Beer Industry Experts to Speak at 2 Upcoming Brew Talks Meetups

Brewbound is pleased to announce speakers for its upcoming Brew Talks meetups, taking place alongside the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) in Denver and National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) convention in Las Vegas.

The two events give brewers and distributors attending the GABF and NBWA meetings a chance to engage in thought-provoking business discussion alongside their industry peers.

GABF

The first of the two meetups, taking place on Friday, October 6, at Great Divide Brewing’s bottling hall and event space (3403 Brighton Blvd. Denver, CO 80216), will feature a pair of conversations with brewery founders and executives from coast-to-coast.

The first discussion, which will begin at 12:30 PM MT, will examine the rapidly evolving beer segment and the future challenges and opportunities for small and mid-sized craft breweries with a trio of respected industry professionals.

Great Divide’s senior director of finance, Bryan Slekes, will join Wormtown Brewery managing partner David Fields and No-Li Brewhouse owner John Bryant in a conversation moderated by Brewbound editor Chris Furnari.

Together, the group will share strategies for operating a successful mid-size craft brewery amidst increasing pressures from corporately held craft brands and small taproom-focused businesses alike. Throughout the conversation, the group will discuss how the beer landscape is changing while addressing issues such as SKU proliferation, pricing pressures, distributor management and long-term growth opportunities.

Following the panel, Karl Strauss Brewing co-founder and CEO Chris Cramer will sit down with Furnari to discuss the growth of Karl Strauss while sharing lessons learned from balancing an expanding brewpub chain with a wholesale business. He’ll also share his thoughts on current industry trends and comment on potential future headwinds for the broader beer segment.

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Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the Colorado Brewers Guild, a non-profit trade association that works to promote and protect the Colorado craft brewing industry. Attendees will also receive one free beer and food will be available for purchase.

NBWA

On Monday, October 9, Brewbound will travel to Las Vegas for a special NBWA edition of Brew Talks, taking place in Roman II in Caesars Palace.

In partnership with Pabst Brewing Company and the NBWA, Brewbound will host a panel discussion with leading industry experts from Pabst, Wachusett Brewing and Peerless Beverage Company.

Throughout the conversation, Pabst CEO Simon Thorpe, Wachusett president Christian McMahan and Peerless Beverage president Chuck Salzman will examine the evolution of the middle tier, changing dynamics between distributors and suppliers, the emergence of e-commerce, and the continued pressures from wine and spirits.

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Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit two nonprofit organizations supporting recent hurricane relief efforts in Texas and Florida. Complimentary beer will also be provided.

Please Note: These are industry-specific events and tickets will be required for entry.

The Brew Talks GABF meetup is sponsored by Vicinity Brew, Pro Chiller Systems, Markem-Imaje, Ska Fab, EKS&H and Brewery Pak.

Brew Talks NBWA is sponsored by Vicinity Brew.


About Brew Talks

Since hosting our first event in the basement of a Boston craft beer bar in 2013, the Brew Talks meetup series has developed into a multi-city tour in which beer industry professionals gather at well-known industry meetings to share business insights.

The program is designed to provide members of the beer community with an opportunity to come together and have in-depth discussions on the business of craft beer and the events are also broadcast globally via a free live stream. Brewbound has raised nearly $30,000 for non-profit organizations and connected with more than 2,500 beer industry professionals since 2015.