CBP Connects Charlotte | Craft Beer Professionals

Crowdsourced: A Collaborative Hour of Problem Solving

CBP Connects attendees continually list the ability to connect and learn from others as a highlight from our workshops. We are excited to host a session dedicated to learning from your peers. In this session, we will field questions from you and then develop the best solutions together. Plan to walk away with strategies to problems many of us are facing and best practices to improve brewery operations. Together, we can grow stronger.

Learning Objectives:

Collaborate with your peers to solve problems faced by other Craft Beer Professionals
Discover new strategies and solutions to help you see greater success at your brewery
Build new relationships that you can reach out to with future questions

Ingredients as a Differentiator – Using Flavor to Stand Out

Panelists: Brian Mandeville (Fine Creek Brewing Company), Chris Leguizamon (Fonta Flora Brewery), Rachael Hudson (Pilot Brewing), Razia Gonzalez-Crotts (Resident Culture Brewing Co.)

Moderator: Jared Stober (Two Track Malting)

In today’s competitive beverage market, ingredients are more than just components of a recipe—they’re key tools for differentiation. This session will explore how breweries can strategically use unique and high-quality ingredients to stand out, capture consumer attention, and create memorable taproom experiences.
Panelists will discuss the role of flavor innovation in branding, share success stories of standout beers, and provide actionable insights for leveraging ingredients to drive taproom traffic.

Learning Objectives:

Understand the Strategic Role of Ingredients: Learn how unique and thoughtfully selected ingredients can differentiate your brewery both in the taproom and in the broader market.
Discover Ways to Enhance Guest Experiences and Broaden Market Appeal: Gain insights into how innovative ingredient choices can create memorable beers that attract taproom guests and capture attention on store shelves.
Implement Ingredient-Driven Marketing and Branding Strategies: Explore how to leverage your ingredient story to stand out in a competitive market and drive both taproom traffic and retail sales.

Brian Mandeville is the head brewer at Fine Creek Brewing Company, a farm brewery in Powhatan, Virginia. His 14-year career began at O’Connor Brewing Company, working as brewer and eventually production manager. He then became the head brewer of Fullsteam Brewery, where he produced beers that align with his own brewing philosophy, often with farmed and foraged ingredients that express the traditions and heritage of the land that they come from. Brian returned to Virginia, and landed at Fine Creek, where he continues to work with farmed and foraged ingredients, including some grown and gathered on the brewery’s property.

Chris Leguizamon is on a mission to inspire minds, one beer at a time. He is an Advanced Cicerone®–one of just 11 in his home region of North Carolina–sharing historical and technical information on beer and brewing as the Account Rep at Fonta Flora Brewery. He is an avid beer judge at homebrew and professional competitions, public speaker at industry conferences, and content creator via his Instagram account: @chris.thebeereducator.

Jared Stober is the CEO of Two Track Malting located in Menoken, ND. Two Track Malting grows their own grain on two family farms and developed their own exclusive grain varieties developed specifically for the craft industry. Two Track Malting started producing malt in 2016 and recently completed a state-of-the-art expansion in 2024. Jared has been involved with value added agriculture his entire career and serves on the Craft Malting Guild board to promote the craft malting industry.

Rachael Hudson is a brewer by passion and a brewery owner by even more passion. She has been brewing professionally since 2011, with prior experience working in beer bars and craft beer-focused restaurants. Having been immersed in the beer industry for over half her life, she brings a deep appreciation for the craft to everything she does.

Rachael showcases her creativity through her beers, available both in Pilot Brewing’s tasting room and throughout North Carolina. She leads an educational brewery, providing sensory training and beer education for both team members and guests. Beyond brewing, she uses Pilot as a platform to support her philanthropic goals, raising awareness and funds for various local charities.

In her free time, Rachael co-hosts the beer podcast False Bottomed Girls, judges beer competitions, plans Charlotte Craft Beer Week, and consults for the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. She is a BJCP Certified Judge, an Advanced Cicerone, and a Certified LUKR Tapster.

Razia Gonzalez-Crotts is an ad world veteran turned craft brewer and Certified Cicerone® who has returned to her roots as the Director of Marketing at Resident Culture, focused on all things marketing, creative and strategy for RC, N.A.R.C.® and Cümulo. With a deep passion for sensory analysis, craft beverages, and beer education, Razia is on a mission to create innovative ways to make the world of beer more approachable. Combining her expertise in marketing strategy and her love for the craft beverage industry, she brings a unique perspective to building engaging and inclusive experiences around beer.

Tap Talks: 3 18-minute sessions on critical topics

Merch, Meaning & the Brand: How to Build Culture That Sticks and Pay Bills

Tom Paynter (No Label Brewing)

What does it take to turn a local brewery into a beloved brand? Not just good beer — but bold design, storytelling, and a culture people want to wear, share, and support.

In this session, Tom Paynter — co-owner and marketing director of No Label Brewing Co. — shares how he helped transform a small Katy, Texas brewery into a statewide force in beer marketing and community identity. With multiple Craft Beer Marketing Awards (including Best Can Design and Best Merch), a World Beer Cup medal, and the distinction of receiving the first-ever Texas state resolution for excellence in craft beer marketing, Tom knows how to build a brand that lasts. His work also earned the VFW Commander’s Award for connecting brewery culture to veteran support — proving that brand impact doesn’t stop at shelf appeal.

