Blog

NBWA’s Convention Explores the Future of Beer

Later this month in San Diego, innovative leaders from the beverage industry and beyond will join NBWA’s Annual Convention to explore strategies for growing the beer category.

Get valuable insights on building brand loyalty among emerging LDA drinkers, harnessing the power of on-premise and winning more beer occasions. If you have a stake in the future of beer, you won’t want to miss NBWA 2024 — where the industry’s key players shape the future of the category.

Category Growth: Expansion, Innovation, Occasion

A conversation about beer’s place in today’s alcohol market, what consumers are looking for and the future of America’s favorite beverage, featuring:

  • Shaun Belongie, CEO of New Belgium Brewing Co.
  • Paul Chibe, CEO of Pabst Brewing Co.
  • Bill Shufelt, Co-Founder & CEO of Athletic Brewing Co.
  • Moderated by: Amy Jo Martin, Fortune 500 consultant who specializes in industrial transformation and has helped clients such as Dell, Hilton Worldwide, Nike, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Google unlock muti-million dollar deals.

Harnessing the Power of the On-Premise

As the beer industry calibrates to meet shifting consumer demand, it has a unique advantage to deploy: decades of away-from-home dominance. How can the beer industry use the on-premise to win occasions and bring new LDA drinkers into the fold?

  • Jim Koch, Founder and Brewer of Boston Beer Company
  • Robbie Maletis, General Manager, Maletis Beverage
  • Alex Bergson, Vice President, Manhattan Beer Distributors
  • Moderator Lester Jones, NBWA Vice President, Analytics and Chief Economist

The panel will be preceded by a look into the latest on-premise data led by Draftline Technologies President Jennifer Hauke and Lester Jones.

A Fireside Chat With Maggie Timoney

The President & CEO of HEINEKEN USA will sit down with NBWA CEO Craig Purser for a fireside chat about the state of the beer industry. Maggie will share lessons from 20+ years with HEINEKEN and offer her thoughts on the industry’s future, growth opportunities and more.

Keynote From Erika Ayers Badan, Former CEO of Barstool Sports

When it comes to building brand loyalty with emerging LDA consumers, few companies have been as successful as Barstool Sports. During Erika Ayers Badan‘s eight-year tenure as CEO of Barstool, she helped grow the popular sports website into a $450 million digital media juggernaut that reaches 66 million unique users every month, two-thirds of whom are under 30.

Ayers Badan will take the stage in San Diego to share lessons from her career in business and provide insight into how the beer industry can engage young LDA consumers in today’s fast-moving digital landscape.