CBP Connects Charleston
December 4-6, 2023
CBP Connects presented by Arryved POS
Monday, December 4, 2023
Welcome Reception at Holy City Brewing thanks to ABS Commercial
TUESDAY, December 5, 2023
Gather + Coffee + Trade Show
Welcome/Get to Know Your Fellow Craft Beer Professionals
Andrew Coplon (Founder, Craft Beer Professionals/Secret Hopper)
- Maria Pearman, CPA at GH&J Advisors
- Chris Ranere, Owner at Indigo Reef Brewing Company
- Pearce Fleming, Proprietor at Commonhouse Aleworks
- Moderator: Rachel Kesley, Solutions Engineer & Director of Partnerships at Arryved
We’ll dive into creative solutions to combat rising vendor costs and pricing strategies of real-life brewery owners. You won’t want to miss it!
Learning Objectives:
How to approach vendors to receive more competitive prices
What data other breweries are using to help with their pricing model
Creative solutions breweries are using to offset costs
Maria Pearman, CPA, CGMA, has more than 15 years of public accounting experience providing accounting and advisory services to clients. She is an expert in the beverage and alcohol industry and specializes in internal accounting processes, financial reviews, budgeting, cash flow forecasting, financial strategy and succession planning.
Christopher Ranere and his wife Nicole started homebrewing in 2014 in Madison, WI. They started with homebrew extract kits and quickly fell in love with the process and final product. They moved on to brewing all grain batches when they moved to Charleston, SC in late 2014. In 2017, Christopher started working in production at Two Blokes Brewing. In 2019, Christopher and Nicole opened Indigo Reef Brewing company, a 7 BBL brewery with a taproom, small kitchen, and local distribution. Indigo Reef Brewing has changed a lot over the course of nearly five years, including multiple partners in the kitchen, new distribution areas and a canning line!
Pearce Fleming is an accomplished and award-winning homebrewer. In addition to his homebrewing experience, Pearce has completed the Institute of Brewing & Distilling’s General Certificate in Brewing exam. Outside of brewing, Pearce has served in healthcare administration, been responsible for leading one of the largest healthcare consultancies in the country, as well as developed multiple quality, education, and wellbeing technology platforms serving patients, providers, insurers, and employers. Pearce’s family roots lie in rural South Carolina and the mountains of western North Carolina. He was often entertained in his youth by his Grandaddy’s stories of running shine from his home in the mountains to the state capital of Raleigh to help with expenses while attending North Carolina State University. His grandfather always laughed about the time he was caught and hauled in front of the school’s disciplinary board, saying, “little did the President of the University know that nine of the ten people on the board were my regular customers.” True to form, Pearce’s father’s first words when told of the plan for Commonhouse, “Well, you know you’re going to have to pay the Revenuers their due.
Rachel Kesley Kesley is a hospitality master, working as an executive chef and in the craft beer world for over two decades! Now she’s leading the Arryved partnerships team to help other craft establishments grow their revenue through a point-of-service (POS) solution. Outside of work she is busy traveling, exploring Colorado on her bicycle, and chasing around her pup Truvy Tennessee!
Brian Winkeler & Jennings Hammack (Robot House)
Your beers are your brand’s superheroes. They each have their own distinct, otherworldly powers and a fervent fanbase of frenetic followers. How do they relate to one another? How are you telling their strange & wonderful tales? Branding experts Brian Winkeler & Jennings Hammack with Robot House will discuss how you are the architect of your brewery’s one-of-a-kind universe and lead an interactive exercise that will encourage you to reflect on each beer’s origin story and unique strengths, and what their names, designs and iconography say about the craft beer world you’re building.
Learning Objectives:
- Attendees will be encouraged to analogize their brewery’s collection of craft beers to a team of superheroes and reflect on how they can best position each of their craft beer heroes for success as individual brands and as part of a larger brand family.
- Attendees will see a demonstration of a brand development process that resulted in the creation of a storytelling system to visually connect The Nook Brewing Company’s 12 beers while also infusing layouts with maximum personal detail to highlight the origin and unique powers of each style.
- Attendees will engage in an interactive activity giving them the opportunity to create their own brewery superhero wielding powers unlike any other – because there’s no other brewery like theirs.
