Wednesday, May 18, 2016
3:00 – 4:15 PM
Content Marketing: The Not so Secret Weapon of Craft
Presenters: Julia Herz, Craft Beer Program Director, Brewers Association; Alyssa Rapp, Managing Partner, AJR Ventures
Description: Consumers are savvy – they don’t believe advertising. They want an authentic, quality brand who they can trust. Content marketing provides an opportunity for you to provide meaningful, memorable connections with your customers which will in turn, produce quality leads for your business. Understand how to tell your story, create a voice for your brand, and inform and entertain as you position yourself as a leader in the industry all while influencing the decision makers who buy craft brands. Join Alyssa and Julia, two powerhouses in beer and wine, as they talk you through their effective techniques that get noticed.
Category: Quality, Branding, Relationships, Loyalty
Exporting to the UK and Europe
Presenters: Myles Pinfold, MD and Director of Brand Strategy and Planning, WPA Pinfold Ltd
Description: What do you need to know to begin exporting? Explore the current alcoholic drinks industry in the UK and across Europe as we help you understand each countries nuances and differences. Review the current retail landscape and routes to market as we review case studies of brands which have made the leap. Learn how to craft your message to reach a new audience, both from a brand and marketing perspective.
Category: Quality, Branding, Relationships, Loyalty
Objectives:
- Develop an understanding of the UK and European retail landscape – on-trade; off-trade; The English pub.
- Explore the competitive landscape for craft producers in the UK and Europe
- Discuss the routes to market to ensure you get Return On Investment
- Review the licensing, shipping and cost considerations you must make before moving forward
Navigating the Currents of Change: Distribution
Presenters: Laura Lodge, Distribution Insights; Moose Koons, Director of Sales and Marketing, Peach Street Distillers; Dustin LeMoine, National Sales and Marketing Manager, Avery Brewing Company; David Cordtz, CEO & Founder, Sonoma Cider; Denice Ingalls, Owner/Founder, Sky River Meadery
Description: With exponential increases in the number of suppliers, the very nature of distribution continues to change dramatically. Are you handling these uncharted waters with your distributor? Or are they leaving you in their wake? Learn some new navigation tools from a panel of salty dogs, and get everything shipshape for the new era.
Category: Relationships, Loyalty
Objectives:
- Discover tips to prepare your company for distribution
- Understand the characteristics of a good partnership with your distributor
- Watch for the danger signs of a faltering partnership
- Garner ideas for improving & adapting existing partnerships to the new distribution scene
4:30 – 5:45 PM
Battle of the Brands: Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls
Presenter: Chris McElwain, Attorney, LaRiviere Grubman, PC
Description: As the number of craft beverage products has exploded, so too have the opportunities for trademark liability. With thousands of labels vying for attention, it’s becoming harder than ever for producers to nurture a strong, distinctive brand while simultaneously avoiding legal conflicts with their many competitors. Most beverage producers understand the important role that trademark rights play in internalizing the goodwill derived from the quality of their concoctions. Yet, misunderstanding abounds as to the scope of trademark protection and the many pitfalls that brand owners may encounter in a marketplace as dynamic and competitive as the craft beverage industry. 2015 saw a slew of beverage brands square off, both against one another and against others from outside the industry, over alleged unlawful similarities. From sharks to skulls to the font of “IPA,” makers found themselves forced to choose between costly rebranding efforts and the prospect of protracted litigation. This session will explore how to avoid common trademark mistakes while building the value of your brand.
Category: Quality, Branding
Objectives:
- Choose a strong brand from a trademark perspective
- Evaluate whether your new marketing concept infringes existing IP rights
- Solidify your rights and claim priority over your brand
- Understand when to take action against a competitor
Funding Sources & Considerations
Presenters: Jeff Clark, Domain Expert – Wine & Craft Beverage Group, Live Oak Bank; Donald Winkle, Attorney, Spaulding McCullough & Tansil LLP; John Fisher, Managing Director, Fisher & Company
Description: What funding do you need to finance the growth of your company? As a producer who wants to grow, you need to understand the different sources of funding available to you and their advantages and disadvantages based on your unique situation. What will be the costs? What regulatory and reporting considerations do you need to consider? Join this discussion to better understand various sources of capital and how they compare and contrast for each producer’s particular needs.
