What’s the destination for your brewery or brand?
March 26, 2025
Where is your brewery businesses headed? Whether your goal is building a thriving independent brand, scaling and selling, employee ownership, or the family brewer model, a clear vision is essential. Success starts with clarity.
The beer industry is diverse—home to century-old cornerstones of community and fast-growth craft brands alike. The key to making the right investments is going to defining your pathway and executing the right strategy.
In this content thread at the We Are Beer Industry Expo & Conference unpack the some of different destinations for breweries and the steps people can take on those different pathways.
Alternative Endgames for Beer Businesses
As the craft beer industry matures, brewery owners face critical decisions about their long-term future. Some will transition into family-owned enterprises, while others explore employee ownership, mergers, acquisitions, or strategic partnerships.
In this panel, Luca Lorenzoni, Stephan Pietge, Jamie Cook and Scott Goodfellow share insights on how these choices shape company culture, financial success, and long-term brand sustainability.
Building an Iconic Brand
What does it take to create a truly iconic brewery? In this keynote, Steve Grossman of Sierra Nevada shares firsthand insights on transforming a passion-driven brewery into a globally recognized brand.
Learn from Sierra Nevada’s journey—its challenges, growth strategies, and how authenticity, resilience, and core values drive lasting success.
The Family Brewer Model: Built for Longevity
What can today’s breweries learn from businesses that have thrived for centuries? Craft beer is, in many ways, an evolution of the family brewery model that has shaped the UK beer industry for generations.
Miles Jenner, Head Brewer and Joint MD of Harvey’s Brewery, brings 220 years of brewing wisdom to the stage, exploring how modern beer businesses can achieve long-term success, adapt to industry shifts, and build enduring legacies.
Margin Pool: Growing Your Bar & Taproom Business
Selling beer has never been tougher—but opportunity still exists. As traditional sales channels tighten, breweries are turning to direct-to-consumer models by opening their own taprooms and bars.
This session uncovers key lessons from breweries that have mastered the balance between brewing and creating vibrant social spaces. Whether you’re considering your first venue or optimising an existing one, gain practical strategies to maximise margins and customer engagement. Join some of the most dynamic retailers in beer coffee in their tips
Craft Beer’s Branding Challenge
The craft beer industry faces a branding dilemma: a perception that it’s stagnating. This stigma hinders investment, expansion, and new business opportunities.
To counter this, breweries must own their narrative, attract investment, and showcase the industry’s growth potential. This session delivers actionable strategies to reshape perceptions, drive engagement, and secure a prosperous future for craft beer. Robyn Black head of content at leading drinks PR firm, Fleet Street Communications, builds the narrative the brewers’ need to build moving forward.
How to Build a Meaningful Brand
Some brands are born iconic. Most are built that way.
True brand success comes from meaning, distinctiveness, connection and freshness. Join Claire Barrett, Head of Strategy at leading drinks agency Thirst Craft. This session explores these pillars through real-world examples, offering practical tools to help breweries launch, grow, and establish themselves as lasting industry leaders.
Success in Beer Starts with a Clear Vision.
Whether you’re scaling, evolving, or redefining your business model these insights will help you navigate the journey and thrive in an ever-changing market.
If you’d like to attend the We Are Beer Industry & Expo, you can purchase a ticket here. Alternatively, if you’d like to attend and get access to our insight reports, then sign up for We Are Beer Industry Membership – full access to our industry events and insight reports.