A week before the Brewers Association’s (BA) largest consumer-facing event kicks off in Denver, the trade organization has hired the person who will shape the future of its events with the appointment of Lacey Gautier as VP of meetings and events.
Gautier will succeed Nancy Johnson, who is retiring from the BA at the end of the year after three decades. Her first day with the BA was Tuesday, and she is based in Boulder, Colorado.
Gautier will be tasked with taking the reins of the BA’s signature events, including the Great American Beer Festival, which takes place next week (October 10-12); the Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America, which will take place in Indianapolis on April 28-May 1; the World Beer Cup; and the National Homebrew Competition.
She brings more than 15 years of experience in building and executing events, including serving as VP of events for Informa Markets, whose portfolio of executive summits and trade shows includes the Natural Products Expo, which attracts more than 70,000 attendees and 3,000 exhibitors.
“The BA has a longstanding history of highly successful events, and I look forward to joining a team committed to curating highly transformative and exciting experiences,” Gautier said in the announcement. “With the Great American Beer Festival right around the corner, I am excited to start my career with the BA during such a fun and festive time.”
BA president and CEO Bob Pease, who is also retiring in June 2025, added: “I’m excited for Lacey to contribute her expertise and fresh eyes to shaping the future of our existing events and identifying new scalable ways to engage with our members and prospective members.”
The deadline for applications for the next president and CEO of the trade group, which represents the interest of small and independent craft breweries, expires on Thursday, October 9.