Newsletter

We’re thrilled to introduce the industry leaders joining us at We Are Beer Industry Expo & Conference. These people dedicated to building the future of good beer and equipping businesses with the strategies to thrive.

This series will highlight our speakers, their con talks and contribution to the conference themes, as well the key takeaways for your business.

Conference Theme 1: What’s the Destination?

Key Outcome: Define your business’s path forward with purpose and precision.

• Steve Grossman shares lessons from Sierra Nevada’s journey to becoming the largest and most successful independent brewery. He’ll outline actionable steps today’s brewery founders and management can take to build an iconic, sustainable business and brand.
• Luca Lorenzoni, former CEO of Camden Town Brewery and Northern Monk, will lead a panel on alternative business endgames. The discussion will feature:
  • Stephan Pietge, Managing Director at Arlington Capital Advisors, sharing insights on the current M&A landscape. Arlington has played a key role in major private equity and strategic investments in Beavertown, BrewDog, Dogfish Head, and Boston Beer Company.
  • Jamie Cook, co-founder of Stone & Wood, offering a firsthand account of business succession, from independent growth to acquisition by Lion Kirin.
  • Scott Goodfellow, Co-MD of Wilkin & Sons Ltd (Tiptree), a 130-year-old, £50-million business transitioning to full employee ownership, sharing insights on long-term sustainability.
• Miles Jenner, Head Brewer & Co-MD of Harvey’s Brewery, will reflect on nearly 250 years of brewing history. He’ll explore how young breweries today can adopt a “long view” approach for enduring success.
• Claire Barrett, Head of Strategy at Thirst Craft, who has worked with brands like Brooklyn Brewery and Bruichladdich, will deliver a practical talk on building meaningful brands. She’ll explain how new breweries can go beyond “craft commodity” to create lasting consumer affinity.
• Own-retail strategies are critical for long-term viability. Luca Lorenzoni will lead a discussion featuring:
  • Caravan Coffee founders
  • Ed Mason, founder of Five Points Brewing and owner of multiple pubs
    This panel will focus on how breweries can build their own retail empires and maximise margins.
• Robyn Black, Head of Content at Fleet Street Comms, will tackle a pressing issue: “Craft beer has a branding problem.” With a lingering stigma and lack of industry-wide storytelling, craft beer risks being perceived as stagnant. Robyn will discuss how better narrative management can drive investment and open new growth opportunities.

This is just the beginning—stay tuned for more speakers contributing our three others themes.

If you’d like to attend you can purchase a ticket here. Alternatively, if you’d like to attend and get access to our insight reports, then sign up to We Are Beer industry Membership – full access to our industry events and insight reports.