Attending conference events requires you to have your registration credentials. Please stop by and pickup your badge and registration materials upon your arrival.
Thursday May 3, 2012
8:00 am – 5:00 pm
8:15 am – 9:30 am
9:15 am – 11:00 am
Opening Keynote Address/General Session
Conference Opening Remarks
Charlie Papazian
President, Brewers Association
Brewers Association Awards Presentation
Dick Cantwell, Emcee
President & Head Brewer, Elysian Brewing Co.
State of the Craft Brewing Industry
Paul Gatza
Director, Brewers Association
Keynote Speaker
Steve Hindy
Chairman and President, Brooklyn Brewery
In his keynote address, Hindy is anticipated to discuss his passion for beer during dangerous times as a foreign correspondent and why he chose to start a brewery in Brooklyn, especially at a time when there was no real roadmap for brewing entrepreneurs. He’ll also relate lessons learned along the way, the decision to expand in Brooklyn, as well as the importance of strong relationships with local, state and federal legislators.
11:00 am – 11:30 am
Book Signing: Steve Hindy
Beer School: Bottling Success at the Brooklyn Brewery
Tales of entrepreneurship, mistakes and triumphs, as told by Brooklyn Brewery founders Steve Hindy and Tom Potter.
11:00 am – 5:00 pm
BrewExpo America
Complimentary lunch and beer provided.
This is your chance to shop the products and services of over 250 industry suppliers—all in one location!
11:30 am – 1:00 pm
Sponsored Demonstration – Spiegelau, USA Ltd.- Crystal of America
Sponsored by:
Spiegelau, USA Ltd.- Crystal of America
Forever change the way you think about serving and enjoying craft beer. The Spiegelau Beer Connoisseur tasting seminar shows you how. Learn firsthand how color, clarity, aroma, temperature and effervescence are all dramatically enhanced with Spiegelau glass versus the standard type of beer glasses we have all become accustomed too. Come enjoy Craft Beer the way it was intended to be and go home with a beautiful Spiegelau Beer Connoisseur 4- piece set to keep!
11:30 am – 1:00 pm
11:30 am – 1:00 pm
Sponsored Demonstration – O-I
Sponsored by:
O-I
11:30 am – 1:00 pm
Sponsored Demonstration – DRAFT Magazine
Sponsored by:
DRAFT Magazine
Get Noticed By the Media! – Effective Ways to Spread the Word about Your Brand -
You know your beer is great, and you want the world to know it, too. So, how do you get your brewery’s name in print? In this seminar, we’ll discuss the best methods for communicating with the media and garnering the attention you want for your brand. We’ll also explore the relationship between you and journalists, the reasons some news items get covered and others don’t, and the important line between advertising and editorial. Plus, we’ll share helpful tips on how to effectively tell your story for optimum coverage.
11:30 am – 1:00 pm
Sponsored Demonstration – Inland Label
Sponsored by:
Inland Label
Inland Label will once again be conducting their informative Beer Labels 101 class at this year’s Craft Brewers Conference. The interactive class will cover the overall process of having labels produced as well as the different label types utilized in the Craft Brewing industry. Discussion will address the print processes used to create those labels and key things to think about when considering product labels for craft beer products.
12:00 pm – 3:30 pm
1:30 pm – 2:00 pm
Book Signing: Charlie Papazian
Complete Joy of Homebrewing, Homebrewers Gold, Microbrewed Adventures, The Homebrewers Companion
Papazian, known as the founder of modern homebrewing, shares his love of homebrewing and craft beer in four different volumes that every brewer should have on their book shelf.
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Employee Ownership
This panel will discuss how employee ownership can be used in the craft brewing industry as both a succession planning tool and a way to improve brewery performance.
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Maintaining Quality in the Field
This seminar will discuss how to develop a post-brewery quality program. As the craft beer industry grows, craft brewers are spreading their wings and distributing their products further from their brewery than ever before. They are assembling teams in the field to sell and distribute their products, but many are overlooking how that beer is cared for once it leaves their brewery. In many cases, brewers are shocked at the products that actually end up in a consumer’s glass once dispensed from a draught system, or even what ends up in that consumer’s home refrigerator.
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Navigating through 50+ Beer Weeks
With 50+ beer weeks around the country, and more in planning, beer weeks are here to stay. How do you, as a craft brewer, not only attend
them but make the most out of your participation?
Which ones should you attend and support, and which ones might not make sense for you? With so many disparate interests (brewers, wholesalers, accounts), how do we bridge the gaps to ensure success for all?