Category: Quality, Relationships
Objectives:
- Explain the various types of funding available to finance growth
- Review available sources and how they may apply to a producer’s situation
- Discuss regulatory and reporting considerations and costs for funding sources
Water: Manage Your Business through the Ebbs and the Flows
Presenters: Glenn Wensloff, Owner, Elutriate Systems; Todd S. Webster, PhD, PE, Regional Vice President – West, Envirogen Technologies, Inc.
Description: From the drought to El Nino – we’ve seen major impacts from Mother Nature on water sourcing over the last year. How do you make the best decisions when it comes to water management for your business? As a craft producer you need to be prepared for the impact both nature and manmade water situations and regulations can have on your business and bottom line while at the same time holding true to your company mission and vision. Learn best practices to balance sustainability, environmental stewardship and financial return within your water and waste water business plan.
Category: Quality, Loyalty
Objectives:
- Discuss the major issues and regulations currently affecting water sourcing and waste water
- Explore best practices for sustainability and environmental stewardship
- Develop an understanding of how proper water and waste water management will affect financial return
Thursday, May 19, 2016
8:00 – 9:15 AM
Beyond Style: Make Your Package a Marketing Powerhouse
Presenters: Cynthia Sterling, Principal/Creative Director, Sterling Creativeworks; Christiane Silberwasser, Distiller, Pedro Mandinga; Shannon Pestoni, Partner, Jelly Jar Wines
Description: Great packaging is critical to the success of your beverage brand – and it’s about much more than aesthetics. Branding experts, will explain the role each packaging component plays in delivering your brand message and generating sales. From closure to back label, we’ll explore the marketing value vs. cost of each element.
Category: Branding, Loyalty
- Balancing aesthetics and marketing strategy – Looking cool isn’t enough. Make sure your packaging is doing its job – selling product!
- Selecting the components – cork or screw cap? Custom glass, can or stock container? Understand the impact each packaging element has on consumer and trade perception and how to put together a powerful combo without breaking the bank
- Maximizing your packaging dollars – where to spend and where to save to get the most impact from your package investment
Advanced Strategies to Predict Digital Marketing ROI
Presenters: Carin Galletta Oliver, Chief Innovation Officer, Angelsmith, Inc; Eric Oliver, President & CEO, Angelsmith, Inc.; Sarah Pearson, Director of Marketing, The Hess Collection
Description: In this session we will focus on how you can integrate advanced digital strategies into a cohesive program that gives you positive return on investment. Explore best practices for analyzing consumer data to better intercept & influence your consumer’s path to purchase, easy search engine optimization, building your email list of potential leads, and predicting the value of these efforts.
Category: Branding, Relationships, Loyalty
Objectives:
- Discover how consumer data analysis can affect your consumer’s path to purchase
- Identify strategies for building your email list of potential leads
- Understand the elements required to build a cohesive digital marketing program
Financing Your Craft Beverage Company
Presenters: Richard Lyons, Partner, Wendel Rosen Black & Dean LLP; Eugene Pak, Partner, Wendel Rosen Black & Dean LLP; Brian Kerester, Partner, Wood Warren & Co.
Description: One of the most daunting tasks for new and existing craft beverage companies is securing financing. While there are myriad ways to raise capital, including “friends and family” fundraising, small business loans, angel investors, venture capital, and even private equity, each of these has its pros and cons from a legal and business perspective. One must factor in immediate capital needs, long-term revenue projections, succession planning, and, of course, legal obligations and issues, in raising capital. This panel will provide an overview of the legal and business issues that arise in raising capital, and how best to structure such investments. The panel will also discuss corporate and LLC formation and investment structures.
Category: Quality, Relationships
Objectives:
- Understand the pros and cons, from a legal and business perspective, on different capital-raising methods
- Gain an understanding of the laws on soliciting and obtaining financing
- Identify tips on formation and investment structures
9:30 – 10:45 AM
Authenticity Above All Else: How to Effectively Communicate Your Brand Story
Presenter: Christian McMahan, Manager Partner, Smartfish Group
Description: Today’s consumers, more than ever, demand authenticity from the brands that they embrace and adore. Beverage marketing veteran Christian McMahan will take you through a journey of examples and best practices to help inspire you how to make the most out of your brand and effectively communicate it to your target consumers.
