The Washington Brewers Guild is launching their 1st annual WA Craft Beer Summit and they have lined up the Brewers Associaton's Chief Economist, Bart Watson, to deliver the keynote speech. The conference goes down at the Washington State Fairgrounds Events Center in Puyallup, WA on November 7-9th, 2019.

WA breweries can register now at an early bird ticket rate:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/first-annual-wa-craft-beer-summit-trade-show-tickets-57744739069

KEYNOTE: State of the Washington Craft Brewing Industry: The craft brewing industry is changing. What are the market and demographic trends shaping those shifts and how can you find growth in a more cluttered marketplace?

The Washington State craft beer industry has seen tremendous growth over the last decade and currently ranks 2^nd in the U.S. for total number of breweries operating in a state. Using years of economic data, statistics, market research and industry intel, Watson will provide a look at how Washington’s market compares to the national landscape and give valuable insight on how Washington breweries can position themselves to thrive in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

“We are really excited to welcome Bart to Washington as the keynote for our inaugural WA Craft Beer Summit,” says Annie McGrath, Executive Director of the Washington Brewers Guild. “Bart’s perspective is relevant to breweries of all sizes and business models and this special look at the WA marketplace is the perfect way to kick off our conference, which is geared specifically to Washington brewery owners and employees.”

Early Agenda Highlights for the WA Craft Beer Summit

·Quality: A Complete Picture: Neil Witte, Brewers Association Quality Ambassador, will give an examination of what quality means to today’s brewer, the brewery and the industry as a whole. Quality programs are explored through the lens of the vast array of resources available from the Brewers Association, while at the same time encouraging brewers to expand their understanding of what constitutes a quality program.

·Grassroots Marketing: How to promote your brewery with little to no budget: The Washington Beer Blog’s Kendall Jones will share tips and tricks for getting your brewery noticed, without a big marketing budget. Kendall will walk brewers through interacting with and attracting the press, taking advantage of free resources, creating compelling promotional opportunities and when it might be time to use a PR firm.

·My Brand Needs to Evolve - But How Far Should I Go? Whether it's due to expanding production, venturing into new packaging, or keeping ahead of this ever-evolving market, breweries find themselves needing to update their brand to reflect where they are and where they want to go. But just how drastic of a change is needed? Blindtiger Design founder, Oceania Eagan, hosts this panel discussion, joined by a range of breweries who have tackled these challenges with varying degrees of change.

·Expect the Unexpected: What you need to know when LNI comes knocking on your door: ERNwest safety expert, Shamus Harmon, will cover DOSH penalty calculations, the five DOSH inspection types, steps of a DOSH inspection, necessary employer documents and the top five tips to be better prepared.

·Tied House Laws & Rules: WSLCB Compliance 101:  This interactive presentation with the WSLCB’s non-retail unit aims to shed light on confusing areas of state alcohol regulations and highlight the differences between activities allowed at your brewery and how you interface with other retailers.

·Hop On Board: Janet Lightner, General Manager of Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro and Pamela Brulotte, Founder of Icicle Brewing Company and Munchen Haus, share tools and tips to help create a successful onboarding process for Front of House employees. Our Front of House staff are the employees that customers directly engage with on a daily basis. Employees who are well-trained in company, beer, product and customer experience knowledge will help facilitate a great first impression and continued positive experience for your guests.

More speakers will be added to the agenda in the coming weeks. Topics will cover four conference tracks: Business and Compliance, Sales and Marketing, Technical Brewing and Brewery Operations, and Front of House Hospitality. For more information, visit: https://www.washingtonbrewersguild.org/washington-craft-beer-summit/

Registration is open now for WA breweries and Washington Brewers Guild Allied Members. For early bird pricing special, visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/first-annual-wa-craft-beer-summit-trade-show-tickets-57744739069

The Summit will also host a trade show featuring a dynamic line-up of industry suppliers and service providers. A list of current exhibitors can be found at: https://www.washingtonbrewersguild.org/washington-craft-beer-summit/

The Washington Brewers Guild is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and promoting the interests of WA craft brewers while building and strengthening the community of brewers. For more information about the Washington Brewers Guild or to become a member visit www.washingtonbrewersguild.org.