Craft Beer Professionals

We can’t wait to share beers and see you in person in Philadelphia. We kick off CBC Week with our Welcome Party on April 20 at Yards Brewing Company.RSVP: https://craftbeerprofessionals.org/philly-rsvp/In this conversation, we will be joined by several of our event partners to discuss how to best plan for CBC, the importance of in-person events, and how to make it a success. Don't miss tips by a couple Philly locals and strategies to make the most of the conference.This conversation features:Dana Martin (Yards Brewing Company)David Poimboeuf (WHC Lab)Evan Blum (BrewedAt)Pulkit K. Agrawal (Beer30 by the 5th Ingredient)Join us in person for CBP Connects ChicagoJune 15-17, 2026Come get inspired, leave with actionable strategies:https://cbpconnects.com/

Self-distribution gives breweries the opportunity to take control of their growth, margins, and brand experience. It also comes with unique challenges. BrewMan has helped Breweries across the globe self-distribute successfully. In this presentation we will share a practical, insight-driven advice designed to help breweries build and run an effective self-distribution operation with confidence.This session explores the key elements of successful self-distribution, from optimizing customer data and to setting up smart delivery routes. Attendees will gain a clear understanding of how to balance sales, logistics, and compliance while maintaining consistent service and product quality.BrewMan shares real-world experience and proven strategies to help breweries improve efficiency, avoid common pitfalls, and develop a distribution model that supports long-term growth. The presentation focuses on actionable ideas, whether you are launching self-distribution for the first time or refining an established approach.Ideal for brewery owners, managers, and sales teams, this session provides the knowledge and practical tools needed to make self-distribution a sustainable and profitable part of your business. Attendees will leave with a clearer roadmap for strengthening their distribution strategy and expanding their market reach.James Gardner is the CEO of Premier Systems Ltd, the developer of BrewMan brewery management software used by hundreds of breweries worldwide. With a strong background in brewery technology and operations, James is very hands-on and works closely with brewers to help them streamline production, distribution, stock control, and business management through practical software solutions.Premier Systems has been providing specialist business software for the brewing industry for decades, with BrewMan offering integrated tools for inventory management, TTB reporting, CRM, and distribution planning.James is passionate about helping breweries operate more efficiently and grow sustainably, combining industry knowledge with technology to support brewers of all sizes.Join us in person for CBP Connects ChicagoJune 15-17, 2026Come get inspired, leave with actionable strategies: https://cbpconnects.com/Stay up to date with CBP: http://update.craftbeerprofessionals.org

If you're an established Brewery Owner, Operator, or Investor and find yourself asking either "How do we get profitable?" or "How profitable can we get?" you'll find exactly those answers in this session.With a wide range of different brewery types and sizes, true apples-to-apples comparisons are rare, and many owners end up flying blind, running the business with a finger to the wind. Instead, in this session we’ll use our Brewery Benchmarks Model, built on data from our work with 285+ breweries across the country, to give clarity on the most important financial benchmarks brewery owners need to know.By the end of the session, you’ll know how you compare to your peers, where your biggest profit opportunities are, and how to avoid the mistakes most common to your model. Our goal is to help eliminate the guesswork, so you can make confident decisions and run a profitable business, regardless of size, age, or market conditions.Chris Farmand got his start in 2010 helping a new brewery build its back-office systems, a firsthand look at how complex running a brewery can be. That experience led him to found Small Batch Standard. He’s worked with more than 200 breweries, helping them uncover profit through outsourced accounting, tax compliance, and benchmark consulting. Chris holds a BS in Business Finance from the University of Florida and an MBA from the University of North Florida, and is an active member of both the AICPA and FICPA.Join us in person for CBP Connects ChicagoJune 15-17, 2026Come get inspired, leave with actionable strategies: https://cbpconnects.com/

The American Craft Beer Hall of Fame is proud to announce its 2026 group of inductees. This highly anticipated event will celebrate the trailblazers, innovators, and visionaries who have made significant contributions to the craft beer movement in the United States.The American Craft Beer Hall of Fame was established to recognize and celebrate those who have significantly contributed to the evolution of craft beer in the United States. From brewers to advocates, to educators and entrepreneurs, the Hall of Fame honors individuals and organizations whose dedication and innovations have shaped the American craft beer landscape through the decades. For more information, please visit the Hall's website: https://www.americancraftbeerhalloffame.com/

In our “What’s Going on in…” series, we partner with State Guilds to spotlight current successes, challenges, and trends in their beer communities. There’s so much we can learn from each other, and these conversations are designed to give you valuable insights that can be applied in your own state.Next up: ArizonaThis conversation features:Andrew Bauman (Arizona Craft Brewers Guild)Mitch Penney (Parry's Pizzeria and Taphouse)Ryan Whitten (8-Bit Aleworks)Join us in person for CBP Connects ChicagoJune 15-17, 2026Come get inspired, leave with actionable strategies: https://cbpconnects.com/