Objectives:
- Understanding the true soul of your brand and how to unlock it
- How to craft your story and message effectively
- How to use creative content and the right media channels that are the best fit for you
- The role of packaging and design, the one thing your consumer is guaranteed to see
- Understanding how to bring it all together to form the right marketing mix and growth drivers to invest in for long-term success
Community Collaborations: How Craft Beverage Producers Benefit from Partnering with Local, State & National Organizations
Presenter: Dianna Stampfler, President, Promote Michigan
Description: Agricultural and culinary tourism are among the fastest growing sectors of the overall travel industry in the world! Craft beverage producers are part of that mix. From tours, to festivals and events, to spirit dinners and tastings, there are plenty of ways for craft producers to tap into these collaborative marketing partnerships.
Category: Branding, Relationships, Loyalty
Objectives:
- Identify regional partners with common goals.
- Understand how to build relationships with your local visitor’s bureaus, chambers and tourism organizations.
- Develop collaborative marketing and promotions.
- Bring the media (traditional & non-tradition) into your story.
Managing Your Inventory and Production to Ensure Financial Success
Presenter: Mary Brettmann, CPA, President, Beverage Business Builders; Vickie Brennan, Investigator, CFE, Alcohol & Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau
Description: You have set up your production lines, your tasting room is buzzing, but if you don’t have a proper handle on managing your inventory and production all of that success could be for naught. Your inventory represents one of the largest investments in your company, but do you know your actual costs? Do you truly understand what is going out the door and when? Are you tracking customer demand to forecast future production? Join us as we discuss the many sides of inventory control from purchasing and storage to cost and control.
Category: Quality, Loyalty
Objectives:
- Review the basics of inventory and production management
- Develop an understanding of how to forecast future demand
- Identify tools and technology available for inventory control, accounting and production scheduling
- Gain an understanding of the TTB reporting requirements surrounding inventory and production
4:30 – 5:45 PM
Making Events Produce for Your Brand
Presenters: Mecaela Miller, Creator and Owner, The Rooted Fork; Fearon May DeWeese, Owner, Fearon May Events, Patron Circle and Vintner Circle Director for Napa Valley Film Festival; Jenni Karakasevic, Co-Owner, Charbay® Distillery & Winery; Rod Santos, NorCal West Market Manager, Drake’s Brewing Company; Sarah Montague, Chief Marketing Officer, FARM Napa Valley, JaM Cellars
Description: Events in the beverage industry are taking off and the trend to create new and exciting opportunities to engage the consumer with your product are endless! Craft beverage producers have the unique opportunity to work with events on a more personal level and customize event activations to maximize engagement and exposure. Hear from this panel of event producers, marketer and beverage producers alike to learn new ideas and insights on how to take your event experiences to the next level as a brand!
Category: Branding, Relationships, Loyalty
Objectives:
- Learn how to approach events about participation in their program
- Use your brand identity to create collaborative opportunities with the event that may not already exist
- Develop co-marketing strategies and unique event activations to set your brand apart
- Find opportunities to think outside the box to create a mutually supportive relationship with the event
Craft by the Numbers
Presenters: Jeff Cioletti, Author, the Year of Drinking Adventurously and Editor at Large, Beverage World, Beverage World and Drinkable Media; Mike Colicchio, Client Director – Beverage Alcohol West, Nielsen
Description: The session will dive into the latest trend data encompassing all of the craft beverage segments, including case volume and sales figures. We’ll analyze which segments are growing fastest, which styles and flavors are trending with consumers and what new segments are likely to emerge. We’ll also explore the latest demographic data relating to the craft beverage drinker.
Category: Quality, Branding, Relationships, Loyalty
Objectives:
- Provide actionable market intelligence enabling craft producers to hone their marketing strategies.
- Get a sense of what product innovation will look like a few years from now.
- Explore the latest trends in beverage packaging.
- Learn about consumer habits to speak more directly to your target market.
