made a beeline for the Rocky Mountains immediately after college graduation and has resided in Frisco, CO ever since. Finding solace in the great outdoors alongside her husband, Daric, and their daughters, Susie and Jojo, fuels her motivation and contributes to her success in leading the Host Recruitment team.Ashley Fox, Manager - Host Marketing | Ashley Fox is the Host Marketing Manager at Harvest Hosts where her passion for supporting small businesses and travel converges. Through strategic techniques and meaningful partnerships, Ashley works to educate small businesses how 5,600+ breweries, distilleries, wineries, farms, and other unique locations are increasing revenue by partnering with Harvest Hosts. Since joining the team in 2022, Ashley has helped expand the small business network by more than 70%. Ashley is proud to be a part of a company that has helped drive more than $150M+ to farms, wineries, breweries, distilleries, museums, golf courses, and other small businesses across North America. Outside of work, Ashley enjoys hiking, visiting local breweries, and exploring new destinations alongside her husband and their beloved dog.Stay up to date with CBP: http://update.craftbeerprofessionals.org/Join us in-person for CBP ConnectsHalf workshop, half networkingCharlotte, NC | June 9-11, 2025Register now: https://tickets.beertrail.com/e/cbp-connects-charlotte

Buzzwords like "biotransformation" and "thiolized" are thrown around a lot in modern hop forward brewing techniques and products, but what is actually happening during fermentation that makes these aromatic compounds shine? The goal is to get the most terpenes and thiols possible out of your hops, and by learning about the complex mechanisms responsible we can harness the power of yeast to maximize your beers potential.Kyle Somers (he/him) is the Technical Sales Manager for California and the Western US for the Lallemand Brewing division, and the current President of the Northern California district of the Master Brewers Association. He holds an International Brewing Diploma from Siebel Institute of Technology in Chicago and Doemens Academy in Munich, and has ten years of hands-on production brewing experience prior to joining the Lallemand team in 2019, including stints with Firestone Walker, Lagunitas, and Hen House Brewing. He currently lives in Santa Rosa with his wife Kristin and his dog Simcoe. His favorite beer styles are hop forward modern lagers, and when he isn’t hanging around a brewery you can find him backpacking through the Sierras.Stay up to date with CBP:http://update.craftbeerprofessionals.org/Join us in-person for CBP ConnectsHalf workshop, half networkingCharlotte, NC | June 9-11, 2025Register now:https://tickets.beertrail.com/e/cbp-connects-charlotte

In a rapidly shifting market, breweries face the challenge of adapting to survive. This talk explores how thoughtful, strategic branding and package design can be a lifeline, helping breweries make the right moves to reach their target audience. We’ll discuss the value of brand audits to leverage existing equity, identify smart improvement areas, and make informed decisions on hiring the right designer. Discover how investing in design—even when budgets are tight—can strengthen brand presence, foster connections, and ultimately help breweries thrive in the new economy. Key Takeaways: Harness Brand Equity Through Audits: Learn how a brand audit can uncover hidden value, helping you make strategic, equity-driven decisions for cost-effective growth. Identify Smart Improvement Areas: Discover ways to prioritize brand elements that deliver the most impact, ensuring every design choice maximizes value in a tight market. Select the Right Design Partner: Gain insight into what to look for when hiring a designer, ensuring they understand your brand’s goals and can create targeted, audience-focused designs. Design as an Investment, Not an Expense: Understand how thoughtful, strategic design can become a powerful tool for connection and longevity, positioning your brand to thrive through market transitions. Elbongurk Design is a boutique branding and package design agency focused on the food and beverage space. Elbongurk is dedicated to helping brands make a lasting impression through standout, compliant, and market-ready packaging. Elbongurk's founder, Jillian, brings a unique blend of real-world and academic expertise. Before launching Elbongürk, she spent nine years as a tenured professor at a NASAD-accredited university, where she taught brand and package design, product systems, and brand identity. With a background in designing for well-known retail brands like Pottery Barn, Target, and West Elm, she understands the demands of bringing a vision to life in the competitive retail environment. Jillian has also shared her insights at the Craft Brewers Association conference and on industry podcasts, covering topics from beer branding to impactful packaging design. Stay up to date with CBP: ⁠http://update.craftbeerprofessionals.org/⁠ Join us in-person for CBP Connects Half workshop, half networking Charlotte, NC | June 9-11, 2025 Register now: ⁠https://tickets.beertrail.com/e/cbp-connects-charlotte⁠

As more Gen Z consumers reach drinking age each year, breweries face the question: how can they attract this new audience to craft beverages? To effectively appeal to Gen Z, it’s essential to understand their values, drinking habits, and experiences they prioritize—and how these differ from those of previous generations, like millennials. This panel will explore Gen Z’s top priorities in a brand, such as transparency, eco-conscious practices, and community involvement, and how these values can guide marketing strategies. Panelists will discuss the various methods they use to attract more Gen Z consumers who are new to the craft beer space. This includes appealing to their wellness-oriented drinking habits and offering beverage options beyond traditional beer. Key areas of focus will also include Gen Z's use of social media for finding authentic recommendations, along with their preference for budget-friendly options and experiences that go beyond just drinking. This conversation features: Anaïs Quintela (Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co.) Evan Blum (BrewedAt) Michael Crosson (Bitchin' Kitten Brewery) Moderated by: Aaron Sperber (Craft Beer Professionals) Join us in-person for CBP Connects Half workshop, half networking San Diego, CA | December 10-12, 2024 Grab your spot now at cbpconnects.com Stay up to date with CBP: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/kgRIXUf/cbp