Join us for a live conversation with Maddison Violet, co owner of Ve Oh Lay Acres Winery and Farm in Canada’s Okanagan region. We will explore her journey from barback to opening a multimillion dollar winery, the tasting room experience her team has built, and how their non alcoholic wine line is driving new growth. Maddison will also share the strategies she uses to grow both personally and professionally. This conversation looks beyond the beer bubble to bring a fresh perspective from a different but closely related corner of the beverage world.Maddison Violet is a winemaker and beverage entrepreneur captivated by the intersection of thoughtful craft, hospitality, and innovation. With experience ranging from harvests in New Zealand and Australia to building Ve Oh Lay Acres Winery and Farm in the Okanagan, she has carved a path that blends unforgettable drinks with building dynamic brands people connect with.She has been recognized as a IWSC WSET Future 50 Under 40, Business Elites Top 40 Under 40, Penticton Top 40 Under 40, and Kelowna Women in Business Woman of the Year finalist. Her journey spans from starting as a barback at 21, to opening a multimillion dollar winery by 29, to now pioneering Muse, Canada’s most innovative non alcoholic wine brand with a functional beverage spinoff.Join us in person for CBP Connects ChicagoJune 15-17, 2026Come get inspired, leave with actionable strategies: https://cbpconnects.com/

More butts in seats, stronger loyalty, and a clearer picture of who your guests really are. What started as the Charlottesville Ale Trail has evolved into a passport program that helps beer trails move beyond simple maps and into measurable taproom traffic. In this conversation, we’ll walk through how to set up and sustain a passport program that breweries want to participate in and guests are excited to use. We’ll cover engagement tactics, the data you can collect along the way, and how these programs can support economic impact stories and grant applications.Todd Wickersty is the Executive Director of the Charlottesville Ale Trail and co-founder of LoyalBrew, a digital passport platform designed for food and beverage trails. He helped launch the Charlottesville Ale Trail in 2018 and continues to lead its growth and community partnerships eight years later. During the pandemic, Todd and his business partner created a digital passport for the Ale Trail to help local breweries stay connected with visitors. That innovation evolved into LoyalBrew, now used by tourism organizations and beverage trails across the country to inspire exploration and support small businesses.Join us in person for CBP Connects ChicagoJune 15-17, 2026Come get inspired, leave with actionable strategies: https://cbpconnects.com/

Marty Nachel has been a familiar name in craft beer for decades as a writer, judge, educator, and someone who has logged visits to more than six hundred breweries. He just released The Beer Story Project, a collection of memories and moments from more than a hundred people who have lived through the rise of American craft beer. The book captures the personalities, crossroads, and behind the scenes stories that helped shape the industry we work in today. In our conversation, we will dig into why he put this project together.Marty Nachel has spent nearly four decades shaping how we understand beer. He is a certified judge, award winning writer, and respected educator whose career includes judging at the Great American Beer Festival, World Beer Cup, and international competitions across three continents. Marty has authored several influential books including Beer for Dummies, Homebrewing for Dummies, and The Beer Story Project. He has also taught craft beer courses, trained industry teams, and founded the American Craft Beer Hall of Fame.Stay up to date with CBP: http://update.craftbeerprofessionals.org

When brewing, you follow a scientific process. You know what yeast characteristics will yield what flavor profiles, and how to intervene if fermentation isn’t progressing properly. Why should the people side of your business be any different? This session will serve as a crash course in evidence-based, repeatable best practices for selecting employees with the right traits, skills, attitudes, and competencies to help you meet your business objectives.We’ll cover how to:• Find the perfect recipe: discuss how to determine which combination of knowledge, skills, abilities, and attributes are most important in your key roles.• Gather your equipment: review various selection methods (interviewing, assessments, etc.), and learn the strengths, limitations, and appropriate uses of each• Take measurements: Investigate various methods and metrics for measuring and quantifying the impact of your selection strategy to your operational budget.As a measurement strategist, Whitney Martin’s passion and expertise lies in the field of surveys and assessments. A self-professed “data nerd,” Whitney has a Master’s degree in the area of Human Resources Measurement and Evaluation and has conducted extensive research on the predictive validity of various hiring assessment strategies.Thanks to over a decade functioning as a “vendor-agnostic” consultant, Whitney provides a unique perspective on the broad landscape of the testing and assessment industry, and employee selection strategies, in general. She is a firm believer that there are no one-size-fits-all “best” products, and that tools and vendors should be selected based on their ability to solve a specific problem. She spends much of her time studying the available tools in the marketplace, scrutinizing the science, and analyzing the strengths, weaknesses, and appropriate uses for each.Whitney has been a highly rated speaker at several National HR Conferences and has authored articles on assessments for several books and publications, including Harvard Business Review. She is a member of the Society for Industrial & Organizational Psychology (SIOP) and has two decades of experience working in the assessment industry.Stay up to date with CBP: http://update.craftbeerprofessionals.org

Pilot Project was created to support talented brewers in an industry with exceptionally high barriers to entry. Modeled after the music industry, Pilot helps launch and scale start up breweries by supporting recipe development, production scaling, business operations, marketing, distribution, and more. In this live conversation, Pilot Project co-founder Dan Abel will share how this model came to life, how it continues to evolve, and how he is working to change the structure of the brewing industry while offering insight into what’s next for both Pilot and beer more broadly.Since its inception, Pilot Project has helped launch 20 beverage brands, including nationally recognized names like women founded Luna Bay Hard Kombucha and ROVM Hard Kombucha, Black owned Funkytown Brewery, travel inspired Brewer’s Kitchen, Indian led Azadi Brewing, Donna’s Pickle Beer, and others. Pilot has also supported Mash Gang’s expansion to the US from the UK and helped bring Mexico City based Cerveceria Paracaidista stateside. Today, Pilot operates breweries and tasting rooms in Chicago and Milwaukee, including a 70,000 square foot Milwaukee facility acquired following an $8M expansion focused seed round, plus a newly opened second Chicago location in Wrigleyville. Most recently, Pilot’s non alcoholic brand Years announced a partnership with John Mulaney.Stay up to date with CBP: http://update.craftbeerprofessionals.org