Craft Beer Professionals

As we gear up for our Spring Virtual Conference (April 3-5), we are excited to bring together 3 of our presenters for a conversation that will discuss current challenges and opportunities our industry is facing, changing consumer preferences, and even the role of ChatGPT in today's market. This conversation will discuss the changing landscape and also thoughts on closures. This conversation features: Aaron Gore (Bevana) Fred Kaplan (Stony Hill Advisors) Scott Kolbe (Market Your Craft) Join us in-person for CBP Connects | Half workshop, half networking Milwaukee, WI | June 19-21, 2023 Grab your spot now at https://cbpconnects-milwaukee.eventbrite.com/

As we gear up for our Spring Virtual Conference (April 3-5), we are excited to bring together 3 of our presenters for a conversation that spans everything from energy drinks to education to efficiencies. Join us as we have a roundtable discussing the current state of craft beer. This conversation features: Charlie Cole (Great Revivalist Brew Lab) Dan Klasen (Beer and Wine Federation) Jon Childress (BarTrack) Join us in-person for CBP Connects | Half workshop, half networking Milwaukee, WI | June 19-21, 2023 Grab your spot now at https://cbpconnects-milwaukee.eventbrite.com/

Geary Brewing Co., the oldest in Maine, in was founded in 1983. Forty years later they are still innovating under the leadership of Alan and Robin Lapoint. The Lapoints launched the non-alcoholic 1820 Brewing Co. to bring their time honored brewing capabilities and quality to this special market sector to offer craft beer drinkers new options to support their modern lifestyle choices. Today, we will learn about the Lapoint's history, why they started an NA brand, and how the desire to do good has fueled their success. Join us in-person for CBP Connects | Half workshop, half networking Milwaukee, WI | June 19-21, 2023 Grab your spot now at https://cbpconnects-milwaukee.eventbrite.com/

In this session, we are joined by Roger Beaudoin, CEO of Restaurant Rockstars, for a conversation on what taprooms can learn from our restaurant industry counterparts. We will discuss logistics to consider when opening your taproom, finances, and staff training tips. Roger will also offer thoughts on big picture marketing, efficiencies, and how to find lucrative profit centers. Tune into this entertaining and engaging session as Roger shares his insight on creating a profitable food menu, customer affinity, and showmanship. There's even mentions of garlic knots and lottery tickets. There is so much we can learn from other industries, and Roger will offer his insight on how you can see greater success. Learn more: https://restaurantrockstars.com/joinacademy/ Join us in-person for CBP Connects | Half workshop, half networking Milwaukee, WI | June 19-21, 2023 Grab your spot now at https://cbpconnects-milwaukee.eventbrite.com/

Chocolate has long been viewed as a childhood treat or a pick-me-up on a bad day rather than an agriculturally-rooted, craft-driven product displaying variety and nuance. A new wave of craft chocolate makers are doing for the chocolate world what craft brewers have done for American beer. And the really good news? Beer and chocolate pair great together. In this presentation, beer writer and Bean to Barstool creator and host David Nilsen will share everything you need to start a beer and chocolate pairing program at your brewery. David will discuss how the flavors of beer and chocolate can pair together and walk through the logistical and technical details of setting up both stand-alone pairing events and an ongoing retail pairing program. Along the way, he'll discuss the partnership opportunities with bean to bar and other craft chocolate makers, and how these can be utilizing in marketing and parlayed into other forms of collaboration. David Nilsen is a beer writer living near Dayton, Ohio. He is an Advanced Cicerone and an award-winning member of the North American Guild of Beer Writers, as well as a member of the National Book Critics Circle. In 2020, he created Bean to Barstool, a podcast and blog celebrating the intersections of craft beer and craft chocolate. He leads beer and chocolate pairings at breweries and bars, and in 2021 published the Pairing Beer & Chocolate zine, the only printed guide to pairing beer and chocolate, and the zine was included in Forbes' year-end list of the best beer and booze books of 2022. Learn more about David and Bean to Barstool: https://www.beantobarstool.com/ Order from Bar & Cocoa: tinyurl.com/ypvb3yn3 Join us in-person for CBP Connects | Half workshop, half networking Milwaukee, WI | June 19-21, 2023 Grab your spot now at https://cbpconnects-milwaukee.eventbrite.com/

A strong public relations campaign can help build your brewery’s brand, keep customers walking through the door and coming back for more. With the media landscape ever evolving, getting exposure requires a nuanced balance of persistence and sustained outreach. From earned to owned to social media, how can your brand benefit from PR and what are the successful strategies the can help amplify your business? Abby will provide tangible takeaways for breweries to ramp up their media efforts and start making headlines. Abby Cohen is an Executive Vice President at Rosen Group. For nearly a decade, she handled media relations for the Brewers Association, promoting its members, events, data, legislative initiatives and more. She currently works with breweries, as well as beverage and restaurant technology companies, to promote their brands, businesses and products. Rosen Group is a full-service public relations firm headquartered in New York City focused on media awareness and thought leadership with extensive experience in the beverage, epicurean, and cannabis industries., as well as industry associations, policy-driven media outlets, and sustainability-focused issues. Join us in-person for CBP Connects | Half workshop, half networking Milwaukee, WI | June 19-21, 2023 Grab your spot now at https://cbpconnects-milwaukee.eventbrite.com/

