Panel Fest

Presented by Abstrax Hops

11am - Effective Communication Between Departments

For a brewery to see maximum success, effective communication must exist between departments. Unfortunately, there is often a great disconnect between front-of-house and back, and beyond. In this session, we will be joined by panelists across brewery roles to discuss strategies to improve intra-brewery communication.

Panelists: Alison Wisneski (Lady Justice Brewing), Brittany Waiss (KettleHouse Brewing Co.), Jen Tooman (Jamesport Brewing Company), Josh Lindsay (MarketMyBrewery)

Moderator: Andrew Coplon (Craft Beer Professionals/Secret Hopper)

1pm -  Easy Ways Your Brewery Can Be More Accessible & Attract A New Community of Customers

At CBC in Nashville this past May, BA Chief Economist, Bart Watson, encouraged brewery owners / operators to be more creative in finding ways to reach new audiences. An historically underserved community breweries can do a better job of reaching is the disability community. There are three levels of accommodations: ADA compliance, Accessibility & Inclusivity. This session will focus on the difference between the three levels and focus on how breweries can be more accessible to people with disabilities. Creating a great customer experience that accommodates more people is good for the community and the bottom line. ADA compliance is important but is the minimum requirement. Easy to implement, actionable information will be shared by a panel composed of a disability rights advocate, brewery architect, and brewery owner. Attendees of this session will discover how they can appeal to and support customers with disabilities while maintaining the integrity of their existing brewery brand.

Panelists: Dustin Hauck (Hauck Architecture), Kelly Ferketich Weiss (Perkiomen Valley Brewery), Tim McLaughlin (GoTab)

Moderator: Meghan Connolly Haupt (New York State Brewers Association)

3pm - Standardizing Beer Information: Deep Dive in to Best Practices for Sharing Brand Information

Join us for a deep dive discussion on maximizing the impact of your brand communications to better connect with your staff, wholesalers, retailers, consumers and more! We have gathered a group of industry professionals representing different size breweries and priorities to discuss how each of them are ensuring their messaging is heard and discoverable through sales sheets, websites, internal trainings, and more. We will dive into how their brand information is broadcast into the world and explore strategies that you can implement yourselves.

Panelists: Chris Shields (Rhinegeist), Erik Fowler (White Labs), Paige Martin (Second Pitch Beer Co.)

Moderator: Josh Lindsay (BrewLogix)

5pm - Being a Better Leader

In this panel, you’ll learn how to unlock your full leadership potential! Led by Pulkit K. Agrawal of Beer30 by The 5th Ingredient, this panel will include 3 other brewery leaders who have led their teams through the highs and lows.  The four of them will discuss different successes and failures that they have encountered in their leadership journeys. The panel will provide insights on the best practices for driving a team to success while balancing the concerns of each team member!

Panelists: Jen Busch (VP of Finance at Kona Brewing), RJ Tursi (Founder & CEO of Exile Brewing), Hamish Coates (Founder & CEO of Rocky Ridge Brewing) 

Moderator: Pulkit K. Agrawal (Founder & CEO, Beer30 by The 5th Ingredient)

7pm - Future-Proofing Your Brewery: A Conversation on Navigating Change

Let's explore the brewing industry's pressure points and the solutions to tackle them. We'll take a closer look at a wide range of factors that put pressure on the industry, like market competition, changing customer demands, sustainability, technology advancements, and economic fluctuations. Our panelists will shed insight on market forces at large, agronomics, and technology with the goal to better prepare you for the future.

Panelists: Adrian Hot (Blue Point Brewery), Michael Roy (Roy Farms), Ross Hunsinger (Abstrax Hops), Tyler Thurman (Highland Park Brewery)

Moderator: Andrew Coplon (Craft Beer Professionals/Secret Hopper)

 

All time ET. All panels are 60 minutes.

Presented by MarketMyBrewery

11am - A Hall of Fame Collaboration: A Beer to Celebrate the Negro Leagues

Thunder Twins is an all-star collaboration celebrating the legacy of Negro Leagues baseball and supporting inner city educational enrichment and athletics programs. The Thunder Twins, Josh Gibson and Buck Leonard, were teammates on the Homestead Greys, and are two of the most prolific players in Negro Leage history. In this conversation, we will be joined by panelists who represent a Negro Leagues baseball family, and some who also represent their namesake non-profit organizations. They will discuss the campaign’s history, the importance of celebrating the Negro Leagues, strategies to make this collaboration a success, and how you can also step up to the plate.