Brian Winkeler & Jennings Hammack represent 1/3 of Robot House, an Oklahoma City-based six-person team of creative thinkers, dreamers and doers who craft emotional brand stories with fresh, cool, award-winning design in collaboration with clients around the country. Specializing in brand development, packaging design and all things creative, Brian & Jennings are on a mission to find passionate people eager to build and explore a brave new world for their craft beer brand.
Trade Show + Lunch
Brynn Keenan (Founder and CEO, Grist Analytics)
Join us for an immersive Brewery Data Diagnostics workshop, where we delve into real-world production data to collaboratively diagnose brewery issues. This interactive experience goes beyond theory as we analyze actual data from the brewhouse through packaging, providing hands-on insights for troubleshooting and enhancing overall quality.
For production teams, this workshop unlocks the keys to streamlined operations, precise scheduling, and early issue identification, providing brewers with the predictability they need to foster creativity and innovation when production flows seamlessly.
Front of house positions, including taproom and sales personnel, will gain a fundamental understanding of what “quality” truly means, empowering confident communication with customers and distributors.
Whether you’re a seasoned brewer or a sales rep seeking a competitive edge, this workshop equips you with skills to understand your brewery’s data and elevate your quality control practices.
Learning Objectives:
- How to analyze brewhouse data, including brewlogs, spreadsheets and control charts.
- How to diagnose issues using data and identify root cause.
- How to effectively communicate and validate that you have good quality product.
Brynn is a biochemist by training and fermentation scientist by trade. Her experience in brewing QC includes building micro, sensory, and analytical programs for Left Hand Brewing and Inland Island Yeast Laboratories. Brynn started Grist Analytics to bring big brewery QC tools to craft by making data entry, visualization, and analysis easy. She now helps breweries across the world turn production data into actionable information. Brynn is passionate about good beer, rock climbing, and building community.
Day Bracey (Founder, Barrel & Flow)
Day Bracey is a comedian, podcaster, activist, & founder of America’s first Black arts and craft brew fest, Barrel & Flow (formerly Fresh Fest). In this session, he’ll discuss how he and his team built one of America’s most inclusive brew festivals, & the initiatives behind it. Barrel & Flow has been named one of America’s best brew fests by the readers of USA Today four years in a row, and has gained international recognition and following since it’s inception in 2018. Attendees should expect to be entertained and prepare to engage in meaningful discussions surrounding the benefits and difficulties in connecting with your community, building culture, & creating mutually beneficial relationships for the betterment of both business and society.
Learning Objectives:
- How to meaningfully connect to your community through mutually beneficial relationships.
- The benefits of inclusion in action. The importance of culture in the long term success of your business.
- Pitfalls of event planning.
Day Bracey is a comedian, podcaster, activist, & producer. His credits include co-host of the award winning Drinking Partners Podcast, co-host of TV Show Ed & Day in The Burgh, & founder of America’s first Black arts and craft brew fest, Barrel & Flow (formerly Fresh Fest). When he isn’t drinking or paying Black people, he’s trolling bigots online.
Trade Show + Beers
Anthony Drago (Director of Hospitality, Monday Night Brewing), Jamie Young (Regional General Manager, Saucy Brew Works), Marcus Baskerville (Co-Founder, Weathered Souls Brewing Company
Moderator: Michael Varda (Founder, Craft Beer Advisory Services)
More and more we are seeing breweries consider not plans to be the next big regional or national player, but chart a path that includes expanding their presence into other communities. With this growth, comes the need to maintain the same high level of quality and experience across locations. In this panel conversation, we will discuss aspects to consider when planning an expansion, challenges you may face, and strategies for success while growing via the taproom model.
Learning Objectives:
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Discuss methods to create and maintain a recognizable brand across taprooms while leaning into unique characteristics to reflect the local surroundings.
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Discover strategies to implement, monitor, and maximize training among staff to create the most memorable and profitable experience for both guests and team members.
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Demonstrate the importance of strong leadership, how management can best demonstrate company values, and metrics that can be valuable in understanding the health of a taproom.
The insight offered will not only give actionable strategies to those actively pursuing the taproom model, but also provide immediate takeaways for maximizing the operation of a single location.
Anthony Drago is the Director of Hospitality for Monday Night Brewing. He oversees all taproom, private events, and restaurant operations across five locations and four states, and he has been with Monday Night Brewing for five years. At Monday Night Brewing, Anthony has been responsible for increasing to-go sales through staff education and merchandising opportunities. He led the charge on developing new cocktail and culinary programs at Monday Night’s taprooms, including launching artisan pizza programs in Atlanta and the soon-to-open Charlotte location. Anthony has 15 years in the service industry. He spent 4 years in the wine industry advancing through the sommelier program until he made the switch from grapes to hops. Anthony can stand on one foot for longer than 30 seconds but no longer than 34 seconds.
