As Craft Beer sales continue to grow at double-digit percentages annually, entrepreneurs are streaming into the category —  and that’s making it more difficult for high-quality products to differentiate themselves from competitors, secure new distribution, and gain the lucrative retail placements that will ultimately grow a brand.

And while most experts are bullish on the craft segment as a whole, there are 1,300 new breweries in planning; SKU proliferation has many existing brewery owners thinking about strategies to sustain long-term growth.

In an effort to help arm craft brewers who are serious about their businesses with the information and tools they’ll need to succeed long term, Brewbound has assembled a roster of retail experts, category analysts and innovative craft brewery founders to help guide owners and executives in their day-to-day battle to grow and succeed.

Attendees of the May 2 Brewbound Session in Boston will hear from representatives of Nielsen and GuestMetrics, two leading retail channel information service providers for the food and beverage industries. Both companies will share exclusive insight into on-and-off premise sales and marketing  trends, emerging channels for craft sales, and consumer information on the craft beer audience. Session attendees will also have a rare opportunity to participate in moderated question and answer sessions as well as panel discussions with both Nielsen and GuestMetrics.

The conference will also include a deep dive into on-premise retailing, both at craft-centric establishments as well as large restaurants chains. Bill Pecoriello, the CEO of GuestMetrics, Chris Snyder, the vice president of purchasing for Bertucci’s Italian Restaurants and Jamie Walsh, the manager of Boston’s own Stoddard’s Fine Food and Ale will be featured.

The Brewbound Session will also feature the country’s most recognized category management expert, Tom Fox. He’ll teach attendees how the data supplied by Nielsen and Guestmetrics can be applied to an everyday sales call. He’ll also provide audience members with key solutions to help improve retail sales and grow profits.

Following every strategic plan, however, come stories of execution — and the day will be filled with first-hand accounts of brand development from some from some of the most respected brewery executives in the country, including: Jim Koch, Richard Doyle, Daniel Kenary, Dave Engbers, Simon Thorpe, Andy Thomas, Dann Paquette and Martha Holley-Paquette.

As part of Brewbound’s unique approach to the craft beer industry, these aren’t just stories of how brands are built — they’re specific, topical case studies into some of the ways that craft brewers can think about the challenges they’ll face as they grow and thrive.

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About the Brewbound Session:

The Brewbound Craft Beer Session is a 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 craft, offering brewers a unique opportunity to learn from and network with industry experts.