San Jose, CA – Producers of Craft Beverage Expo, the highly anticipated trade show and conference created to unite the growing craft beer, wine, spirits and cider industry, today announced details surrounding the Opening General Session to take place on Tuesday, May 6th from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the San Jose Convention Center. Themed “Craft as Community – A Brooklyn Case Study,” the session will explore the importance of collaboration among participants within the craft industry to collectively continue building consumer excitement, momentum and demand.
The session will be moderated by Steve Hindy, Co-Founder, Chairman and President of The Brooklyn Brewery, which distributes its beers in 25 states and 20 countries, and was named as one of America’s top 25 breweries. Hindy is also the author of Beer School: Bottling Success at the Brooklyn Brewery and The Craft Beer Revolution: How a Band of Microbrewers Is Transforming the World’s Favorite Drink. Joining Hindy to discuss how craft beverage pioneers can continue transforming beer,
wine and spirits consumption will be:
- Shane Welch, Founder of Sixpoint Brewing. Known for incorporating locally sourced ingredients into its offerings, supplying neighborhood home brewers with yeast and hosting charity events like the annual “Beer for Beasts”, benefiting the Humane Society of NYC, Sixpoint has become one of Brooklyn’s most treasured institutions.
- Tom Potter, President of The New York Distilling Company. The New York Distilling Company, founded in 2009, with sales beginning in 2011, produces high-end Gins and Rye Whiskey. Its Dorothy Parker American Gin was the highest rated American gin in a recent survey by The New York Times. Sales in 2013 will approach $1 million and are projected to double in 2014.
- Alie Shaper, President & Winemaker of Brooklyn Oenology. The first urban winery concept in New York City. Brooklyn Oenology creatively bridges New York’s agricultural, artistic and culinary worlds. Now in its eighth year, Brooklyn Oenology wines have won multiple awards, are featured on many of New York’s most coveted lists and are distributed in 7 states.
“All of us craft beverage entrepreneurs share a commitment to the traditions of our craft and to the communities we serve,” states Steve Hindy. “We all celebrate local culture and we strive to be part of that culture. Our products say something about who we are and where we came from. The Craft Beverage Expo is an opportunity to share our stories with like-minded people.”
The General Opening Session sets the stage for the 24 breakout sessions that will follow. Organized into three focus areas—Marketing, Business Development and Regulatory—the conference will address best- and next- practices craft producers need to know to effectively compete in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
“The responses we have received from our presenters and their enthusiasm to participate has been overwhelming,“ says Michele Nebel Peake, Conference Director at Craft Beverage Expo. She adds, “we are truly excited about them sharing their collective experience and foresight with the artisan wine, beer, cider and spirits community.”
The full conference program, speaker bios and registration are available at www.CraftBeverageExpo.com
About Craft Beverage Expo
Craft Beverage Expo was created to be the leading trade and conference exposition event for the entire craft beverage industry, with the primary goal of creating and defining a cohesive craft beer, wine, cider and spirits market. As the premier show for the industry, Craft Beverage Expo will offer education, marketing strategies and turnkey solutions to problems facing craft beverage producers today. For up-to-the-minute information, visit www.CraftBeverageExpo.com. Stay connected with Craft Beverage Expo 2014 on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