Jamie Young is the Regional General Manager at Saucy Brew Works. “Hey everyone! I like to call myself a humble narcissist with a focus on good old-fashioned genuine hospitality. My specialties are identifying like minded misfits and motivating them for the cause of spreading good times, joy, and wealth. With over 20 years in the industry (17 in brewery land) I’ve managed to cultivate my passion for drinks and dining while breaking through that hoppy ceiling that was once entirely male dominated. I demand respect, compassion, and desire for success from my associates all the while disguising myself in this lovely lady package. I curse like a sailor and don’t trust those who don’t.”
Marcus Baskerville, 38, was born and raised in Rancho Cordova, California. Co-owner of Weathered Souls in San Antonio, TX and Charlotte NC. Marcus has received several accolades while operating Weathered Souls Brewing Co. such as San Antonio’s Brewery of the Year five times running, 2019 Best 33 Stouts in the World, Wine Enthusiast’s 40 under 40 Top Taste Makers in 2020, Craft Beer & Brewing 2020’s Break Out Brewer , 2020 Best Brewery in The US, 2021 top 20 beers by Hop Culture, Imbibe 75, 2020, Imbibe 75, 2021 and many others. In 2020, he created the worldwide initiative called Black Is Beautiful, a cause supporting equality and inclusion through a collaborative effort. Recently Black is Beautiful was recently added to the world’s greatest beer book by CAMRA books. To start the Year of ’23, Weathered Souls was a semifinalist for The James Beard foundation award for Best Bar. Marcus also is a founding member and sits on the BOD of the NB2A and sits on the BOD of the Brewers Association.
As a lifelong hospitality veteran, Matt Russell specializes in building high performing teams, executive leadership development, scaling business, launching new brands, all while utilizing a positive people focused approach. Matt is a graduate of the University of North Texas with a degree in Strategic Management. He’s held executive level and senior leadership positions in several private and corporate hospitality companies as well as served on the University of Richmond’s CX Advisory Board. Currently serving as Chief Operation Office for New Realm Brewing and Distilling Company’s Restaurant division. Fun fact, while in college Matt opened his own sports bar and grill, and that passion for craft beer, great food, and southern hospitality lives on today. In his free time Matt enjoys spending time with his family, playing golf, cooking, and all things Dallas Cowboys.
Michael Varda is the Founder of Craft Beer Advisory Services (CBAS), a market research firm exclusively dedicated to craft beer. He began his professional career in market research roles advising some of the nation’s top universities on attracting students and several Fortune 50 companies on improving brand perceptions. In addition to CBAS, he also leads brand perception research at a Fortune 100 financial company. Combining his research skill with a passion for craft beer, CBAS was born in Fall 2021. Since its founding, Michael has delivered CBAS research to more than 250 breweries in 45+ states and 10+ countries.
Reception at Commonhouse Aleworks thanks to Malteurop
WEDNESDAY, December 6, 2023
Trade Show + Coffee
Julie Rhodes (Owner, Strategic Business Consultant, Not Your Hobby Marketing Solutions)
In baseball, there’s a strategic theory called Sabermetrics that establishes a roster of players that might not be household names but have skill sets that will produce the highest probability of success. Why? Because they contribute incremental gains, in this case, base runners or runs scored, that allow that team to win more games. This method of team management rose to popularity because some teams were playing at a huge disadvantage – a low spending budget and a high level of competition for players. The craft beer world is not that different from baseball. At a time when marketplace competition is high, the economy is low, and budgets are limited, craft beer brands might want to consider how to play Lager–metrics with their sales plans.
Learning Objectives:
- How to leverage small, incremental sales wins to reach large sales goals
- Identifying the key data points to track to implement this system of selling
- How to structure sales goals for your team based on small, incremental wins
With over 2 decades of experience in the food and beverage industry, Julie Rhodes is an expert in off-site beverage sales, digital marketing, leadership, team management, and distributor partnership management. She is the owner of Not Your Hobby Marketing Solutions, an educational services and strategic business consulting company built specifically for small to medium-sized craft beverage companies where she teaches owners and operators how to work smarter, not harder. She is also a freelance business journalist and active public speaker, belonging to multiple state brewery guilds and cider trade associations. She was the Mentor of the Year for the Brewers Association in 2022 and also sits on the BA DEI Marketing and Communications Subcommittee.