Friday, May 20, 2016
8:30AM – 9:45 PM
Direct to Consumer Sales Dos and Don’ts
Presenter: Sandra Hess, Founder, DTC Wine Workshops
Description: Selling wine and craft brew direct to consumer provides greater profit margins but also requires careful planning to ensure orders are shipped in a timely and safe manner and that the company stays connected with consumers in between visits. Sandra Hess, founder of DTC Wine Workshops presents at industry trade shows and events both nationally and internationally.
Category: Quality, Branding, Relationships, Loyalty
Objectives:
- How to set up a solid DTC Sales Division
- Selecting the ideal blend of technical tools and processes to sell and service DTC audiences nationally
- Five tips for staying connected in between visits
- Proven conversion strategies
Next Level of Growth: How to Grow Beyond the Startup Stage
Presenter: Scott Schiller, Managing Director, Thoroughbred Spirits Group, LLC
Description: It’s time to move your company to the next stage, to grow past startup up and create a business for greater growth and long term stability. To take that next step, you need to understand where you have been, where you are, and where you are going. You need to outline a plan, determine your critical success factors and speed of growth. Join this session to learn how you can move forward and grow your company.
Category: Quality, Branding
Objectives:
- Develop a current state assessment for your business
- Outline critical success factors for moving to the next stage of growth
- Create a plan for growing your business
Breaking Up is Hard to Do: How to Exit Your Distributor Relationship
Presenters: Candace Moon, Esq., Founder, The Craft Beverage Attorney, APC; Bethany K. Hatef, Associate, McDermott, Will & Emery LLP
Description: What happens when the relationship with your distributor ends? Whether it is your choice or theirs, you have to be able to part ways, professionally and legally, to ensure both reputations are left intact. What can you do to ensure you are protected? Do you know what to include in your contract and what happens after the relationship ends?
Category: Quality, Branding, Relationships, Loyalty
Objectives:
- Create the best contract language to ensure an amenable split
- Identify the indicators that it is time to break up
- Determine how you will handle things after the breakup – credits, products, timetables
10:15 – 11:30 AM
Let Technology Support Your Growth
Presenter: Vanessa Toves, Owner, BevLogik
Description: Growth goes beyond the volume you produce. It is also about the manner in how well you produce and how your business functions. Using the tools of technology can help you focus beyond fermentation. Less chaos, more visibility, accurate accountability, promoting teamwork and collaboration are a few of the benefits when you take advantage of technology. Discover the possibilities of how technology can help you grow as a business.
Objectives:
- Collaboration – Staying connected to each other and promoting teamwork.
- Insight – Tools for gaining insight into your information
- Productivity – It’s a Latin word meaning less chaos.
- Plan – It’s not about if you can afford technology. Develop a strategy.
Scalable, Actionable, and Effective Social Media Marketing for the Craft Beverage Industry
Presenter: Matt Toomey, President/Co-Founder, Social Bacon; Mike Geis, Brand Manager, Hope Family Wines
Description: Build an effective social media plan, specifically focused on alcohol brands: Best practices, content curation, social advertising, social analytics, and more.
Category: Branding, Relationships, Loyalty
Objectives:
- Create effective content strategy while staying within TBB/ABC restrictions
- Understand social ROI, metrics, analytics, and other ways to measure the effectiveness of social media
- Develop dynamic social campaigns that engage fans, drive sales, and grow you social following
Strategies for Inspiring Brands
Presenter: Mike Kallenberger, President, Tropos Brand Consulting; Fred Bueltmann, Partner, Beervangelist Spirited Advisor & Certified Cicerone, New Holland Brewing Company New Holland Artisan Spirits
Description: Brand building is both art and science, but the emphasis for most craft beverage producers has been on the art. As the landscape continues to evolve, having a brand strategy with just the right amount of detail will be the key to sustaining success. This session will show you how to bring some structure to the process of brand-building without compromising your soul.
Category: Quality, Branding, Relationships, Loyalty
Objectives:
- Clarify your brand story
- Understand what you should and shouldn’t listen to when you talk to your drinkers
- Develop the why and how of defining your ideal drinker
- Explain how brand personality works, and how you can make it work harder
- Learn how to seamlessly assemble the pieces into a powerful brand strategy