Inspired by a recent CBP thread, this session will discuss how to not only set guest expectations, but to go above and beyond. We will dive into staff training, customer interactions, and strategies you can implement to create the most memorable and profitable experience.   This conversation features:  Casey LeFever (4 Noses Brewing)  Erica Baca (Coal Mine Ave Brewing Company)  Jim Christian (Savannah River Brewing Company)  Nick Rainey (Triptych Brewing)  Tiare Austin (Walking Stick Brewing) Join us in-person for CBP Connects | Half workshop, half networking  Milwaukee, WI | June 19-21, 2023  Grab your spot now at https://cbpconnects-milwaukee.eventbrite.com/

When was the last time you reviewed and updated your craft brewery’s employee handbook? Does your craft brewery even have an employee handbook? If you have even one employee, your business is large enough to need an employee handbook. It the key document that outlines expectations for employees and management. While you may be tempted to search for a handbook template on the internet, this will likely provide a foundation that is outdated, illegal, or fails to comply with the laws of your specific state. Moreover, an off-the-shelf solution misses a key communication opportunity with your new and existing employees. You need to craft a customized handbook that documents the guidelines and expectations between your organization and your employees. If you do not pay careful attention to your handbook’s contents, you might violate the law, alienate employees, and invite lawsuits. In this informative webinar, you will learn about all the key policies that should be included in your brewery or taproom’s employee handbook, and how to avoid the biggest mistakes that employers keep making in handbook drafting. Investing in a quality (and legally compliant) employee handbook is one of the best investments you can make in your employees. Start A Brewery is a collaboration amongst a fun group of craft beer industry veterans who are often invited to speak at beer business / brewing education programs. Each has offered to share their knowledge and experience to support the craft beer community as a whole by helping fledgling breweries in planning. Conceived and coordinated by Candace L. Moon, The Craft Beer Attorney, and Laura Lodge of Customized Craft Beer Programs, StartABrewery.com is provided as a free educational resource for those dreaming of opening a brewery, those who are taking steps to make their dream a reality, and those who are opening their brewery doors and living it. Join us in-person for CBP Connects | Half workshop, half networking Milwaukee, WI | June 19-21, 2023 Grab your spot now at https://cbpconnects-milwaukee.eventbrite.com/

Join us for a lively, interactive discussion on how to use communication tools and methods to your advantage to bring people together to get work done. How much of your time has been wasted in meetings for the sake of meetings with minimal results and greater chaos? Is your email inbox overflowing with endless threads of tangled “reply alls” and forwards? In today’s virtual, fast-paced business world, there are endless ways to communicate. How you select which ones and when you apply them effectively across different teams and scenarios is essential. This session will inspire you with practical, inclusive ways to improve the effectiveness of your internal communication and may serve as a mental health check-up for your entire company. Dana Kaluzny (she/her) wants people to enjoy coming together for beer and work that matters. She the Co-Founder and Co-Owner of Endswell Beer and provides business consulting for anyone running a business with someone they care about. After 15 years of experience working in for-profit and not-for-profit, founding two small businesses (including a brewery with her partner in life and love), all while raising two boys, she knows how to juggle personal and professional. She supports businesses with a founder-first approach focused on the two areas that make or break both relationships and businesses - systems and communication. She is a founding partner of the Safe Bars P.A.C.T. Initiative. With over 2 decades of experience in the food and beverage industry, Julie Rhodes is an authority on beverage sales, digital marketing, leadership, and distributor partnership management. She is the owner of Not Your Hobby Marketing Solutions, an educational services, and strategic business consulting company built specifically for growing craft beverage brands, where she teaches small to medium-sized beverage alcohol companies how to work smarter, not harder, in order to achieve long term growth. In addition to being an educator and strategic advisor, she is also a business writer, public speaker, is Cicerone Certified, a national committee chair and local chapter leader within Pink Boots Society, and a mentor for the Brewers Association and on the BA DEI Marketing & Communications Subcommittee, the North American Guild of Beer Writers, the American Cider Association, Women of the Vine & Spirits and multiple state brewery guilds. When not working, you can find her spending time with her husband and two boys in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado or on the couch watching sci-fi movies. Join us in-person for CBP Connects | Half workshop, half networking Milwaukee, WI | June 19-21, 2023 Grab your spot now at https://cbpconnects-milwaukee.eventbrite.com/

This conversation is a behind the scenes look at the Taproom Success Membership. The Taproom Success community is dedicated to providing you with the tools for greater taproom success. You can learn more here. Dylan Mazurkiewicz has been at Lakefront for 10+ years, and has held many roles - from Gift Shop and Tour Guide work, to creating our Tour Manager position, and now onto On-site Business Development. Currently, he is responsible for the guest experience in the Beer Hall including the restaurant and the tour operation, overseeing 50+ employees. He has helped create many successful recurring events here including our Keg Stand Up comedy showcase and their popular Drag Queen Bingo event. In this conversation, we will learn about Lakefront's 35 year history, the importance of brewery tours, the recipe for their success, and discuss best practices for launching tours at your brewery. We will be hosting a June 20 reception at Lakefront Brewery as past of CBP Connects Milwaukee. You don't want to miss this experience! Join us in-person for CBP Connects | Half workshop, half networking  Milwaukee, WI | June 19-21, 2023  Grab your spot now at https://cbpconnects-milwaukee.eventbrite.com/