In a crowded marketplace, how do you find whitespace? MillerCoors and Deschutes both believe it’s through innovation. At Brewbound Live Winter 2019, we’ll explore how the two breweries use product innovation to compete, as well as tap into how those products fit in retail through the lens of beer-focused restaurant chain Taco Mac.

During our Brewbound Live Winter 2019 business conference in Santa Monica, California, this December 4th and 5th, we’ll explore where breweries are looking for new opportunities within beer and beyond beer — from emerging trends to consumer demand and feedback. And how do these new products fit into retail? We’ll ask the Beverage Director at Taco Mac, which is making room for some of these new products in its 26 restaurants that have largely been focused on beer. Joining the Brewbound Live panel are:

• Sofia Colucci, the VP of Innovation at MillerCoors. Colucci led the successful April 2019 launch of Cape Line Sparkling Cocktails, which ranked among the category’s top 10 growth brands for 14 weeks, according to Nielsen. She also spearheaded the launch of MoVo wine spritzers and the push behind a La Colombe branded hard cold-brew coffee drink. A year earlier, she spearheaded the successful national rollout of Arnold Palmer Spiked, another innovative co-branded product. Prior to MillerCoors, Colucci held a variety of roles at PepsiCo.
• Veronica Vega, the Director of Product Development for Deschutes Brewery. Vega will explore how the 10th largest craft brewery in the U.S. stays ahead of thousands of small craft breweries through product innovation. The company has plans to launch Modified Theory next year, which is a new line of flavored malt beverages inspired by craft cocktail trends, and has already been making their own cider and whiskey.
• Ryan Blevins, the Beverage Director for Taco Mac. Blevins prides himself on having the greatest selection of Craft on Draft with 100+ draft lines and more than 100 bottle and can selections found at each restaurant location. He will share how the chain is making room for beyond beer offerings, explain how he evaluates beyond beer products, and take a look at how innovative products fit within the wider retail landscape.

Brewbound Live will bring together emerging craft breweries, as well as more mature beer companies. Brewbound Live’s speaker roster will feature Tomme Arthur, the co-founder & COO of The Lost Abbey, Port Brewing and The Hop Concept; Chris Cramer, the CEO and co-founder of Karl Strauss Brewing Company; and Peter Bissell, the co-founder of Bissell Brothers, among several others.

In addition to evolving business models, the Brewbound Live agenda will feature discussions on the state of craft brewing, beyond beer offerings, and the cannabis space. Along with main stage conversations, networking and beer sampling, we’ve implemented both early-stage and advanced content during the two-day event. The program kicks off with Crash Course educational boot camp for early stage breweries and Breakout Sessions for more established companies.

We’ve also introduced new tiered production-based pricing that will allow you to bring more attendees together to network, solve problems and and gain firsthand insights across your respective organizations.

Brewbound Live Winter 2019 is fast approaching. Register today to access the discounted room block at the Le Meridien Del Fina Santa Monica.

Supplier and service companies interested in sponsoring Brewbound Live should contact Bryce McDonald about opportunities. Please visit brewboundlive.com for additional information.

About Brewbound

Published by BevNET.com Inc., Brewbound is a leading industry trade publication providing comprehensive information about the beer space, analysis of industry trends and in-depth interviews with industry leaders. In addition to providing daily news, Brewbound also gathers entrepreneurs and executives to exchange ideas, discuss the state of the industry and hear strategies for succeeding in the alcohol beverage segment via a series of nationwide meetups and multi-day business conferences.

About Brewbound Live

Brewbound Live is a multi-day conference for serious brewing professionals who are interested in engaging in high-level business discussion while networking with emerging and established players alike. The program features a hand-selected roster of industry experts and innovators who, through presentations and panel discussions, address trends, challenges and the future of the brewing industry.