This session dives into how thoughtful merch becomes movement, how brand voice builds loyalty, and how cultivating community-first culture leads to real staying power. Whether you’re looking to refine your look, elevate your message, or sell more than just beer, you’ll walk away with tactical insights and real-world examples that move the needle.

From streetwear-inspired releases to identity-driven design, Tom brings a clear message: the best breweries aren’t just places to drink — they’re places people belong.

Come for the merch tips. Stay for the strategy. Leave with a brand worth rooting for.

Juggle Master: Managing Multiple Roles, Perspectives, and Goals (Simultaneously)

Colleen Quinn (Atomic Clock Brewing Company)

As owners and managers, we’re almost always wearing many hats – that’s the job. But how often do we really talk about what that really looks like and how to do that most effectively? Or how to give ourselves some grace when inevitably a ball gets dropped? Assessing, analyzing, and managing the business from different perspectives – departments, time horizons, upside opportunity vs downside risk, and more – isn’t easy and often isn’t understood or appreciated.

In this talk Colleen will:

Be brutally honest about what the master juggler job really looks like
Review the different perspectives and angles we’re juggling
Share strategies for juggling the most (or more) effectively
Get real about what it feels like to drop the balls and pick them back up

Riding the Wave: How Craft Beer’s Past Shaped Its Future

Aaron Gore (VP of Sales & Marketing, Beer30 by The 5th Ingredient)

“A rising tide raises all boats.”

It’s a phrase that has been echoed time and time again as craft beer rose from a handful of scrappy, free-thinking mavericks into an industry filled with passionate converts seeking to make their own way within it. And it is a phrase that has so often been true, as collaboration and community brought IPAs and Saisons out of the bottle shop and into the mainstream. Powerful tides, however, also create waves.

As craft beer’s growth has slowed, even declined, in recent years it is easy to feel as though the industry as a whole is in danger of being crashed upon the rocks and destroyed completely. However, waves move fast, and can create opportunity as much as they can create destruction.

Long-time industry advocate Aaron MJ Gore will explore the reasons behind the current state of craft beer, explaining some of the forces at play and using learnings from other industries to give a hint at what may be coming next. More importantly, he will explore how brewery owners can help to navigate these changes, riding the wave instead of being crushed beneath it, and moving forward toward future success not only for their own companies, but for the industry at large.

Securing Your Taproom’s Future: Leases, Landlord’s, and Long-Term Success

Alicia Hill (Allen Stahl + Kilbourne)

The future of any brewery is dependent on many factors, but securing a location with favorable lease terms is paramount. The session will provide an overview of commercial leases for greater understanding about what to look for in a lease, negotiating with a prospective Landlord for lease terms favorable for the long-term success of the brewery.

Learning Objectives:

What to expect from a commercial lease. The lease terms will provide for what a brewery can and can’t do with the property and understanding what to expect the lease to cover and the terms most often at issue for long-term success.
How to negotiate with the Landlord to give your brewery the best lease possible with the greatest likelihood of success. Understand the most important lease terms to negotiate and what “industry standard” lease terms to avoid.
Understand the difference between commercial and retail spaces for rent, the zoning, licensing, and permitting requirements of a prospective lease, and other considerations regarding tenant improvements and Landlord improvements.

ASK Law works with manufacturers and retailers of all types and sizes across North Carolina and throughout the United States and abroad, including craft breweries, wineries, cideries, distillers, mead makers, saki makers, and more.

Alicia E. Hill is an attorney at ASK Law handling legal issues for start-ups and established businesses of all sorts. Prior to attending law school (and currently), Alicia owned and operated restaurants and bars in Asheville, NC. Her background as a small business owner brings a unique perspective to the issues facing ASK Law clients.

Beer, Beyonce, and the Path to World Peace: Uniting Communities and Bridging Divides

Celeste Beatty (Harlem Brewing)

Beer has long been a social catalyst, transcending boundaries and fostering connections. In this session, we’ll explore how beer serves as a unifier—creating spaces where diverse communities can come together, spark meaningful conversations, and bridge divides. Using real-life examples, we’ll highlight how breweries are embracing fun, approachable concepts to inspire dialogue and cultivate understanding, regardless of cultural beliefs, political views, or personal differences. Whether through pop culture references, shared values, or simply enjoying a pint together, beer has the unique power to break down barriers. This session will also cover how collaboration and partnerships can amplify these efforts, ultimately creating more inclusive and connected environments.

Learning Objectives

Identify strategies for using beer as a platform to initiate conversations that bridge cultural, political, and personal divides.
Discover innovative ways breweries are creating inclusive environments that spark meaningful dialogue and connect diverse communities.
Explore the role of collaboration and partnerships in enhancing the impact of breweries as community hubs and unifiers.

Celeste Beatty’s journey into craft beer began with a spark of curiosity and a seasoned soup pot from her mother’s kitchen. Born in North Carolina and later moving to Harlem, she fell in love with brewing, blending history, food, and community into her creations. On June 19, 2001, she made history by launching Harlem Brew’s first creation, Sugar Hill Golden Ale, making her the first African-American woman to own a commercial craft beer brand in the U.S. Harlem Brewing Company quickly gained recognition, with its beers landing in iconic venues like the Apollo Theater and Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Harlem Brewing has since expanded, with distribution across the U.S., U.K., and Japan, the launch of Harlem Brew South in 2018, and a taproom in South London. Celeste remains committed to “brewing it forward” by supporting Black farmers, launching collaboration beers that honor historical figures, and partnering with major retailers like Walmart and Whole Foods. Her achievements have earned her honors from the Clinton Foundation and the Harlem Business Alliance, and in 2016, Harlem Brew was featured at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture’s opening ceremony. Today, Celeste continues to inspire, celebrating heritage and championing diversity in craft beer.

