We’re less than 48 hours away from Brewbound Session Summer 2017, taking place at the Metropolitan West in New York City on June 15, and it’s time to introduce our presenters and judges for Startup Brewery Challenge 8.
Presented by Craft Brew Alliance, Startup Brewery Challenge is our one-of-a-kind business pitch competition for new and emerging beer companies.
The five brewery owners will take the Brewbound Session stage on Thursday to show off their business plans and receive immediate feedback from a panel of five judges are:
- L.A. McCrae, Founder, Black Star Line Brewing
- Eddie Leon, Co-Founder, M.I.A. Beer Company
- John Kraszewski, Founder, Armada Brewing
- John Dantzler, CEO, Torch & Crown Brewing
- David Dupee, Co-Founder, Good City Brewing
Contestants will have four minutes to deliver their pitch, and three minutes to answer questions from the judging panel.
Judges for this year’s competition include:
- Darren Rovell, Sports Business Reporter, ESPN
- Karmen Olson, Senior Manager of Emerging Business, Craft Brew Alliance
- Tom Bleigh, Innovation Brewmaster, Craft Brew Alliance
- Adam Lambert, COO, Storied Craft Breweries
- Jonny Stringer, Manager of Beer Operations, CraftWorks Restaurants
The brewery owner with the best overall pitch and product will receive $5,000 to be used to fuel the growth of their emerging business. The winning brand will also receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Portland, Ore., where key members will meet with and learn from Craft Brew Alliance executives, take an extensive tour of the company’s production brewery, participate in Widmer Brothers’ daily taste panel and receive business coaching from the CBA team. The winning brand will also receive one free entry into the Winter 2017 or Summer 2018 Brewbound Session.
Past winners of the Startup Brewery Challenge include Border X Brewing, Hopewell Brewing, Wynwood Brewing Company, Braxton Brewing Company, CODA Brewing, Appalachian Mountain Brewery and 5 Stones Brewing.
In 2016, as a direct result of participating in the Startup Brewery Challenge, Craft Brew Alliance acquired a 24.5 percent stake in Wynwood Brewing. Also as a result of the competition, Appalachian Mountain Brewery and CBA formed a strategic partnership in 2014. That partnership has evolved into a master distribution arrangement and a commitment from CBA to market, sell and distribute AMB products exclusively throughout its wholesale network.
Featuring thought-provoking conversations with craft brewery founders, interactive panel discussions with leading U.S. retailers, and engaging presentations from a wide-range of industry professionals, this year’s Brewbound Session program will discuss the past, present and future of an ever-changing beer landscape.
Hundreds of brewery entrepreneurs, distributors, retailers and investors are already registered to attend the full-day event. Don’t miss out on your opportunity to discuss strategies for driving an increasingly more complex industry forward while hearing valuable lessons from entrepreneurs who have built and scaled some of the nation’s most recognizable craft brands.
About Brewbound Session:
Focused on the business side of brewing, Brewbound Session events offer an unmatched opportunity for beer industry professionals to build connections and hear strategies for succeeding in the most competitive segment of the beverage alcohol business. The full-day program features a hand-selected roster of industry experts and leaders who, through presentations and panel discussions, will touch on topics including investment, emerging trends, marketing, distribution and retail strategies. The event features a variety of high-level business strategy discussions, thought-provoking conversations, case studies and data analysis, as well as robust networking and sampling opportunities.