Time to wake up your events! Stop suffering from schedule sleepiness!
We believe events are some of the most underutilized tools for bringing your brand story and personality to life. During this interactive workshop, attendees will brainstorm engaging themes and create a blueprint to maximize attendance:
- Brainstorming event types
- Laying out the building blocks of engagement
- Knowing the tools available to promote
- Building contingency plans
In a small group setting, teams will agree on a theme to present to peers for critique. Together we’ll discuss the basic building blocks of events worthy of your time and primed for participation. The idea of a budget to promote the event will be introduced, as well as the need for prioritizing tools and tactics to build awareness and drive ticket sales/traffic. And then there’s the contingency plan in case things go sideways…
The goal is for everyone to have at least one new and engaging event idea for when they return to their breweries, plus the gameplan to successfully promote. Workshop attendees will also have access to 10+ Complimentary Guides, with storytelling techniques to keep fans engaged and the proven tools to build momentum and capture new sales in this environment.
Learning Objectives:
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Understand event types and identify the right theme for your next event.
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Build a meaningful, engaging event for your customers and community.
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Maximize event participation/attendance with targeted promotions.
- Build a contingency plan for the unforeseen, ensuring event success.
Market Your Craft is a virtual team of experts in storytelling your craft beer brand. We’ve worked with some of the most iconic brands in the beverage industry, including Sierra Nevada, BJ’s Brewhouse, Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark and others. Led by Scott Kolbe, industry veteran of 20+ years, our goal is to help you become more discoverable in today’s crowded market. We measure success by how quickly we provide your internal team with the tools needed to drive traffic, build engagement and capture sales. To learn more or to schedule an hour free of charge with one of our storytelling experts, visit marketyourcraft.com.
Elise Strupp (Event & Programming Manager, MobCraft Beer)
If you can take the heat, don’t stay out of the kitchen! Serving food in your taproom is a great way to attract a wider range of guests and to keep them in your taproom for longer periods of time. While the promise of an increase in audience and sales is attractive, running a kitchen comes with a bounty of logistical challenges. But donut give up! In this session, we will explore different taproom food service models and the steps necessary to successfully implement a food service program at your brewery, allowing you to take a big bite of the potential revenue pie.
Learning Objectives:
- Attendees will gain an awareness of kitchen equipment that can be used in challenging spaces
- Attendees will understand how utilizing catering software that can be utilized to increase food sales and improve internal and client communications
- Attendees will develop an action plan for implementing or improving food service in their taproom
Elise Strupp is the Programming & Event Manager at MobCraft Beer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Elise holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from UW-Madison, and believes that beer is a universal experience (and that you don’t need a background in brewing or even science) to understand, appreciate, and talk about beer! Elise has over ten years of experience working in the brewing industry as a tour guide, bartender, taproom manager, tour manager, and event manager.
Trade Show + Lunch

Bryant Vander Weerd (Owner + Creative Director, Full Pour Media)
Crafting a strong content marketing strategy has become crucial for the success of any craft brewery. And no longer is it just about posting beer pics to your Instagram and Facebook feeds. This session will dive into the components that make up an effective content plan, going beyond just social media. Topics discussed will include:
- Understanding target audience
- Optimizing your website and SEO
- Showcasing expertise and building credibility with blogs
- Using email marketing to foster customer relationships and drive engagement
- Out-of-the-box concepts to deepen your connection with your fans
All these “slices” put together make up a perfect content marketing “pie.” Attendees will walk away with enhanced creativity and solutions to build more effective marketing for your brewery.
Learning Objectives:
- Discover holes in your marketing strategies, and what can be done to supplement your current initiatives
- Understand the role of each brewery team member, not just on the marketing team, in telling your brand story
- Possess the skills to reframe your thinking around marketing for certain events or campaigns to create greater awareness and success
Bryant is the Founder and Creative Director of Full Pour Media, an award-winning creative agency focused on the craft beverage industry. They work with clients both in US and abroad to plan, produce, and execute marketing and promotional strategies.
They’ve partnered with organizations such as the Brewers Association and the MO Craft Brewers Guild on past marketing campaigns.
Bryant has won three Emmy awards for his work and Full Pour Media has won 9 Craft Beer Marketing Awards for their work in marketing and storytelling.
