Mattson Davis, Kona Brewing President, to Give Keynote Address at Brewbound Craft Beer Session

As the craft beer industry continues to evolve, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that brewers need to think long-term.

But what are the steps that long-term thinking entails? It’s more than just making sure a recipe is scalable and the production and sales are set to grow. There are logistics challenges, packaging changes, key hires. It’s their behavior at key decision points that can help a craft brewer build a sustainable business model.

Mattson Davis, the President of Kona Brewing, is a brewer who survived those business challenges and created a vehicle for his products to flourish. During his keynote presentation during the Brewbound Craft Beer Session — which takes place on Dec. 5 at the Loew’s Santa Monica Hotel — Davis will tell the story of the long transition of the Kona Brewing Company, which went from an isolated brand on the Hawaiian islands that produced just 3,000 barrels of beer in 1997 into one of the largest craft brewers in the country in 2011, when it will pass 160,000 barrels.

During his presentation, Davis will distinguish between a brewery and a company, drawing upon specific choices he made when growing the Kona brand. His presentation will address key issues for craft brewers — the battle to own their home markets, how to win product placement, and the overall ways to think strategically when it comes to growing and distinguishing a brand in a crowded market. Finally, Davis will explain his role in the final play to create sustainability for Kona — its sale to the Craft Brewers Alliance, last year, for $13.9 million.

For more information about registering for the Brewbound Craft Beer Session, please contact Chris Furnari at 617-715-9682 or by email at cfurnari@bevnet.com

About the Brewbound Craft Beer Session

The Brewbound Craft Beer Session is a half-day business conference addressing the topics that most directly impact the decisions craft brewers are faced with as they look to grow their brands. The event focuses on the business side of the craft, offering brewers a unique opportunity to learn and network from industry experts.

About Kona Brewing Co.

Kona Brewing Co. is a publicly traded company on the NASDAQ (HOOK), with distribution in 28 states. Mattson Davis began with the company in 1997 as a General Manager of what was then Kona’s only production facility, Davis helped launch the first Kona brewpub in 1998 and the second and third locations in 2003 and 2008 respectively. Kona Brewing is currently up over 20 percent this year in its home market of Hawaii.