All pre-conference educational seminars are add-ons to full conference registration. See full pricing details on the Registration page.
Registration required! Registration opens December 6, 2022.
TTB Bootcamp for Brewers
Sunday, May 7 at 8:00 AM – 12:30 PM
The TTB Bootcamp for Brewers is a series of five sessions designed to give both new and established brewers explanations of Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) requirements, as well as tips for how to avoid common pitfalls.
Introduction to TTB Bootcamp: The Basics – 8:00am – 8:30am
This introductory session will cover:
- An overview of the TTB and the functions we perform that are relevant to brewers
- The TTB laws and regulations that apply to brewers
Brewers Notices (Permits) – 8:30am – 9:00am
This introductory session will cover the highlights of TTB Brewer’s Notices (brewery permits).
Taxes, Returns, and Operational Reports – 9:15am – 10:00am
In this session, we’ll cover what you need to know about federal beer excise taxes, including calculating how much tax you owe, filing your tax returns, and completing brewery operational reports. We’ll also include some tips on how to avoid problems that might negatively impact how much tax you owe.
Formulas – 10:00am – 10:45am
Some beers require TTB formula approval, and in this session you’ll learn how the ingredients and processes you use to make your beer impact whether or not you’ll need it. We’ll cover how to determine if your product requires a formula (and which kinds have been exempted from formula approval), and how to apply for formula approval. We’ll go over the information and supporting documents you need to include when you apply for formula approval, and tips on how to submit a formula that we can evaluate without having to come back to you for additional information. We’ll also include the latest on using hemp ingredients.
Labels – 11:00am – 12:00pm
The primary purpose of TTB labeling requirements is to make sure consumers get adequate information about what they are purchasing and are not misled about its age, origin, or identity. To that end, beer labels must include certain information based on how they are formulated and where they will be sold. This session will cover all of the mandatory labeling information for beers and malt beverages as outlined in the labeling regulations and the relevant TTB rulings. We’ll also tell you the top label and application errors that we see and give you tips on how to avoid them!
Advertising – 12:00pm – 12:30pm
Although advertisements don’t require TTB pre-approval, they are subject to TTB advertising regulations. In this final bootcamp session, we’ll cover what constitutes “advertising,” mandatory information, prohibited practices, and health-related statements. We’ll also give you tips to know when the use of social media and influencers is considered advertising, and cover the basics of how to stay compliant when using them.
THRIVE Workshop
Sunday, May 7 at 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
The THRIVE Workshop at the 2023 Craft Brewers Conference is a day-long experience, appropriate for owners, people leaders, human resources (HR) and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practitioners, that provides an integrated dive into DEI, HR, and wellness topics for craft brewers of all sizes. Featuring guest speakers, educational seminars, hands-on workshops, networking sessions, and opportunities to earn Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) continuing education credits, the THRIVE workshop offers a range of people-focused tools to elevate small businesses.
Capacity is limited, so please register early! Lunch will be provided. See full Thrive Workshop Program.
Draught Beer Quality Workshop
Sunday, May 7 at 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
The Draught Beer Quality Workshop is a collaboration of draught quality related seminars conducted by members of the Brewers Association Draught Beer Quality Subcommittee. The intention of this workshop is to provide education for brewers, retailers, distributors, line cleaners, and draught installation companies on best practices for draught beer.
The workshop will begin with a keynote session by Annette May, long-time beer educator, judge, and Certified Cicerone. There are many factors that could compromise draught beer quality, from the time finished beer leaves the brewery until it arrives in a customer’s glass. Annette will introduce common offenders, from component materials to storage temperature and glassware cleanliness, and offer best practices that will help you serve beer as the brewer intended.
A proper draught beer service program means happy customers and investing in staff to deliver a quality product at your brewery taproom or retail establishment. Additional sessions in this workshop will be broken into two concurrent sections: “Draught Beer Service” and “Draught Management Behind the Scenes.”
Section 1: Draught Beer Service
In this section, attendees will learn how glassware selection and beer presentation, service staff training, and best practice techniques for pouring and serving can lead to better beer service and business. To serve a proper pint, a great deal of work goes on behind the scenes to ensure a high performing draught system.
Who Should Attend?
- Front-of-house (FOH) and draught beer service staff
- Bar and taproom managers seeking to develop their beer service program
Learning Outcomes:
- Select the appropriate glassware and presentation techniques for the beer served
- Explore the benefits of training service staff and the resources available to develop your team
- Maximize profits through best practices to prevent beer loss in the FOH
Section 2: Draught Management Behind the Scenes
In this section, attendees will learn how to implement practical performance strategies like balancing carbonation, cleaning and maintaining beer lines, and troubleshooting common issues, all while maximizing the profitability of draught beer.