Is Craft Beer Dead? Uncovering Profit in the Industry KPIs

Kelly Meyer (How NOT To Start A Damn Brewery)

For the past two decades, the craft beer industry has often celebrated growth for growth’s sake, leading to a landscape where many breweries struggle to achieve profitability. Hype alone doesn’t pay the bills, and mimicking another brewery’s success is rarely a sustainable strategy.

A healthier craft beer industry requires a new approach—one that acknowledges and addresses the factors leading to failure to avoid them on a larger scale. This includes fewer breweries, strategic partnerships, open distribution, and other systemic shifts.

The discussion will begin with a state-of-the-industry analysis using key performance indicators (KPIs). With 70% of breweries producing less than 1,000 BBLs annually, the current model often fails to deliver profitability. Scale, it seems, is the most reliable path to success in beer.

We’ll explore where the numbers need to be, why most breweries lack the capacity to reach them, and actionable steps for those facing these challenges. Additionally, we’ll review the peak of supply and demand equilibrium around 2015 and how those insights can inform future planning. In some cases, acquiring one or even two breweries may present the best opportunities for growth and sustainability.

Learning Objectives:

Understand the Industry’s Headwinds and Financial Impacts: Analyze the challenges breweries face, distinguishing between pivots that increase revenue and those that lead to debt, using KPIs from the past 15 years to predict industry trends.
Master Market Ownership and Defend Against New Entrants: Learn strategies for dominating your market through expertise, community engagement, product mix, location advantages, and retail partnerships to create barriers for new competitors.
Shift the Conversation Around Brewery Growth and Sustainability: Explore how to have honest, productive conversations about industry saturation, encouraging a healthier future for craft beer while keeping the community strong and vibrant.

Kelly Meyer opened his first business at 19 years old. His second at 27 and his third, a small family brewery, at 35. In 2012, the headlines, the chatter and the buzz was all about how the next decade of craft beer was going to be the best ever. But that didn’t seem to happen.

After 7 years of struggling with the brewery, he sat down and made a list of everything he and his wife has done wrong in their business and set about making a plan to fix them. That list became a 55,000 word book titled How NOT to Start A Damn Brewery.

A year later, Kelly started a podcast interviewing other failed operators around the world to draw lines between each their experiences. Now over 80 interviews and 4 years, he’s sharing what he’d learned about why breweries fail.
And what you can do to prevent yours from failing.

How to Create A More Efficient Taproom Experience

Moderator: Ron Nelson (Arryved)

Panelists: Brandon Stirewalt (Town Brewing Co.), Dan Callendar (Salty Turtle Beer Co.), Kiel Arrington (Vaulted Oak Brewing Company)

Hear from a panel of experienced taproom managers and brewery owners as they share real-world insights into running smoother, more profitable taprooms. These industry pros will discuss how to streamline operations with smart technology, track key performance metrics to boost efficiency, empower staff with effective tools, and keep inventory and production in sync. This engaging conversation is packed with actionable tips for anyone looking to elevate their taproom experience.

Learning Objectives:

Learn how to streamline service to reduce wait times and create a smoother guest experience.
Discover ways to track and analyze performance metrics that help optimize taproom operations and profitability.
Explore techniques to empower your staff and ensure every shift runs efficiently and effectively.

Brandon Stirewalt is the Director of Operations at Town Brewing Co., bringing extensive experience from various breweries across the Carolinas. A proud North Carolina native, he has deep ties to the state and has lived in Charlotte since attending UNC Charlotte. Brandon’s passion for craft beer goes beyond the beverage itself; he values the community and culture it fosters. Outside of work, he enjoys live music, often with great company. His love for craft beer and the arts reflects his commitment to celebrating the unique experiences and vibrant local culture of North Carolina.

Daniel Callender is a founder and co-owner of Salty Turtle Beer Company in Surf City, established in 2017. He takes on the role of General Manager for the company and heads operations at their new satellite taproom in Raleigh. Originally from San Diego, CA and former United States Marine, he now calls this beautiful state home. Daniel enjoys spending time with his Wife, Son, and cycling around town.

Ron Nelson is the VP of Sales at Arryved, helping provide innovative solutions for the craft beverage industry. With a background in scaling software companies, Ron brings a deep passion for helping craft makers thrive. Drawn to the creativity and connection that define the craft community, he is committed to supporting breweries, taprooms, and beyond with tools that fuel their success. Under his leadership, Arryved continues to champion the unique needs of craft businesses, ensuring they have the technology to serve guests seamlessly and grow sustainably.

Open to Innovation: What We Can Learn from Outside the Beer Industry

Moderator: Lisa Parker (NC Craft Brewers Guild)

Panelists: Alvaro Fernandez (Bank of America), Emily Ladd (Charlotte Hornets), Michael Krimmer (Bojangles)

“Creativity is the focused combination of unlikely things. Your mind locks onto a certain element and then searches widely for something unexpected that fits with it. What can scuba diving teach you about agriculture? What can trees teach you about public speaking? There is always some connective tissue between disciplines. If you wish to be more creative, look for the connections between two previously unconnected things.”