Panelists: 

Rose Hunter (Stepdaughter of Buck Leonard; CEO, Buck Leonard Association)

Brian Patterson (Grandson of Buck Leonard; COO, Buck Leonard Association)

Joyce Stearnes Thompson (Daughter of Hall of Fame player Turkey Stearnes)

Celeste Beatty (Founder/Owner Harlem Beer)

Jonathan Hunter (Grandson of Buck Leonard and family historian)

Moderator: Julie Rhodes (Not Your Hobby Marketing Solution)

1pm - From Beer and Beyond: Diversifying Beverage Offerings from the Brewhouse

It pays to offer more options. If you are a brewery looking to add more beverages to your taproom, listen in as our experts discuss diversifying beverage portfolios in the craft beer scene. Looking to sell cold-brew in the morning? Or hoping to add a distilling branch to your cellar? Or perhaps you just want to provide gluten-free options to your menu such as cider and seltzer? Our panel of brewers and equipment professionals is here to answer your questions and help get the most from your brewing equipment.

Our panel includes:

- Dahlonega Brewery and Etowah Meadery: Officially formed in July 2016. It is a Veteran owned company geared towards involving the Dahlonega community in as many ways as possible, as well as supporting several great charities, such as multiple Veteran centric organizations and Georgia House Rabbit Society. Located in Dahlonega, the very Heart of Georgia’s Wine Country and Wine Tasting Capital of Georgia, Etowah Meadery gives “wine” a unique buzz! In fact, Etowah's Meads are wines made with only the finest honeys, fruits, and spices!

- Alacrity Brewing: Opening soon, Alacrity Brewing is the brainchild of Paul Medina. As a professional co-packer, Paul has experience brewing a variety of beverages from clients and packaging them according to their standards. His experience with brewing and packaging makes him a wealth of knowledge when it comes to beverages brewing equipment.

- The Ouachitas: Built on a genuine love of Mena, Arkansas and the people who call it home, the Ouachitas is a mixture of culinary and community ambitions. Offering coffee, food, beer, and even the occasional family event, this brewery builds nuanced blends on a weekly basis.

Panelists: Paul Medina and Phil Cutti (Alacrity Brewing), Matt Raymond (Etowah Meadery and Dahlonega Brewery), Traven Bayne (The Ouachitas Roastery and Brewery)

Moderator: Don Marcil and Doug Beedy (Lotus Beverage Alliance)

3pm - Pricing Panel: A Proven Way To Offset Rising Costs

Updating your pricing strategy can sound scary. But what if it’s proven to completely recover your payment processing fees and boost revenue as much as $38k per year?

Hear from a panel of breweries as they share their success stories using Dual Pricing. You’ll learn everything you need to know:

- Learn what Dual Pricing is and how your business benefits
- Understand the reasons other breweries adopted it
- Hear how guests react
- Get statistics on the real costs saved

Join us to get candid about offsetting rising vendor costs.

Panelists: Abigail Malcolm (Co-Owner/General Manager, Zambaldi Beer), Chris Steele (Owner, Blackwater Draw Brewing Co)

Moderator: Loren Bendele (Arryved POS)

5pm - Finding Your Inner Festival: Strategies for Successful Large-Scale Events

Large-scale events, especially festivals, can be quite the feat. Thankfully, we have a panel of industry experts ready to share their experiences. Attendees will walk away with a better understanding on how to create a worthwhile and profitable festival (or other large-scale event) as our speakers discuss tips on how to implement ideas, how to get your staff on board, safety, marketing, and beyond.

Panelists: Heather Kundert (Co-Founder/Director,On The Way Events), Jennifer Breckner (Director of Programs & Special Projects, Strategic Initiatives at the Culinary Institute of America), Kevin McGee (President/CEO, Anderson Valley Brewing Company)

Moderator: Amanda Camp (Ebb & Flow Fermentations/Craft Beer Professionals)

7pm - Brewing and Serving High Quality Beer Safely and Sustainably

As Craft Beer Professionals, you aim to brew and deliver the highest quality beer possible. It is through conversations and continued education that we grow as brewers. Join us for a conversation with Brewers Association Technical Committee members as they discuss ways you can brew and serve high quality beer, both safely and sustainably. They will share strategies on how you can improve your operation and draw attention to key resources that can help you see greater success.

Panelists: 

Adam Beauchamp (Creature Comforts Brewing Co., Brewers Association Sustainability Subcommittee Co-Chair)

Kent Taylor (Blackstone Brewing Company, Brewers Association Engineering Subcommittee Co-Chair)

Larry Horwitz (Crooked Hammock Brewery, Brewers Association Draught Beer Quality Subcommittee Chair)

Zach Perrotte (Untold Brewing, Co-Chair of the Brewers Association’s Safety Subcommittee)

Moderator: Mitch Steele (New Realm Brewing Company, Brewers Association Supply Chain Subcommittee Chair. Member of the Brewers Association Board of Directors)

All panelists, including Mitch, are also members of the Brewers Association Technical Committee

 

All time ET. All panels are 60 minutes.