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Cask Ale – Keeping it Real on the Street
Cask ale is often regarded as one of the best example of the brewer’s art and craft. Quite often, however, it is a challenge to consistently deliver the quality and integrity this product requires at point-of-purchase. This seminar will provides valuable insights and first-hand experiences in assisting brewery sales personnel as they evaluate the commitment, stimulate dedication and maintain quality when bringing cask conditioned ales to the customers.
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Japan Market: Best Beer Practices & the Export Market
A discussion of export opportunities in Japan, this seminar is a must-attend for any company that is currently in the market or contemplating business abroad.
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
The Ultimate Intern: How to Train Tomorrow’s Brewers While Improving Your Own Brewery Operation
With the continued growth of craft brewing, along with 700+ breweries in planning, there is demand for trained brewers who can produce quality beer. One of two key components of training is practical experience (the other being solid book knowledge of brewing concepts). This panel will examine the benefits of instituting an internship program to develop individuals who can help continue the growth of craft beer.
3:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Book Signing: Sam Calagione
Brewing Up a Business, He Said Beer, She Said Wine, Extreme Brewing
Founder Sam Calagione covers topics from food and beer pairing, off-beat homebrewing and the success story of how he started Dogfish Head in this trio of books.
3:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Book Signing: Garrett Oliver
The Oxford Companion to Beer, Brewmaster’s Table
Considered an authority on beer and food pairing, Oliver also edited and compiled a major reference book, The Oxford Companion to Beer.
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Brewing Safety Roundtable
Safety professionals from various craft breweries will host this roundtable discussion on brewing safety.
3:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Hospitality – Turbo Tap USA
Sponsored by:
Turbo Tap USA
3:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Hospitality – Verallia
Sponsored by:
Verallia
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Keeping More: A Simple Guide to Stopping Profits from Going Down the Drain
Brewing the best beer in the world will not keep a brewery in business if it cannot be done at a profit. Nick Funnell will address very simple steps to ensure that beer made at a profit and more of that profit goes to the bottom line. This seminar will discuss people involved in production from grain to glass and what each can do to make sure that they are improving profitability at each stage.
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Penetrating Chain Stores
Chain accounts are becoming more important today due to consolidation and thus are becoming more difficult to penetrate (secure promotions and distribution). Tom Fox will review insights from the CM Profit Group’s “Suppliers of Beverage Alcohol Retail Partnering Study,” which outlines what chain retailers expect from their suppliers. Plus he will review the type of data that is necessary and how to package your analysis in an effective presentation. If you want to get more productivity out of your chains, this program is essential.
3:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Hospitality – BFBi
Sponsored by:
BFBi
BFBi have organized a ‘Showcase of UK Beers’. This is a unique opportunity to meet the brewers and representatives from other UK breweries and suppliers at the Conference.
There will be 13 award winning bottled brands and a keg beer to sample. The range of beer styles include; India Pale Ale, Stout, Porter, light and dark beers.
We hope you can attend and from all the brewers, we look forward to meeting you in San Diego.
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Berliner Weisse
Berliner Weisse has become more and more of interest, especially in the international craft brewing world. Traditional and modern brewing procedures as well as quality aspects will be the main topics of this presentation.
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Western Europe: Are your Beers Offline in Europe
A discussion of export opportunities in Scandinavia, this seminar is a must-attend for any company that is currently in the market or contemplating business abroad.
3:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Hospitality- Wild Goose Canning Technologies Inc.
Sponsored by:
Wild Goose Canning Technologies Inc.
4:10 pm – 4:40 pm
Book Signing: Dick Cantwell
Elysian Brewmaster, Dick Cantwell and co-author Fal Allen share in-depth information, history and techniques on how to master brewing a barley wine.
4:50 pm – 5:50 pm
Craft Marketing Panel
Kim Jordan moderating. More information to come shortly.
4:50 pm – 5:50 pm
Beer Buyers Panel
The always entertaining Bump Williams leads a panel of retail chain beer buyers, representing grocery, drug and convenience stores.
4:50 pm – 5:50 pm
4:50 pm – 5:50 pm
The trials, tribulations and lessons learned in the export market for American Craft Beer
A panel of brewery representatives will discuss their participation in the EDP and their perceptions of export opportunities and challenges for U.S. craft beer abroad.
Moderated by Bob Pease
4:50 pm – 5:50 pm
Bottle Conditioning
This seminar will review bottle conditioning techniques ranging from those used by homebrewers to processes applied on a craft brewer scale. The panel’s approach will be discussed as well as other common techniques used by other brewers in the industry.