Your brewery has a story to tell; actually, it probably has quite a few of them. Those stories are what hook potential fans and help them and your established followers buy into what makes your brewery unique, but how do you get those stories in front of the people who will connect to them?

Maintaining a list of news outlets and reporters to send your press releases about new beers, upcoming events, and other timely news pieces is an important part of your media strategy, but it shouldn’t be the only part. Many writers who cover craft beer and the artisan food and beverage world don’t necessarily cover these news pieces, but might want to dive into the deeper stories of what your brewery is all about. But how do you identify what those stories are, and how do you build relationships with these writers?

In this talk, North American Guild of Beer Writers and British Guild of Beer Writers award-winner David Nilsen will talk about what catches his attention when seeking out stories, how breweries can identify the stories that already exist within their company, and how they can communicate these stories to writers efficiently and effectively.

David Nilsen (he/him) is a full-time beer writer and educator living near Dayton, Ohio. He's an Advanced Cicerone© and an award-winning member of the North American Guild of Beer Writers and British Guild of Beer Writers. He hosts the Bean to Barstool podcast, and is the author of the book Pairing Beer & Chocolate. He’s the co-founder and editor of Final Gravity, a print zine telling personal, human-centered stories from the world of beer. You can find him online at davidnilsenbeer.com and on Bluesky and Instagram as @davidnilsenbeer.

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Navigating wage-and-hour laws can sometimes feel like running a brewery during Oktoberfest—busy, complex, and full of moving parts. With local, state, and federal rules often foaming over into each other, it’s easy for even the most diligent employers to find themselves with a compliance hangover.

As your business grows, whether you’re just tapping your first keg or you’ve been pouring for years, wage-and-hour issues can sneak up like an unexpected aftertaste. Compensation structures, pay practices, and employee policies that once seemed straightforward can become muddled, especially when expansion brings new faces and new challenges. What starts as a small spill can quickly turn into a bigger mess, affecting more employees and opening the door to costly claims.

This session will highlight five common wage-and-hour mistakes that can leave employers feeling flat and offer practical ways to keep your operations crisp and compliant. We’ll cover timekeeping best practices, how to handle bonuses and commissions for hourly staff, the tricky business of classifying employees, managing work hours and breaks, and the use of independent contractors and temporary help.

Along the way, we’ll share real-life examples and tips for keeping your workforce happy and your business out of hot water—so you can focus on brewing success, not legal headaches.

After being exposed to Fair Labor Standards Act cases while clerking for a federal appellate court, A.J. began his legal career with a focus on developing an expertise in wage-and-hour compliance and litigation. That has led A.J. to a practice that spans the laws and courts of the country but centers on California’s uniquely challenging compliance and litigation landscape.

A.J. takes a creative, pragmatic, and business-first approach to managing the defense of complex wage-and-hour class and collective actions, working with clients not only to identify the best path to an efficient and effective resolution but also to adjust problematic practices and policies in a way that accomplishes the client’s business goals while mitigating the risk of future claims. As a member of Husch Blackwell’s Food Systems industry unit, A.J. regularly advises food and beverage producers on employment law compliance.

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Payment processing shouldn’t be a mystery. This session offers a straightforward look at merchant services for taprooms of all sizes. Whether you’re launching your first location or reevaluating your current setup, you’ll learn what to consider when choosing a payment partner that fits your business goals.

We’ll cover the basics of how merchant services work, compliant pricing programs, and the importance of clear, transparent fees. You’ll also explore omni-channel solutions that connect your taproom, web store, and events, and understand what quality service and support should look like when you need it most.

You’ll leave with practical tools to make informed decisions that save money, reduce stress, and keep your taproom running smoothly.

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Tim Hohl founded Coin Toss Brewing in Oregon City, Oregon in March 2015 and ran it for almost nine years before selling in February 2024. The decision to sell started informally in May 2022 — a mix of burnout, financial pressure, and changing market conditions. After hiring a broker later that year, interest was slow. Tim also reached out directly to other brewery owners in the Northwest and had conversations with wholesale partners and a few loyal customers who wanted to keep the brand going. None of those discussions went anywhere. In late 2023, a serious buyer showed up. After weeks of negotiating, they shook hands before Thanksgiving and closed the deal three months later.

What We'll Talk About:

• Why I decided to sell: When the idea first came up and what pushed me to actually do it. The real reasons: running low on cash, staffing problems after COVID, customers drinking less and spending differently, and just feeling stretched too thin.

• Getting ready to sell: What I wish I'd known going in. When to tell people (and when not to). Why selling to friends or regular customers gets complicated fast. Keeping expectations realistic without burning bridges.

• -The negotiation process: The emotional roller coaster of actually making a deal. What I learned about trust, timing, and when to walk away. How things change once it gets serious.

• Letting go: What it felt like the day it became real. The mix of relief, pride, and loss. How I made peace with it.

• What comes next: Figuring out who you are when you're not "the brewery owner" anymore. Staying connected to the community without being in it the same way. What success looks like now.

• Lessons for other owners: The practical stuff and the emotional stuff. What I'd do differently. What I'm glad I did.