That quote, by James Clear from ‘Atomic Habits,’ nails it. If we continuously look to each other as our only source of inspiration, we risk becoming an echo chamber of sameness.

In this conversation, we will hear from guests who do not work in the beer industry. We will learn their stories, hear their challenges, discover similarities, gain outside-the-box ideas, and ask unique questions to inspire you to greater success.

Learning Objectives:

Hear real-world stories and challenges from professionals outside the beer industry, providing practical examples of how overcoming obstacles and applying fresh perspectives can lead to success
Recognize and apply innovative concepts from unrelated fields to the beverage industry.
Break free from conventional thinking patterns by examining how unconventional practices and ideas from other sectors can inspire novel approaches in their work.

Alvaro Fernandez is a Commercial Banking Senior Relationship Manager for the Charlotte market at Bank of America. His responsibilities include leading a team of specialists focused on understanding each client’s unique needs to deliver strategic guidance and financial solutions. Alvaro’s mission is to help local companies thrive and achieve their business goals, no matter how simple or how complex. Bringing eleven years of experience, Alvaro began his banking career at Bank of America, where he has also served as a Small Business Banker. Throughout his banking career, Alvaro has served his business clients holistically to support their growth. Originally from Tampa, Florida, Alvaro graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the University of South Florida. He resides in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Emily Ladd is the Senior Director of Game Presentation for the Charlotte Hornets. An Indiana native, she has spent her entire career with the Hornets and is currently in her 18th season. At the helm of Game Presentation, she is tasked with leveraging entertainment assets, production elements, and technology to create an engaging fan experience, help meet revenue goals, and maintain a home court advantage. Career highlights include helping bring the Hornets name back to Charlotte in 2014, and producing several All-Star Weekend events, most recently the 2025 All-Star Game in San Francisco.

A North Carolina native, Lisa Parker has worked with the NC Craft Brewers Guild since 2015. As the current Executive Director, she is a champion for North Carolina’s 410+ independent craft breweries, navigating legislative issues and fostering the state’s continued growth as a national craft beer leader. A graduate of the University of North Carolina, Lisa enjoys gardening, walking her dogs, traveling with her family, and of course sampling the State of Southern Beer.

Michael Krimmer is the Director of Culinary Innovation and Menu Strategy at Bojangles. He is a comfort food enthusiast who was raised in the North, but must have been a Southerner in a past life. He has worked every job in foodservice from dishwasher to fine dining chef, but has made a career out of the obscure by applying culinary methods and flavors to large fast food chains, like Wendy’s and Bojangles. He has a passion for making food the best it can be and delivering it to as many people as possible.

Building Beer Destinations: Lessons from Charlotte and Beyond

Moderator: Nils Weldy (Rhode Island Brewers Guild)

Panelists: Adam Glover (Legion Brewing), Allison Soderberg (Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority), Jacob Virgil (NoDa Brewing Company)

Cities like Denver, San Diego, and Portland set the standard as early beer meccas, but today, new waves of strong beer destinations are emerging. A decade ago, CBP didn’t exist and Charlotte wasn’t on most of our radars as a top-notch beer city. This session will spotlight Charlotte’s rise as a top 10 beer city, exploring the key factors that contributed to its growth, from community collaboration to branding and infrastructure.

Panelists will discuss what makes a city thrive as a beer destination, offering actionable insights for breweries, guilds, and city leaders on how to cultivate a vibrant beer culture that attracts visitors, supports local businesses, and strengthens community ties.

Learning Objectives:

Understand the collaborative, branding, and infrastructure strategies behind thriving beer destinations.
Learn actionable steps to attract visitors, support local businesses, and build community.
Apply lessons from Charlotte’s success to enhance both your brewery and your region’s beer culture.

Adam Glover, Brewer at Legion Brewing (Charlotte, NC), has over a decade in the craft beer industry. His experience spans Head Brewer roles at Seaboard Brewing and Natty Greene’s Brewpub, Co-Owner/Brewer at Salud Cerveceria, and brewing positions at Fonta Flora, Appalachian Mountain Brewery, and Natty Greene’s Production Brewery. A consultant for breweries in planning and operation, he also holds a BFA in Graphic Design with a background in furniture retail and branding, including designing the Apprentice logo and Five Guys’ menu board. His favorite beer style is saisons, and he enjoys pairing Sauvignon Blanc with oysters.

As Director of Brand Marketing for the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, Allison Soderberg promotes the region as a destination for visitors and locals, a host city for meetings and a site for sporting events. She leads brand marketing and communications across the CRVA, encompassing the Charlotte Convention Center, Bojangles Entertainment Complex, NASCAR Hall of Fame, Spectrum Center, Charlotte Regional Film Commission and Visit Charlotte, in conjunction with the destination marketing brand, ‘Charlotte.’

Prior to the CRVA, Allison held roles with the Washington Nationals, Charlotte Hornets and Live Nation. A graduate of Miami University, Allison and her husband have two daughters.

Before officially joining the craft beer industry in 2021 as the Director of Strategic Development for NoDa Brewing Co., Jacob Virgil had a nearly decade long career leading teams in marketing, operations, and sales for a international media company based out of Charlotte. Since joining NoDa Brewing Co. in ’21, Jacob has had the privelege and responsibility to build on the shoulders of giants to continue growing his family business. He is joined in this mission by Chad Henderson (Head Brewer, Co-Owner), Matt Virgil (Director of Operations, Co-Owner), and a best in class team who care deeply about NoDa and the craft beer industry. Outside of the brewery you’re likely to find Jacob spending time outdoors with his wife, daughter, and dog.

