Craft Beer Professionals

Paul Verdu spent much of his early career at places like Constellation Beer, SABMiller, and Tenth and Blake Beer Co, the craft beer division of Molson Coors Beverage Company. Today, he serves as President of Wisconsin Brewing Company. We’re excited to chat with Paul about what he has learned over his career and the differences across all the organizations where he has spent time. Paul will discuss the importance of brand building, portfolio management, how to define success, quality and consistency, and the importance of focusing on your people. Paul and his wife Lynn have three college aged children and live in Delafield, Wisconsin. At any given time you’ll find them enjoying lake life with family and friends, travelling, seeking out great new food finds, cooking, firing up the grill and smoker or supporting their favorite baseball, football, basketball or soccer teams.

Rated a near 10/10 by 2022 attendees and awarded Best Craft Beer Industry Event by the Craft Beer Marketing Awards, CBP Connects needs to be on your schedule for this June 19-21 in Milwaukee, WI. To get you even more excited for our workshop, join us for a conversation with upcoming presenters to discuss the value of intimate industry events, the ROI of networking, and the skills for success they believe are most important in the current state of craft beer. This conversation features: Brian Winkeler (Robot House) Chris Overlay (Get Hoptimized) Maria Pearman (GHJ Advisors) Meg Ellis (Texas Craft Brewers Guild) Join us in-person for CBP Connects | Half workshop, half networking Milwaukee, WI | June 19-21, 2023 Grab your spot now: https://CBPconnects-milwaukee.eventbrite.com

In his book, The Power of Strangers, Joe Keohane sets out on a journey to discover what happens when we bridge the distance between us and people we don’t know. He learns that while we’re wired to sometimes fear, distrust, and even hate strangers, people and societies that have learned to connect with strangers benefit immensely. In this conversation, we will speak with Joe about the importance of strangers, relationships, and how you can build a community at your brewery. Joe Keohane is the author of The Power of Strangers: The Benefits of Connecting in a Suspicious World--which was somehow called "possibly life-changing" by both Kirkus Reviews and bestselling author Kurt Andersen. He's also the coauthor of The Lemon, one of the most anticipated novels of 2023, which prompted Bob Odenkirk to comment, "I loved it." Keohane is a veteran journalist who has worked as an editor at Medium, Esquire, Entrepreneur, and Hemispheres. His writing—on everything from politics, to travel, to social science, business, and technology—has appeared in New York magazine, The Boston Globe, The New Yorker, Wired, Boston magazine, and The New Republic. He is currently at work adapting The Lemon for television, and lives in New York with his family. Read the book: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-power-of-strangers-the-benefits-of-connecting-in-a-suspicious-world-joe-keohane/14412974?ean=9781984855794 Join us in-person for CBP Connects | Half workshop, half networking Milwaukee, WI | June 19-21, 2023 Grab your spot now at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cbp-connects-milwaukee-presented-by-arryved-pos-june-19-21-2023-tickets-420534529097

Kids in breweries? How have we never had a panel conversation on best practices to keep the children at bay? Inspired by the below quote from a recent email I received, this session will discuss strategies to maintain a family-friendly and properly behaved environment. "I'd love some ideas and advice on how to handle new age parents that want to free range their children while drinking in our taproom." We will dive into strategies for success, lessons learned, and how to maximize the experience for everyone in your taproom. This conversation features: Abby Malcolm (Zambaldi Beer) Casey LeFever (4 Noses Brewing) Danny Sample (Siluria Brewing) Jen Bock (Bock Family Brewing) Jeremy Flounder Lees (Flounder Brewing) Join us in-person for CBP Connects | Half workshop, half networking Milwaukee, WI | June 19-21, 2023 Grab your spot now at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cbp-connects-milwaukee-presented-by-arryved-pos-june-19-21-2023-tickets-420534529097

You don't want to miss CBP Connects Milwaukee presented by Arryved POS this June 19-21. This is your opportunity to connect face-to-face with your fellow Craft Beer Professionals and leave with actionable strategies to see greater success. This is a not to miss intimate experience that includes 12 sessions, 3 nightly receptions, a trade show, and more. Grab your spot now at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cbp-connects-milwaukee-presented-by-arryved-pos-june-19-21-2023-tickets-420534529097