Who Should Attend?
- Brewery and bar managers seeking technical draught assistance
- Draught system professionals, line cleaners, and quality personnel
Learning Outcomes:
- Consider how a balanced draught beer system will support quality and business goals
- Develop effective cleaning practices to ensure optimal draught system performance
- Troubleshoot common issues while maximizing the profitability of draught beer
Workshop Schedule
Keynote:
- 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM | Is Your Beer Being Served the Way the Brewer Intended?
Draught Beer Service:
- 9:35 AM – 10:20 AM | Developing Beer Service Staff and Training Resources
- 10:25 AM – 11:10 AM | Presentation and Glassware Selection
- 11:15 AM – 12:00 PM | Maximizing Profits through Draught Beer Service
Draught Management Behind the Scenes:
- 9:35 AM – 10:20 AM | Maximizing Profits through Draught System Design
- 10:25 AM – 11:10 PM | Draught Line Cleaning and Maintenance
- 11:15 AM – 12:00 PM | Troubleshooting Crash Course
Business Financial Leadership Workshop
Sunday, May 7 at 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Are you a brewery owner or manager responsible for operating your business and its financials without the help of a Chief Financial Officer? Do you already understand the basic concepts of your business’ accounting and finances, but struggle to make the right decisions for your brewery based on its financial results? Attending this workshop will improve your financial management competency and enable you to operate your brewery and its finances more effectively and efficiently. Throughout the workshop, you will also have opportunities to learn from financial professionals in the craft beer industry and connect with fellow like-minded brewery owners and managers.
The purpose of this workshop is to equip brewery owners, managers, and operational staff with the financial tools to accelerate their business. Through guided speaker sessions and breakout discussions, we will cover core topics related to the business and financial aspects of brewery operations. Each attendee will have the chance to use their own brewery information and metrics as we work through topics related to revenue and sales forecasting, cost of goods, operating expenses, and profitability. We will teach each brewery to create their own high-level budget and Key Performance Indicator (KPI) dashboard. By the end of this workshop, attendees will be able to take the financial management tools they created back to their breweries in order improve the financial health and success of their businesses.
Learning Objectives
- Improve financial management competency and overall business leadership skills of all attendees
- Provide high-level overview and strategies to forecast revenue, sales, measure cost of goods sold (COGS), and control payroll expenses based on various business models, product mixes, and optimal staffing plans
- Better understand operational expenses to improve profitability, cash flow, and enable future expansion and sustainable business growth
- Create a high-level budget for their brewery in the format of a simple profit and loss statement and a KPI dashboard to track important metrics
- Enable attendees to implement best practices in motivating and leading their teams to improve the financial health and overall success of their breweries
Lunch will not be provided. There will be a midday break in the agenda for attendees to leave for lunch on their own.
Brewery Safety Bootcamp – SOLD OUT
Sunday, May 7 at 1:00 PM – 4:30 PM at Blackstone Brewing Company
Birko, A Diversey Company, is a Proud Sponsor of this event!
This year’s Safety Bootcamp will be presented in a new format, offered as an experiential pre-conference workshop. The Bootcamp will take place at Blackstone Brewing Company* where attendees will be able to visualize what is learned immediately in a brewing setting. Including curriculum related to all areas of brewery operations, this workshop will be appropriate for all members of a brewery, from production to taproom to owners.
Attendees will split into six groups that will rotate through stations at various production areas: brewhouse, cellar, chemical storage, packaging and warehouse, and administrative. At each station, instructors will demonstrate key safety considerations for that specific production location through mostly eyes-on, and some hands-on, experiences. Along with the visual station experiences, attendees will be provided handouts to follow along with the learning objectives and take notes, so they may continue to make improvements to their safety programs at their facilities with the lessons they learned in at bootcamp.
Learning Objectives
- Learn the basics of safety and what drives a successful safety culture
- Understand brewery emergency preparedness, proper training and documentation, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) compliance, good manufacturing practices (GMPs), and how to create standard operating procedures (SOPs)
- Take home solutions for common problems, including electrical and mechanical hazards, walking and working surfaces, manual lifting and forklifts, chemical safety, and personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Recognize special brewery hazards like boilovers, dry hopping ladder safety, pressure and vacuum failures, confined space entry, and lock out/tag out (LO/TO)
- Explore mitigation strategies for common brewery hazards
- Earn a certificate of completion, important for compliance documentation
*This is an offsite event. It will take place at Blackstone Brewing Company, 2312 Clifton Avenue, Nashville (2.5 miles from the Music City Center). Participants are responsible for their own transportation.