Nils Weldy launched Nils Weldy & Associates (NWA) in 2010 to design and execute experiential events. NWA created the Queen City Brewers Festival, celebrating Charlotte’s craft beverage producers and benefiting community organizations. In 2021, NWA developed “Court Shoes Only”, a beer supporting ACEing Autism programs with participation from 75 Carolinas breweries. Nils served as Executive Director of the Charlotte Independent Brewers Alliance (CIBA) from 2017, which prepared him for his current role as Executive Director of the Rhode Island Brewers Guild. Previously, he worked in sales and marketing for the NHL’s Boston Bruins, NBA’s Boston Celtics, and Charlotte Hornets.

Finding Success in the Transformation Economy

Corey Lord (Lord CPAS)

Experiences are all the buzz in the brewing industry right now, and they should be. But what if providing experiences is only the current phase along the path of providing even more value to guests? Well, this is the case. In order to stay ahead of the game, breweries need to know what is next on the economic offering curve and be ready to adapt to shifting consumer demands.
The next frontier for breweries to explore and make a stand is the transformation economy. More and more customers are demanding experiences that not only are enjoyable but also address their personal growth needs and fulfillment in their interactions with businesses, and breweries are no exception.

Breweries are uniquely positioned to provide a transformative experience through education, special events, sustainability practices, being a third space for communities, and much more.

We’ll explore ways breweries can leverage the transformation economy to impact their business and positively track their success and challenges. We’ll also cover different tactics and strategies and how they can influence their financial outcomes.

Learning Objectives:

Identify the different types of economic offerings (goods and services, experiences, and transformations) and how they apply to guests and team alike.
Recognize key opportunities and strategies in the brewing industry to move into the transformation economy.
Gain ways to measure success in the transformation economy.

Corey Lord, CPA, is the CEO of Lord CPAs. Lord CPAs is an accounting, finance, and advisory firm and agency for the craft hospitality industry. We transform craft hospitality businesses into platforms for wealth generation and fulfillment for owners, team, and community alike by being the financial leader that these businesses need.

Crowdsourced: A Collaborative Hour of Problem Solving

CBP Connects attendees continually list the ability to connect and learn from others as a highlight from our workshops. We are excited to host a session dedicated to learning from your peers. In this session, we will field questions from you and then develop the best solutions together. Plan to walk away with strategies to problems many of us are facing and best practices to improve brewery operations. Together, we can grow stronger.

Learning Objectives:

Build new relationships that you can reach out to with future questions
Collaborate with your peers to solve problems faced by other Craft Beer Professionals
Discover new strategies and solutions to help you see greater success at your brewery

The Role of Flavor in 2026

Panelists: Katie McNulty (Revolution Brewing), Nic Bortolin (Amoretti)

Moderator: Jason Pratt (Cicerone)

Consumer expectations are shifting faster than ever. Preferences around flavor, style, experience, and even the role a brewery plays in a community evolve with every new trend on tap. In this conversation, a mix of sensory experts, market analysts, and brewery leaders will break down the flavors and drinking occasions winning today, what is starting to fade, and what signals point to the next wave of demand. From nostalgia to premiumization, from beyond-beer beverages to zero proof options, we will explore the choices guests are making and why. Attendees will leave with a clearer view of where the market is heading and practical ideas to keep their taplist and taproom aligned with consumer behavior.

Learning Objectives:

Develop actionable strategies to align taplists, product development, and taproom programming with evolving flavor expectations to increase relevance, repeat visits, and spend.
Identify the flavor profiles and drinking occasions gaining momentum in 2026 and understand the consumer motivations driving those choices.
Recognize early signals of shifting demand, including what styles, ingredients, and experiences may be plateauing or declining.
Evaluate how trends like nostalgia, premiumization, beyond beer beverages, and zero proof options are influencing purchasing behavior across different guest segments.

Tap Talks: 3 18-minute sessions on critical topics

Ales over Algorithms!

Ross Stensrud (TapWyse)

Thousands of years ago, the taproom gave birth to modern society! Today the taproom is absolutely critical to the future of humankind. In a world riddled with algorithms and artificial intelligence, people need human to human connection now more than at any point in our short history on this planet. How can the taproom co-exist with technology, compete with mega-corps and win with our backs against the wall? Here’s why Craft Beer will come out on top and how to take part in the greatest underdog story ever told.

New NA Opportunities, New Audiences

Dawn Kirchner (Full Circle Brewgarden)

Craft beer, the reason we’re here! It’s our love and the foundation of our businesses. But how can we adapt to changing trends without sacrificing the passion that brought us to the industry? Find out how to expand your menus, minus the alcohol, to include new tastes, preferences, and dietary restrictions, and perhaps gain a few new fans in the process.

Lovin’ on Local: Keeping Consumers Close

Kate Conway (Pickett Brewing)

This Tap Talk will use Maryland as a case study for emphasizing the choice and impact of drinking local products in restaurants, bottle shops, events and beyond. Key takeaways will include data points that support choosing local products, possibilities for funding to grow initiatives that promote local craft and working with state guilds to strengthen the power of this message.