Jon Simpson (Fullsteam Brewery), Kristie Nystedt (Raleigh Brewing Company), Matt Sprinkle (ABS Commercial), Pat Tuley (Wipfli), Tom Hudock (Craft Buildings), William Teasley (Khonso Brewing)
As the brewhouse counterpart session to Maintaining Consistency Across Taprooms, this session will focus on growth and expansion from the production side. The panel will offer insight from the brewery, equipment, and financial viewpoints to provide you with a playbook to consider as you scale. Our guests will discuss best practices, common mistakes, and share experiences how they have been able to successfully increase production capacity.
Learning Objectives:
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Discuss factors including brewing equipment, fermentation capacity, packaging lines, and storage space to determine the extent of expansion needed to make anticipated growth
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Understand the importance of a market analysis and the financial planning necessary to make expansion viable
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Create a plan to maximize your current production capacity as you plan for the future
Jon Simpson holds a BS degree in Nuclear Medicine from the Rochester Institute of Technology and worked in various healthcare positions until 8 years ago when he decided to make a career change and pursue his passion, craft brewing. He is currently the Head Brewer at Fullsteam Brewery in Durham NC where he focuses on beers made with local ingredients, particularly local craft malt. Jon has overseen a number of expansion projects at Fullsteam, including the installation of a centrifuge, a new boiler, and a 5 bbl pilot system
In 2013, Kristie Nystedt opened the doors to Raleigh Brewing Company becoming the first woman in North Carolina to own a craft brewery. She is the president and CEO of Raleigh Brewing Company, with 3 locations across North Carolina, as well as Atlantic Brew Supply and ABS Commercial. Kristie’s passion for craft beer and her commitment to community extends beyond the brewery walls with partnerships like Bike MS, an organization that raises funds in support of those affected by MS, and Raleigh Little Theater. Kristie lends her voice to advocate growth and development in North Carolina.
Matt Sprinkle is a Brewery Design Consultant and East Coast Sales Representative at ABS Commercial. After getting his start at Foothills Brewing, he transitioned to Loeffler Chemical, where he spent the majority of his career building Cleaning and Sanitation programs for craft breweries and distilleries. Equipped with a rich brewing background and recognized for fostering lasting client relationships, Matt stands as a luminary in the brewing sector. Matt is also forklift certified.
Tim O’Neill is a senior manager in Wipfli’s tax practice, specializing food & beverage manufacturing, retail, and distribution. Tim leads Wipfli’s Craft Brewery Services team and has over 10 years of experience assisting craft breweries ranging from large, multistate breweries to breweries in planning with their tax and business compliance & planning needs. Brewery owners appreciate his tailored business solutions, commitment to excellence, and ability to build strong relationships with their team. Tim lives in St. Louis with his wife and three young children and loves any English-style brown ale just as much as he loves a beautifully formatted spreadsheet.
Bitten by the craft brewing movement over fifteen years ago, Tom Hudock brought his passion for brewing and experience with branding, marketing, and commercial real estate together in 2016. Sister companies My Beer Brand and Craft Buildings are the culmination of his years of careful planning, strategizing, and networking with others who share a passion for craft beverages. In addition, because a brewery without a piece of land to build it on is sort of a big deal, Tom is also a licensed REALTOR® serving clients by finding and securing property for their new craft-related business ventures.
A native of Tuskegee, Alabama, William Teasley became a craft beer fanboy when he tasted his first Samuel Adams Lager while at Boston College in the 1980s. Since then he has traveled and tasted beer worldwide while having an ever-evolving career in learning and technology. Brewing is an extension of his passion for learning deeply, blending flavors, committing to quality, and having fun. Beer is his canvas. He is also passionate about sharing the significance of beer’s connections to the African diaspora, brewing various beer styles, and staying abreast of current trends in the craft beverage world.
Trade Show + Beers
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
Closing Reception at New Realm Brewing thanks to WIpfli
Trade Show featuring:
ABS Commercial | Abstrax Hops | Auburn Supply Group
Beer30 by The 5th Ingredient | Beer Law HQ | Craft Buildings
Full Pour Media | Harvest Hosts | Hop Guild | Kegshoe
Kickfin | Lallemand | Malteurop | MarketMyBrewery
Melio | National Honey Board | Robot House
Steel City Tap | TapWyse | Viatran | Wipfli
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