Join us for a session where the Guild's contract alcohol legal guru, Scott Bedwell, will join forces with state attorney Ashley Merritt to share pertinent information about keeping your business operating in line with Indiana's laws. The pair will share information about how recent legislation has affected things that you can now do at your brewery and as always, this is an opportunity to bring all your burning questions to ask the ATC in a setting created for openness and thoughtful discussion.

Scott Bedwell is an alcohol and tobacco industry consultant for Bose McKinney & Evans LLP. He has extensive experience in working with industry members, including manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and dealers, on compliance and licensing related issues.

It isn’t 2015 anymore. As the craft industry has plateaued, running a profitable brewery has become more and more challenging each year. This presentation will provide craft business owners a deep dive to understand why this is and, more importantly, the strategic changes owners need to make in order to sell the right beer, to the right consumers, at the right margins, to generate cash and finally get ahead.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn why the 2015 playbook (more beer, more equipment, more space, etc.) for successfully growing and running a profitable brewery no longer works like it used to.

2. Understand the different implications for profit, cost structure, and finance for the three main Brewery Business Units (e.g., taproom, distribution, contract).

3. Understand how to use this information to create an action plan for what needs to change in your brewery to produce profit regardless of size or revenue mix.

Expertise on Subject Matter: We have worked with 100+ breweries over the last decade as the craft landscape shifted from a “Big Bang” moment to what we call “The Plateau” and now “The Reckoning.” But more specifically, our daily work is in an effort to understand the reasoning behind the numbers we are seeing and share with brewery owners individualized recommendations to, as our mission states, help craft breweries grow profit.

Our post-lunch session will provide a recap of Guild activities and successes over the course of the most recent year as well as a preview of what's to come over the next 12 months. We'll share information on new member resources, details about how to take advantage of the Craft Brewers Conference coming to Indianapolis in 2025, and provide time for discussion on legislative priorities going into the upcoming 2025 session.

Julia has been with the Guild since December 2021 helping to lead efforts to bring the Guild back into focus as a top-tier resource for breweries across Indiana. She's worked in the nonprofit space for over 15 years with experience in the management of boards, volunteers, events, communications & membership. She's passionate about managing the business side of organizations so that volunteers and other team members can really shine in their areas of expertise.

Trevor and Chris bring 20+ years of experience at one of Indiana's largest lobbying firms as well as experiences in industry-specific associations and on staff for the Indiana House of Representatives. Founded in 2022, VanceMitchem has fought for impactful policy changes at the state level in industries including, but not limited to: utilities & energy, transportation, education, manufacturing, alcohol & entertainment, economic development, and local government policy.

This panel discussion explores the role of aesthetics, ambiance, and complementary offerings in shaping the success of a tasting room, brewpub, or brewery event space. It highlights how thoughtful design, from the layout and décor to lighting and seating, creates an inviting atmosphere that enhances the customer experience. Panelists will share about how sensory elements like music and lighting can influence customer loyalty. We’ll talk about ways to foster a fun, welcoming environment and how to turn first-time visitors into repeat patrons and brand advocates.

To celebrate 25 years of the Indiana Brewers Guild and Hoosier craft beer, our final session on November 11 will feature a fireside chat with those who kicked off the Guild in the early days including John Hill, Blaine Stuckey, Greg Emig, and Ted Miller - moderated by current Guild President, Dave Colt. We'll hear stories about the development and growth of the craft beer scene in Indiana, learn about the changes that have taken place in craft brewing over the last twenty five years, and hear what Guild founders think is in store for the next 25 years of craft beer in the Hoosier state.

The session delves into the significance of purchasing spot hops and ways to leverage that channel to benefit your beer and business, no matter the size of your brewery. At the end of the presentation, we can also offer some hops to do sensory with.

John has been with Crosby Hops for 3 years and currently leads the Account Manager team east of the Mississippi. He is based in Portland, OR and at Crosby Hops headquarters in Woodburn, OR. When he's not talking to you about hops or talking about his favorite hop--Crystal, you can find him on a disc golf course or exploring the great outdoors of the PNW!

Sensory Session - Details TBA

This presentation will explore the sensory aspects of oxidation on beer, from some basics to some lesser known effects. Some tasting demos of the effects on different beer styles will aid in this discussion.

Ron Smith is a Master BJCP Judge (Beer Judge Certification Program), a Certified Cicerone®, a Beer & Brewing Educator, a Craft Brewery Consultant, and a European Beer Tour Guide. Ron has been homebrewing, judging beer, and supporting the craft beer movement for over 30 years, and has been teaching about beer for nearly 20 years. He teaches about all aspects of beer, brewing, ingredients, processes, styles, off-flavors, judging, beer and food pairing, and many more topics, and he consults with craft brewers on stylistic, quality, and technical issues.

Ron got involved in the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) in the early 2000’s and started conducting study groups and technical sessions to train others how to evaluate and judge beer. He ascended through the BJCP ranks and is currently a Master level judge (only approximately 125 of the over 8,000 judges are ranked at the Master or Grand Master level). Ron is a sought-after judge for professional brewing competitions and has judged in prestigious international competitions in the US as well as Mexico and Belgium.

Ron was also one of the first 100 Certified Cicerones® in the world. He has attended numerous educational seminars presented by many of the leaders of the craft beer industry, and has traveled throughout Germany, Belgium and the Czech Republic, learning first-hand about the beers, brewing processes, history and culture in those countries. Ron also leads Beer Tour Groups on incredible journeys through Germany and Belgium.

Ron also holds an MBA, with honors, from IU’s Kelley School of Business, and BA and AAS degrees from Purdue University, and he consults numerous businesses in the area of marketing and operations.

Our local IN Brewery Event Professionals will join us to discuss how they create unforgettable events that stand the test of time. There are so many great benefits to hosting events - Brand Awareness & Loyalty, New Customers, Community, Increased Revenue, & Positive Experiences = Repeat Business. We'll explore creative themes, concepts, unique activities, interactive experiences, business partnerships, fun social media engagement ideas. At the end of our session we'll provide a brainstorming doc to keep you inspired.

Presenter Bios TBA

-Creative Impressions - Understanding the power of your brand
- Put your labels to work for you - Keying in on the various labels you utilize for multiple products
- Understanding how successful brands have done this beyond selling beer
- Building Community around your brand
- How do I get there - Understanding the power of a strong creative process

BIO TBA

Working on improving your yeast re-pitching program, but running up against issues with dry hop timing or hop creep? We can help! We will break this talk into two camps; team early dry hop and team late dry hop. We'll cover effective strategies for repitching yeast in both scenarios and the benefits and drawbacks of each approach. Not only is yeast repitching a challenge in dry-hopped beers, but so is dry-hop creep. We will share two simple quality control assays to measure hop diastase activity and help predict the impact of hop creep on the final finishing gravity. We’ll also cover strategies to avoid extended tank time and potential quality issues with hop creep. Brewers will leave this seminar with tips to maximize their yeast repitching program and reduce hang-ups and off flavors in the cellar when making dry-hopped beers.

Gregor Brower is the Technical Consultation Manager at Omega Yeast Labs. Shortly after receiving his bachelor's degree in biology from Loyola University, Gregor began his career in the brewing industry. He worked in a variety of roles in production brewing for 10 years before joining Omega Yeast as the Director of Quality. Today, Gregor strives to be a helpful resource for the brewing community as he takes on a more educational role at Omega.

Presentation Description TBA

Presenter Bio TBA