Around 10,000 industry members are expected to make the trip to Indianapolis for the 2025 Craft Brewers Conference and BrewExpo America (April 28 to May 1).
The gathering takes place against a backdrop of growing headwinds for craft breweries and an overhaul of CBC’s host organization, the Brewers Association (BA).
When Bart Watson takes the stage for this year’s state of the industry address inside the Indiana Convention Center on Wednesday, April 30, he will do so for the first time as CEO of the trade organization where he previously served as chief economist and VP of strategy.
Watson assumed the reins from long-time CEO Bob Pease, who retired on January 3. The organization is in transformation with the retirement of events lead Nancy Johnson, the exit of federal affairs director Katie Marisic and the layoff of senior VP of the professional brewing division Paul Gatza, among other senior staff members.
Further change is on the horizon as the BA plans to peel off its consumer-centric subsidiary the American Homebrewers Association, which is working toward independence.
The BA will now be shaped under Watson’s vision as a “ruthlessly member-centric,” problem-solving organization.
The changeover comes as industry growth has given way to volume declines over the past two years, with craft volume down 4% in 2024 and 1% in 2023. Craft is now a decade removed from the double-digit growth of the mid-2010s, making the past few years a crash course in navigating choppy waters.
Craft brewers find themselves in an increasingly competitive marketplace, with limited shelf space, increasing costs (including 25% tariffs on aluminum and steel) for aluminum cans and raw materials and financial cliffs that have led to partnerships for survival, bankruptcies and closures. The latter outpaced openings last year for the first time since 2005 (501 versus 434).
“Craft has been going through a painful period of rationalization as demand growth has slowed and retailers and distributors look to simplify their offerings or add options for flavor and variety outside of the craft category,” Watson said in the BA’s 2024 “Year in Beer” recap in December. “That said, breweries have reacted to these changes by focusing on distribution, continuing to innovate in their taprooms and brewpubs, creating groups and partnerships.”
Craft brewers converging upon Indianapolis next week will be discussing those strategies and more as they try to forge ahead.
The 2025 edition of CBC will open with a back-to-craft-beer keynote from Trillium Brewing founders Esther and JC Tetreault – a year after Uncle Nearest Whiskey co-founder and CEO Fawn Weaver gave the address.
The Tetreaults will give a talk titled: “Maybe You’re Not Doing It Wrong: Finding Your Path to Success,” sharing their journey opening and operating a Massachusetts craft brewery that has ridden a wave of hype and New England IPAs over the last decade to become a New England-rooted brewery with spaces in Canton and the Fort Point and Fenway neighborhoods of Boston, as well as a summer beer garden in the city and a farm in Connecticut.
CBC will also feature more than 60 educational seminars across 12 learning tracks – brewpubs and taprooms; business management; export development; government affairs and legal; marketing and branding; non-beer beverage production; production and operations; quality and ingredients; safety and sustainability; sales and distribution; statistics and trends; and THRIVE, which has moved from a separate workshop to a part of the main program this year, with presentations on leadership and staff development, wellness and social and environmental impact.
BrewExpo America will also bring more than 550 exhibitors promoting new products, supplies and services. The Brewbound team will be recording episodes of the Brewbound Podcast on the trade show floor (booth 512), so stop over and meet the team.
The festivities start Monday evening with a first-time attendee meetup and later welcome reception at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The event will culminate with the World Beer Cup awards ceremony – aka “the Olympics of beer competitions” – on May 1. A livestream of the ceremony will also be available here for anyone who has to head out early.
As challenges mount for craft brewers, industry watchers will be looking at CBC’s turnout as an early gauge if brewers and suppliers are already tightening their coffers as fears of a recession mount.
More than 9,500 industry members attended CBC 2024 in Las Vegas, down from the more than 12,000 professionals who attended in Nashville in 2023.
Read More: Brewbound’s Guide to the 2025 Craft Brewers Conference
Brewbound Podcast: Brewers Association Staff Economist Matt Gacioch on Craft Brewers’ ‘Realistic’ Mindsets, Industry Trends, Headwinds & CBC