The call for proposals for educational sessions at the 2027 Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) will open in August 2026. More information coming soon!
If you would like to receive a notification when the call for proposals for CBC 2027 opens, submit this form.
2027 Submission Details & Guidelines
Rolling Selection Process
The CBC call for proposals is a rolling process, meaning we will review proposals as they are submitted rather than all at once at the end of the submission period. That means that it is in your best interest to submit proposals early if possible.
We will continue to accept proposals through Friday, October 30 or until we have filled the educational schedule, whichever comes first. No additional changes or proposals will be accepted after the call for proposals closes.
All proposals will receive a selection decision by Friday, December 18, 2026.
Content Requirements
Educational sessions at CBC are expected to provide actionable takeaways for attendees to help improve their businesses. Proposals should clearly outline the skills and knowledge that attendees will learn from the presentation, with a particular focus on the potential return on investment (ROI).
- The content submitted in each proposal should accurately reflect the proposed presentation content itself. If selected, the title, description, and learning objectives will be used on the event website and in the conference program and mobile application to promote the session.
- In the submission form, you will be asked to answer questions regarding the ideal audience, format, and time slot for your session. Your selections to these questions will be considered preferences and subject to potential revision if accepted.
- Be prepared to provide contact information, a short biography, and a headshot for ALL proposed speakers associated with each proposal. Do not submit a proposal for a speaker without their permission. Speaker additions or changes are not permitted after a session has been accepted, except in the case of approved extenuating circumstances. Any necessary speaker changes are subject to review and approval.
Topic Priorities
For CBC 2026, we will prioritize content focused on helping breweries…
- Increase demand for their products by:
- Bringing more people into their taproom
- Rebuilding local demand
- Supporting off-premise sales
- Implementing effective marketing strategies
- Manage their expenses and increase margins in the form of:
- Labor
- Raw material costs
- Insurance
- Utilities
- Improve their production and operations related to:
- Beer quality
- Packaging
- Scheduling
- Inventory
- Equipment upkeep
- Process efficiency
Session Types, Stages & Time Slots
We plan to have varied session room and stage formats at CBC 2027, set up strategically for specific session types and time slots. In the proposal form, submitters will be asked to select the session type that best fits the vision for their proposed session. Included in the table below are the session type options, along with their preliminary room/stage setup and suggested time slots.*
| Session Type | Room/Stage Setup | Suggested Time Slots |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional lecture or thought leader presentation | Large session rooms with theatre seating for 500+ attendees | 60, 75 or 90 minutes |
| Moderated panel discussion or fireside chat | Large session rooms with theatre seating for 500+ attendees | 60, 75 or 90 minutes |
| Interactive workshop / walkthrough / “How To” session | Medium-sized seminar rooms with classroom-style seating for ~300 attendees | 60, 75 or 90+ minutes |
| Roundtable or group exercise | Medium-sized seminar rooms with banquet-style seating for ~300 attendees | 60, 75 or 90 minutes |
| Hands on activity / sensory experience | Medium-sized seminar rooms with classroom-style seating for ~300 attendees OR Stage within the exhibit hall with classroom-style seating for ~65 attendees | 45, 60, 75 or 90 minutes |
| Networking activity | Stage within the exhibit hall with banquet-style seating for ~65 attendees | 45 minutes |
| Case study or brand story | Stages within the exhibit hall or other public space with casual seating for ~25-30 attendees | 30 minutes |
| Research poster presentation | Stages within the exhibit hall or other public space with casual seating for ~25-30 attendees | 30 minutes |
| Audience Q&A | Stages within the exhibit hall or other public space with casual seating for ~25-30 attendees | 30 minutes |
| Product or service demonstration | Stages within the exhibit hall or other public space with casual seating for ~25-30 attendees | 30 minutes |
*These session types, room and stage setups, and time slots are all preliminary and subject to change.
Submission Maximum
Individual submitters (or supplier groups) are limited to a maximum of 5 proposal submissions total. Any additional proposals beyond the fifth submission will be automatically rejected.
Panel Limits
Due to time and space constraints at the live event, we have established a speaker maximum of 4 panelists per panel and up to 1 moderator (note that a moderator is optional and not required). That means no proposal should include more than 5 total speakers.
Additionally, we prefer to accept panel proposals with well-rounded speaker representation. Please avoid including more than 1 speaker from the same company in panel-style presentations. For lecture-style sessions, we will allow up to 2 maximum speakers from the same company.
Novel Content
Attendees at the Craft Brewers Conference come from all over the country and around the world. We will prioritize selection of proposals for sessions that have not already been presented at other events.
Proposal Edits
You can begin filling out the proposal form and save at any point for completion at a later date. However, once a proposal is submitted, you will no longer be able to make additional changes.
NOTE: It is highly recommended that you keep a copy of your proposal content and speaker information in a Word document or other external file in case of any errors during the submission process.
CBC Working Group
All educational proposals are reviewed and recommended for selection to the Brewers Association (BA) by the CBC Working Group, a group of BA members selected annually as industry experts in their fields. Content of selected sessions are subject to revision by the CBC Working Group.
Supplier Submissions
Supplier proposals for Education Sessions are welcome when balanced approaches and solutions to industry issues are presented and they do not reference specific products or services by name.
It is highly recommended that supplier submissions include a brewery or other customer representative as a speaker/s.
Suppliers wishing to present specific information on their products or services should consider a Supplier Education Session or Sponsored Session. Contact our Business Development Team to learn more about these sponsorship opportunities.
Information for Accepted Speakers
Review & Selection Process Timeline
Proposals will be reviewed and selected on a rolling basis.
- October 30, 2026 (or earlier, if schedule is filled): Call for proposals closes
- December 18, 2026: All proposal decisions sent to submitters
Deliverable Process
Selected speakers are required to follow a deliverable timeline (listed below) to prepare their content leading up to CBC. Deliverables are specific to each session type and will be defined at the time of acceptance. Examples of deliverables assigned include PowerPoint presentation, research poster, discussion outline, etc.
All deliverables will be reviewed by the CBC Working Group and feedback will be provided to presenters. Presenters are expected to make suggested changes to their content based on this feedback.
Selected speakers should be aware of the deliverable timeline and able to commit to submit deliverables on time. Selected speakers who do not adhere to the deliverable timeline are subject to removal from the conference schedule.
Session Deliverable Timeline*
- January 22, 2027: Deliverable 1 due
- February 26, 2027: Deliverable 2 due
- March 26, 2027: Final deliverables due – No changes allowed onsite
- April 5-7, 2027: Craft Brewers Conference 2027 in San Antonio, Texas
*Exact deliverable timeline subject to change
Speaker Registration and Travel
Accepted speakers receive a complimentary All Access registration to CBC (note that speaker registration is non-transferable). However, all speakers are responsible for their own travel and lodging expenses. We recommend booking your hotel early as they do tend to sell out. ConferenceDirect is the official housing provider for CBC 2027. Through this partnership, we have negotiated the best possible rates at the conference hotel. Book with ConferenceDirect here.
Speaker Fees and Honorariums
Selected speakers for CBC are provided with a full complimentary conference registration in lieu of a speaker fee/honorarium.
Questions? For more information about the call for proposals or speaker policies, please contact MacKenzie Staples.