Bitter Honesty: How Malört Turned Hate Into a Disruptive Brand Strategy

Tremaine Atkinson, Anna Sokratov, Zach Jarosz (CH Distillery, home of Jeppson’s Malört)

Malört is a cultural phenomenon built on wormwood, Chicago grit, and the kind of brutal honesty you can taste. In this session, Malört’s marketing and leadership team will unpack how a once-niche shot grew into a nationally recognized brand without changing the recipe or compromising its identity. We’ll share the origin story behind one of America’s most infamously polarizing beverages and dig into why embracing the hate can be a powerful tool rather than a liability.
Attendees will learn how Malört continues to find growth in a market where consumers are drinking less overall – yet not drinking less Malört – by leaning into curiosity, self-deprecating humor, and genuine storytelling. We’ll discuss how packaging innovations, unique collaborations, national distribution expansion, and a cult-like social following have led to success.

Most of all, this session is about empowering brands to be authentically themselves. When you start owning your voice, you cut through the noise. Attendees will walk away entertained, educated and armed with tangible examples for building brand loyalty, one shot at a time.

Learning Objectives:

Attendees will learn how brand authenticity, even when it’s polarizing, can be a strategic advantage that drives cultural relevance, loyalty, and growth.

CH Distillery is the home of Jeppson’s Malört, the famously bitter Chicago spirit turned national phenomenon. Leading the charge is CEO and Founder Tremaine Atkinson, whose passion for craft beverages and Chicago’s hospitality culture helped revive Malört and expand CH into a multifaceted, innovation-driven distillery. Head of Marketing Anna Sokratov has been instrumental in transforming Malört’s polarizing reputation into a strategic advantage, using sharp, irreverent storytelling to turn skeptics into loyalists. Director of Operations Zach Jarosz, a lifelong Chicagoan and Malört superfan-turned-maker, brings deep experience in food manufacturing and supply chain, plus an unshakable love for the Bears, to the operation. Together, the team champions authenticity and the belief that great brands stand boldly, unapologetically apart from the pack.

Signal vs Noise: Making Better Decisions When Everything Competes for Attention

Jake Keyes (Skydance Brewing)

Brewery owners are constantly surrounded by reports, opinions, benchmarks, and instincts, all competing for attention. This session explores how leaders separate signal from noise when making real business decisions. Grounded in real world experience, the conversation will highlight practical strategies owners can use to prioritize initiatives, pressure test ideas, and decide where to focus limited time and resources. Rather than tracking more metrics, attendees will leave with clearer ways to interpret information, ask better questions, and make more confident decisions in a resource constrained environment.

Learning Objectives:

Better separate useful signal from the noise that comes from reports, benchmarks, opinions, and instincts
Pressure test ideas and initiatives to decide what’s actually worth their limited time and resources
Ask better questions and feel more confident about where to focus, even when the data is messy or incomplete

Jake Keyes graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in journalism and spent ten years working in tribal gaming before founding Skydance Brewing in 2018. The brewery began in a co-op space and opened its own location in October 2021. In 2023, Keyes was elected Chairman of the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma for a three-year term. His recent honors include being named one of Native Business Magazine’s Top 50 Native Entrepreneurs, recognized among the OKC Metro’s Most Influential by 405 Business Magazine, and Skydance being selected as one of Hop Culture Magazine’s Top 12 New Breweries in America in 2021.

The Wild, Wild West: Preparing for the Next Frontier

Panelists: Doug Veliky (BeerCrunchers/Bright Bev), Matt Steinke (Go Brewing), Tracey Ireland (Rhinegeist)

Moderator: Ross Stensrud (TapWyse)

The beer industry is entering uncharted territory. New constraints, emerging technologies, and changing consumer expectations mean breweries can no longer rely on the playbook of the past. This panel will dig into how to plan ahead, innovate with purpose, and recognize the next drivers of success. You’ll hear honest perspectives on doing more with less, building awareness without big budgets, and resourcing for growth. The conversation will also explore innovation beyond beer, why it can be healthy to get smaller, and how to strengthen your community while balancing business expectations in an unpredictable market.

Learning Objectives:

Identify the key shifts reshaping the beer industry and why old growth playbooks no longer apply
Learn how to plan, prioritize, and innovate when resources are limited and uncertainty is high
Understand practical ways breweries can build awareness and momentum without large marketing budgets
Explore when getting smaller, more focused, or more local can be a strategic move that strengthens both the business and the community

Doug Veliky is a CPA who led Internal Audit at Reyes Holdings from 2009-2016. His love of craft beer led him to create his social media presence under the handle @beeraficionado, as well as his industry Substack Beer Crunchers. Content helped open the opportunity to join Revolution Brewing as their CFO in 2016, then eventually evolve into their CMO in 2021. This past year, Doug joined BrightBev as a Partner, where he and his partner Jeff work with early stage start-up beverage founders on their route to market strategies and execution. Doug continues to actively create content and in late 2025, Beer Crunchers won Best Blog / Newsletter from the NA Guild of Beer Writers.

Tracey Ireland is the Vice President of Marketing at Rhinegeist Brewery, Ohio’s largest craft brewery and one of the Top 20 independent craft breweries in the U.S. She joined Rhinegeist in 2015 as the company’s first marketing leader, working directly with the founder to build and scale the brand across new categories, brands, and channels.