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The process of taking a new product from concept to reality is one of the most difficult in the beer industry. With questions of type, scale, promotion, production, delivery, and sales in constant tension with each other, it can create a paralysis that can cripple the potential of even the most promising innovation. Moreover, in an industry built upon a foundation of new product creation and novel flavors, failing to master the art of true Release Management can be a fatal flaw for otherwise successful organizations. In this seminar, attendees will learn how to manage a product release like the Project that it is. Processes for obtaining approvals and buy-in from disparate departments, creating a timeline, coordinating actions in multiple silos for maximum effect, and following through for success will all be explained and demonstrated in detail.

With more than a decade of sales, retail management, and business analytic experience in the craft beverage industry, Aaron MJ Gore loves the opportunities that he has every day to make a difference for small business owners across the country. He is the Vice-President of Sales and Marketing for Beer30, one of the drinks industry's leading software providers, is a co-founder of the Court Shoes Only charitable collaboration beer, and serves as the Vice-President of the American Craft Beer Hall of Fame. He is an Advanced Cicerone, Certified Pommelier, Certified Cheese Scholar, WSET Level 2 Spirits Certified, and is (AF)(NA) Beer Certified. Additionally, he is an active industry advocate, public speaker, beer and cider educator, and the father of two daughters who are the true passion of his life.

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Join Matt Giffen, Founder and CEO of Bench Brewing, as he shares how sustainability has been part of their story since day one. Since opening in 2018, Bench has focused on “craft beverages with a conscience,” putting real action behind that idea. They’ve created a zero wastewater footprint with a closed-loop system that reuses every drop to water their hops and support nearby farms, repurposed spent grains, added solar panels and EV chargers, and earned both carbon neutral and BCorp certifications. Matt will talk about what it takes to build a brewery that puts the planet first, the lessons he’s learned along the way, and how those same ideas can work in any business.

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Breweries are being bombarded with promises about what AI can do—automate your marketing, write your contracts, even predict your next big seller. But in a highly regulated and deeply human business like craft beer, not all automation is worth the risk.

In this session, alcohol law attorney John Szymankiewicz and fractional marketing strategist Madeline McMahon will walk attendees through real-world examples of how AI tools like ChatGPT, NotebookLM, and Prompt Cowboy can enhance—but not replace—your existing systems.

From AI-generated marketing strategies that miss the mark on brand voice, to contract templates that ignore state-specific compliance requirements, attendees will learn where AI helps and where human judgment still matters. We’ll explore prompt engineering, compare AI- vs. human-reviewed content, and highlight simple ways small teams can experiment with these tools while avoiding common pitfalls.

This session is designed for brewery owners, taproom managers, and in-house marketing leads who are curious about AI but don’t want to be burned by generic outputs. Whether you're using AI today or just trying to decide if it’s worth your time, this session will equip you with smarter questions to ask—and clearer boundaries to draw.

Let’s cut through the hype and show you how to work with AI, not for it.

Madeline McMahon, Fractional Marketing Strategist and founder of Madeline Fleehart Consulting, drives small business growth with practical, results-focused marketing strategies. The "#beerpaysthebills" hashtag captures a lively spirit rooted in the craft beer scene, even as today’s projects extend across various industries. By leveraging tools like ChatGPT, Madeline simplifies content creation, streamlines workflows, helps business owners set clear marketing performance indicators, and evaluates return on investment to ensure every effort counts.

As an attorney at Beer Law Center, John Szymankiewicz ’s practice centers on the craft beverage industry. Handling everything from business formation to TTB/ABC, to trademark, and buying/selling an alcohol business, John works with clients to help them achieve their personal and business goals. John authored the book Beer Law: What Brewers Need to Know and is a Certified BJCP Judge, holds Level II Certifications in Wine and Beer from WSET, and is the country’s only alcohol attorney who is also a Certified Cicerone. John is based in Raleigh and practices in North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.

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This presentation will provide an overview of how to prepare for visits from Immigration and ICE officers, in light of increased ICE investigations, workplace raids, and community visits associated with immigration applications.

Kathleen A. Spero has a long-standing interest in immigration and foreign relations. She graduated from San Diego State University magna cum laude with a dual major in Political Science and International Security and Conflict Resolution in 1999. She received her Master of Pacific and International Affairs, cum laude, from the University of California, San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy (formerly the Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies) in 2001. After earning her Master’s degree, Kathleen joined the International Rescue Committee, an international refugee assistance and resettlement agency, as a Program Specialist in the company’s headquarters. While at IRC, Kathleen discovered her interest in immigration law, decided to attend law school, and received her J.D. Degree, cum laude, from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, California, in May 2008. For the Spring 2023 semester, Kathleen served as an instructor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, teaching a course on Immigration Law.

Since her graduation from law school, Kathleen has dedicated her career to immigration law. She has held positions with Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy; the San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program; and Malitzlaw. In addition to her work with Jacobs & Schlesinger, Kathleen has volunteered with Casa Cornelia, the Immigration Justice Project, UURise immigration legal services, and the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

Kathleen has worked for Jacobs & Schlesinger since 2016, where she focuses on providing legal assistance and counseling to families, businesses, and individuals seeking to navigate the complex immigration laws of the United States. She primarily handles employment-based cases, investor visas, family-based petitions, and naturalization cases.

Kathleen is admitted to the State Bar of California and is licensed to practice law before the Supreme Court of California and the Department of Homeland Security nationwide.

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