Based in Williamsburg, the Virginia Beer Company was started by two William and Mary alumni who wanted to create a force for good in the form of a brewery. Their company slogan is 'Beer - People - Purpose' and they actively work with dozens of nonprofits and support charities that are close to their team and communities. They recently finished a rebrand that was over a year in the making, and includes the addition of a new flagship beer. The rebrand comes not too long after officially expanding distribution to touch every part of the state of Virginia. They truly want to be known as Virginia's craft brewery. In this session, we will be joined by co-founders Chris Smith and Robby Wiley to discuss their evolution, need for constant innovation, and future. Chris and Robby met while attending The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. After several years of post-graduation corporate drudgery they took fate into their own hands by returning to their college roots and co-founding The Virginia Beer Company. Over the past seven years the brewery has become a mainstay across Virginia through steadfast dedication to their three core tenets: Beer • People • Purpose. Robby oversees sales and marketing efforts, taproom operations, and community partnerships, while Chris handles operations, finance and accounting, and export sales. Join us in-person for CBP Connects | Half workshop, half networking Milwaukee, WI | June 19-21, 2023 Grab your spot now at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cbp-connects-milwaukee-presented-by-arryved-pos-june-19-21-2023-tickets-420534529097 [Stay up to date with CBP] https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/kgRIXUf/cbp

Small town doesn't have to mean small profits. In this conversation, we will be joined by representatives from small town breweries from across the country. From customer preferences to events to marketing, we will discuss strategies our guests have used to build relationships and grow their bottom line. This conversation features: Briana Doyle (Microbrasserie Cardinal) Douglas Toth (Rendezvous Brewing) Dylan Badger (Ausable Brewing Co) Rick Horton (The Outlaw Brewing Company) Join us in-person for CBP Connects | Half workshop, half networking Milwaukee, WI | June 19-21, 2023 Grab your spot now at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cbp-connects-milwaukee-presented-by-arryved-pos-june-19-21-2023-tickets-420534529097

In this talk, we will discuss the wide range of benefits for both breweries and brewers, when brewhouse staff creates video content for Youtube and other social media platforms. Creating video content for YouTube is a great way for brewers to connect with their customers, build their personal brand, and differentiate the company's brand from the competition. Launching this type of initiative does not require significant capital expenditure, and the rewards can be significant. I will explain the path I took in my content creation journey, and present the blueprint I used to grow my online presence. Join us in-person for CBP Connects | Half workshop, half networking Milwaukee, WI | June 19-21, 2023 Grab your spot now at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cbp-connects-milwaukee-presented-by-arryved-pos-june-19-21-2023-tickets-420534529097

Join us for a conversation with Tyler Wille (CEO, Iron Heart Canning) to discuss the evolution of mobile canning over the last decade. We will speak with Tyler about his entrepreneurial journey, insight and knowledge, and look at what he predicts for the future of canning. Join us in-person for CBP Connects | Half workshop, half networking Milwaukee, WI | June 19-21, 2023 Grab your spot now at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cbp-connects-milwaukee-presented-by-arryved-pos-june-19-21-2023-tickets-420534529097 [Stay up to date with CBP]

This presentation is about helping ‘craft owners/operators' accomplish two things, 1) creating a purchasing playbook for their business and 2) developing clear near-term actions they can take back to their brewery/distillery/etc. The discussion starts with outlining how organizations can use a few simple documents to create the necessary data to drive a procurement process. Specifically, starting to outline their current state of costs; what are they buying, from who, per unit cost, etc. (Free downloadable template to be provided) With both a playbook and content/data established – Negotiating is the next topic. Many people are uncomfortable with negotiating. This presentation will touch on reframing this approach to working with your suppliers. Less on either, ‘us vs them’ or the ‘supplier friendship’ issue and more on approaching negotiation with transparency. Also, we’ll review a host of things that a small craft business can negotiate on besides just price. Lastly, rounding out the purchasing playbook discussion is how to think of cost savings exercises as important as increasing sales. Now, more than ever, it’s critical for the craft industry to realize that the challenges of supply chain, inflation, and increased competition aren’t going away. But cost reduction measures can help organizations avoid the trap of working harder for less money. A purchasing playbook can be a great tool to help you do more in years to come without impacting your craft. We’ll share benchmark percentages for running a lean operation that creates a foundation to build on. Who should attend? New craft owners, those thinking to start a business, or legacy craft experts - all could find a tip or two on how to create/update their playbook to address the challenges ahead for 2023. My name is Dan Klasen and I’m the Founder and President of the Beer & Wine Federation (BWF). The BWF is a Group Purchasing Organization that provides procurement services to its craft members, focused heavily on cost savings measures. Starting the BWF has combined my passion for meeting new small business owners, negotiation, and cost-saving programs. I have worked with every size organization in my career, from small family-run companies to fortune 500 businesses. As I moved from a technology firm, to sales, to project management, to purchasing in a large manufacturing company – I was continually drawn to talking to people about what it would take to get the project done right and on budget. Specifically, how could I share best practices and improve the outcomes. I recently completed my MBA with a focus on negotiation and finance. And when I’m not meeting new breweries and wineries to discuss purchasing strategies on running lean, I spend my weekends trying to convince my two little girls that Mario Kart (N64) is the best video game ever created. Join us in-person for CBP Connects | Half workshop, half networking Milwaukee, WI | June 19-21, 2023 Grab your spot now at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cbp-connects-milwaukee-presented-by-arryved-pos-june-19-21-2023-tickets-420534529097