In our "What's Going on in..." series we partner with State Guilds to spotlight their current successes, challenges, and trends. There is so much we can learn from one another and we hope these conversations can provide you with valuable insights applicable to your state. Next up: Ohio This conversation features: Carmone Macfarlane (The Phoenix Brewing Co.) John Haggerty (Warped Wing Brewing Co.) Justin Hemminger (Ohio Craft Brewers Association) Mary MacDonald (Ohio Craft Brewers Association) Stay up to date with CBP: http://update.craftbeerprofessionals.org/

Though separated by over 2,500 miles, Coastal Fermentory and Loose Screw Beer Co. share similar experiences as they work toward the October 2024 openings of their second taprooms. In the first half of our conversation, we’ll explore the challenges, processes, successes, and surprises they encountered before serving a pint. In the second half, we’ll examine how their expectations have matched up to the reality of expansion. Whether you're considering adding a new taproom, currently in the process, or looking to learn from two brewery owners with valuable stories to share, join us for a session on expanding during challenging times. This conversation features: Seth Caddell (Coastal Fermentory) Mike Garcia (Loose Screw Beer Co.) Loose Screw Beer Co. is a taproom-centered brewery in Meridian, Idaho, devoted to serving quality craft beer in an inviting atmosphere to all. We're passionate about exceptional customer service and proudly support our local community through various philanthropic efforts, honoring the people who make our city thrive. Coastal Fermentory has been open just shy of 4 years and is located in Newport News, VA. They specialize in Hazy IPAs and consistently giving back to their community through one of their 70 non-profit partners. A brewery opened by 4 friends who love beer, they are always looking for new opportunities to create memorable events and release new beers. Stay up to date with CBP: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/kgRIXUf/cbp

PART 2 Beer is local. In our quest for success, the most impactful efforts often start in your brewery’s own backyard. As our industry evolves, there is immense value in having a local guild to advocate for, support, and provide resources to your area’s breweries. This session will explore the fundamentals of starting a local guild from the ground up and strategies for actively engaging its members. Our guests—experienced guild leaders—will share how they’ve united their beer communities, discuss effective fundraising efforts, and provide valuable lessons learned. Whether you’re looking to start a guild or strengthen your existing network, this session will offer practical takeaways to help you harness the power of local collaboration. This conversation features: Erik Fowler (San Diego Brewers Guild) Karis Roberts (Asheville Brewers Alliance) Matt Rowsell (Long Island Brewers Guild) Moderator: Andrew Coplon (Craft Beer Professionals/Secret Hopper) Support the NC Craft Beer Community of WNC: https://drinkncbeer.org/nc-beer-helene-relief Huge thanks to CDR BeerLab + ABS Commercial for all your support on our Fall Virtual Conference.

In today's dynamic craft beer industry, diversifying revenue streams is more important than ever. As the Director of Business Development for promotional product company, Shore Up Supply, Emily Neville has seen firsthand how the right merch presented and marketed in the right way can be a consistent profit stream for breweries who choose to invest in it. Still, with thousands of items to choose from and exponentially more color and design decisions, it may seem daunting to broach the topic at all. Throw in online inventory management and taproom displays, and is it even worth it? In this session, you'll be handed a strategy for supplier management, ordering timelines, taproom merchandising, and marketing tactics to turn your hoodies and hats into a profit stream. We'll discuss the latest trend and set you up for success to give your patrons mech they can't walk away from! Emily Neville is a graduate of the 4-year merit-based Park Scholarship at NC State University. While in school, Emily started Beer to Bags to transform the thousands of spent malt bags entering landfills into profitable brewery merch. Emily grew the brand to resell in over 200 taprooms, converting 10k+ malt bags since its infancy. Beer to Bags was recently acquired by Hoptown Handles and its sustainable merch arm, Shore Up Supply, in April 2024. Emily is remaining with the brand in a new role as Shore Up’s Director of Business Development. Emily lives with her husband Tyler and dog Oliver in Raleigh, NC. Join us in-person for CBP Connects Half workshop, half networking San Diego, CA | December 10-12, 2024 Grab your spot now at https://cbpconnects.com/ Stay up to date with CBP: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/kgRIXUf/cbp

Join us to learn how to make the most of your specialty grains to reduce costs and improve brewhouse efficiency. The industry is more cognizant of finances, and in this session, you will learn how to use brewing ingredients both more sustainably and innovatively. We will focus closely on alternative techniques as well as sustainable practices. Walk away with actionable insights to enhance your brewing process and bottom line. Country Malt Group is your one stop shop for your everyday brewing and distilling needs. Abi Conner, Product Manager at CMG is in charge of Portfolio Management, Innovation, and New Product Development. Abi will be joined by Patrick Sylvester, Heather Jerred and Tim Roberts, Territory Sales Managers at CMG, as well as Sydney Starkman, Field Sales Manager at CMG. Join us in-person for CBP Connects Half workshop, half networking San Diego, CA | December 10-12, 2024 Grab your spot now at https://cbpconnects.com/

Join a conversation about what Smart Buying is, why it's important, and how you can start implementing it at your brewery this month. It's not something that happens overnight, but we walk through a few real-world examples of changes breweries have made to start Smart Buying and how it saved them money. We'll also focus on a few ways you can start to implement your program and train your staff to do the same. Questions are welcome about things you might be facing when it comes to brewery buying. My name is Dan Klasen and I’m the Founder and President of the Beverage Federation. The Beverage Federation is a Group Purchasing Organization that provides buying services to its craft members. We have a growing membership base of craft brewers looking to find easier ways to operate their brewery without sacrificing quality. Starting the Federation in 2022 has combined my passion for meeting new small business owners, negotiation, and cost-saving programs. I enjoy finding scaled-down solutions that can help not just one of our brewery members but can be applied to our network of members. Join us in-person for CBP Connects Half workshop, half networking San Diego, CA | December 10-12, 2024 Grab your spot now at https://cbpconnects.com/