Today, Tracey leads brand, creative, content, digital, and eCommerce, partnering with sales, production, and executive leadership to drive portfolio strategy, new brand development, and go-to-market execution. She is known for strong judgment and collaborative leadership, with a deep belief that strong brands are built by strong teams.

Open to Innovation: What We Can Learn from Outside the Beer Industry

Moderator: Dan Abel (Pilot Project)

Panelists: Andy Blackburn (Chicago Cubs and Wrigley Field Events), Brendan Kelly (The Lawrence Arms),

“Creativity is the focused combination of unlikely things. Your mind locks onto a certain element and then searches widely for something unexpected that fits with it. What can scuba diving teach you about agriculture? What can trees teach you about public speaking? There is always some connective tissue between disciplines. If you wish to be more creative, look for the connections between two previously unconnected things.”

That quote, by James Clear from ‘Atomic Habits,’ nails it. If we continuously look to each other as our only source of inspiration, we risk becoming an echo chamber of sameness.

In this conversation, we will hear from guests who do not work in the beer industry. We will learn their stories, hear their challenges, discover similarities, gain outside-the-box ideas, and ask unique questions to inspire you to greater success.

Learning Objectives:

Hear real-world stories and challenges from professionals outside the beer industry, providing practical examples of how overcoming obstacles and applying fresh perspectives can lead to success
Recognize and apply innovative concepts from unrelated fields to the beverage industry.
Break free from conventional thinking patterns by examining how unconventional practices and ideas from other sectors can inspire novel approaches in their work.

Brendan Kelly has been a driving force in Chicago punk rock since his teens. Best known as bassist and co-vocalist of The Lawrence Arms, he built his career on DIY ethos, sharp storytelling, and a healthy dose of irreverent humor. A Northwestern graduate, Kelly also created the viral Nihilist Arby’s persona, blending absurdism with cultural commentary. Whether on stage or online, he brings wit, heart, and an unapologetically independent perspective to every room he steps into.

Dan Abel is the Co-Founder and CEO of Pilot Project Brewing, a beverage incubator based in Chicago and Milwaukee. Described as a “recording studio for the beverage industry,” he has helped launch 23 brands, scaled Pilot to eight-figure revenue, and led its recognition as the #8 fastest-growing food and beverage company by Inc. 5000. Under his leadership, Pilot has expanded to 3 locations—with 2 more on the horizon—and partnered with comedian John Mulaney to create a non-alcoholic brand. Previously, Abel spent five years at Google/YouTube before serving as CMO at Reverb.com, where he helped drive its nine-figure acquisition by Etsy. He lives in Highland Park, Illinois, with his wife, two kids, dog, and an ever-growing guitar collection.

The People and the Process: Real World Tools to Lead, Protect, & Support Your Team

Jessica Hart (Jessica Hart Consulting)

Managing people is hard. Managing people in a brewery — where alcohol is part of the product, teams interact directly with the public, and roles change throughout the day — adds another layer of complexity. In this environment, informal practices and “we’ve always done it this way” decisions can quietly create risk.

This 60-minute interactive session uses real, anonymized brewery stories to show how everyday people decisions can resurface later as audits, investigations, or costly mistakes. Attendees will hear how a misunderstanding — not misconduct — triggered a Department of Labor audit, and why a single undocumented workaround from years earlier resulted in a significant fine. They’ll also explore a story where untracked shift beers and after-hours cleanup led to an investigation, and how unclear boundaries and dishonesty — not alcohol itself — became the real issue.

The session then shifts from stories to action. Leaders will walk through a practical self-check of common people and pay risk areas, including tip credit use, tip and service charge documentation, salaried classification thresholds, and pay stub clarity. Participants will work in table groups to assess a realistic brewery scenario, identify red flags, and discuss how they would respond.

This session is designed to be practical, engaging, and immediately useful — helping brewery leaders leave with clearer instincts, better questions, and simple steps they can take back to their operation.

Learning Objectives:

Understand how everyday shortcuts and missing documentation can create serious risk, and learn what to document, when, and why to protect your business and team.
Learn why informal practices and inconsistent rules create the biggest risk during investigations, and how clearly defining, tracking, and setting boundaries protects both leaders and staff.
Gain a practical checklist to identify common wage, tip, and classification risks and know which questions to ask to reduce exposure and stay compliant.

Jessica Hart, MBA is the founder of Jessica Hart Consulting, where she helps craft beverage and hospitality businesses build people systems that actually work in the real world. Her experience spans large, well-known brands like Heineken and Lagunitas, growing regional producers like CaliCraft, and small, single-brewer operations navigating growth for the first time.
Jessica specializes in the in-between space where good intentions, fast growth, and limited process often collide. She supports leaders with HR audits, role clarity, compensation strategy, and practical compliance — always with an eye toward protecting both the business and the people behind it.

Known for her relatable stories and straight-talk approach, Jessica brings a mix of humor, honesty, and real-world lessons to every room. She believes clear processes make it easier to lead, easier to scale, and easier to keep good people — especially in an industry built on community.

Turning Taproom Regulars Into Super Fans

Panelists: Cody Lannom (Cedar City Brewing Company), Kevin ‘Swirv’ Irvin (Atlantucky)

Moderator: Ross Stensrud (TapWyse)

What if you never had another new customer? How would you make your current audience even more valuable?

In this session, we’ll focus on actionable strategies to help you increase guest spending, build loyalty, and keep people coming back more often. From creative promotions to enhancing the guest experience, you’ll walk away with tools to drive higher revenue per visitor. Discover the power of focusing on your current audience and turning them into passionate super fans. It’s about making every guest count.

Learning Objectives:

Learn practical ways to increase guest check averages and drive repeat visits through loyalty programs, memorable events, front of house training, and continuous improvement in the guest experience
Explore creative strategies from brewery owners on how to strengthen loyalty and turn casual visitors into passionate super fans
Understand how to identify meaningful guest experience signals and use them to improve consistency, recognize strong performance, and make smarter decisions across the business
Walk away with a clear playbook of customer experience strategies you can put into action right away to boost spending and repeat visits from your current audience

Cody Lannom is one of three Operating Partners at Cedar City Brewing, a fast-casual hospitality and beverage production brand based in Lebanon, Tennessee, serving more than 65,000 guests annually and generating over $2.5M in gross revenue. He leads guest acquisition, brand development, and community-focused programming, with responsibilities spanning brand management, digital marketing, loyalty initiatives, live events, merchandising, packaging, and wholesale distribution.

He has built and operated a self-distributed wholesale program for packaged kegs and cans, produced ticketed events and large-scale festivals in partnership with the local municipality, and remains closely involved in brewing operations, compliance, and regulatory oversight. He also serves on the board of the Tennessee Brewers Guild.

CBP Connects presented by Arryved POS

Workshop at The Barrel Room at Triple C BrewingMonday, June 9, 2025

7:00-9:00 PMWelcome Reception at Triple C Brewing Company thanks to Malteurop + the NC Craft Brewers Guild

Tuesday, June 10, 2025

8:00-9:00 AMGather + Coffee + Trade Show

9:00-10:00amWelcome/Get to Know Your Fellow Craft Beer Professionals

10:00-11:00amFinding Success in the Transformation Economy

11:00am-12:00pmBuilding Beer Destinations: Lessons from Charlotte and Beyond

12:00-1:30pmTrade Show + Lunch

1:30-2:00pmOpen to Innovation: What We Can Learn from Outside the Beer Industry

2:30-3:30pmWeathering the Storm: Navigating Crisis and Overcoming Unforeseen Challenges

3:30-4:30 pmTrade Show + Beers thanks to Beer Law Center

4:30-5:30pmHow to Create A More Efficient Taproom Experience

7:00-9:00pmReception at NoDa Brewing Company thanks for Berlin Packaging

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

8:00-9:00 AMTrade Show + Coffee

9-10amIs Craft Beer Dead? Uncovering Profit in the Industry KPIs

10:00-11:00amBeer, Beyonce, and the Path to World Peace: Uniting Communities and Bridging Divides

11:00am-12:00pmSecuring Your Taproom’s Future: Leases, Landlord’s, and Long-Term Success

12:00-1:30pmTrade Show + Lunch presented by BMI

1:30-2:30pmTap Talks

2:30-3:30pmIngredients as a Differentiator – Using Flavor to Stand Out

3:30-4:30pmCrowdsourced: A Collaborative Hour of Problem Solving

7:00-9:00pmClosing Reception at The Gilded Cellar at Resident Culture South End thanks to White Labs

Trade Show featuring:

Arryved | ATP Group | Beer Law Center | Beer30 by The 5th Ingredient

Berlin Packaging | Boelter | Deutsche Beverage & Process | Dolium | Hartsfield and Nash

Harvest Hosts | Hopsteiner | InTouch Labels | Malteurop

Mini-Merch | Ollie | Tap Hopper | TapWyse | Two Track Malting | White Labs

Lunch + Music thanks to:

BMI + Stephanie Quayle

Event Signage thanks to Strike

Workshop at The Barrel Room at Triple C Brewing
Monday, June 9, 2025

7:00-9:00 PM
Welcome Reception at Triple C Brewing Company thanks to Malteurop + the NC Craft Brewers Guild

8:00-9:00 AM
Gather + Coffee + Trade Show

9:00-10:00am
Welcome/Get to Know Your Fellow Craft Beer Professionals

10:00-11:00am
Finding Success in the Transformation Economy

11:00am-12:00pm
Building Beer Destinations: Lessons from Charlotte and Beyond

12:00-1:30pm
Trade Show + Lunch

1:30-2:00pm
Open to Innovation: What We Can Learn from Outside the Beer Industry

2:30-3:30pm
Weathering the Storm: Navigating Crisis and Overcoming Unforeseen Challenges

3:30-4:30 pm
Trade Show + Beers thanks to Beer Law Center

4:30-5:30pm
How to Create A More Efficient Taproom Experience

7:00-9:00pm
Reception at NoDa Brewing Company thanks for Berlin Packaging

8:00-9:00 AM
Trade Show + Coffee

9-10am
Is Craft Beer Dead? Uncovering Profit in the Industry KPIs

10:00-11:00am
Beer, Beyonce, and the Path to World Peace: Uniting Communities and Bridging Divides

11:00am-12:00pm
Securing Your Taproom’s Future: Leases, Landlord’s, and Long-Term Success

12:00-1:30pm
Trade Show + Lunch presented by BMI

1:30-2:30pm
Tap Talks

2:30-3:30pm
Ingredients as a Differentiator – Using Flavor to Stand Out

3:30-4:30pm
Crowdsourced: A Collaborative Hour of Problem Solving

7:00-9:00pm
Closing Reception at The Gilded Cellar at Resident Culture South End thanks to White Labs