AGENDA

We are looking foward to seeing you in Columbia in November. Here’s what’s on the agenda for this year’s Annual Conference.

8:00 a.m. CONFERENCE CHECK-IN

9:00 a.m. MISSOURI CRAFT BREWERS GUILD ANNUAL MEETING

The Guild’s Annual Member Meeting will bring you up to speed on what we’ve been working on this year.

10:00 a.m. TRADE SHOW & BLOODY MARY BAR

Visit our Hair of the Dog Bar, sponsored by RahrBSG, and then visit our Trade Show vendors. Use our Vendor Passport to check in with each vendor. Completed passports will be eligible for prizes!

11:00 a.m. KEYNOTE, A Brewer Looks at 40 - Ashton Lewis, RahrBSG

Ashton Lewis reflects on the changes in the craft beer industry over the past 40 years and identifies opportunities for the future.

12:00 p.m. LUNCH BREAK

Grab a bite to eat and visit with our Trade Show vendors.

1:00 p.m. SESSION 1

• In the Brew House - Hops & Malt Crop Reports
  Steve Bradt, Hopsteiner & Nicole Spak, RahrBSG

  Hear from industry supplier experts, Steve Bradt and Nicole Spak, on what to expect from the hops and barley crops for the coming year. 

• Business of Brewing - Great Beer Isn't Enough: Building a Brewery Brand Beyond the Taproom
  Jeff Rifkin & Justin Zimmerman, DESTROY Agency

  As breweries grow, great beer gets customers through the door—but a strong brand brings them back. Explore how to build a memorable brewery brand, develop a meaningful flagship, and stand out in an increasingly crowded market

• Beyond the Bar - Beyond the Bar - Let’s Talk Taprooms (Roundtable Discussion)
  Moderated by Amber Ayres, Boulevard Brewing Company

  What’s working in your taproom—and what isn’t? This interactive roundtable brings brewery professionals together to share front-of-house challenges, successes, and practical ideas for creating memorable guest experiences.

2:00 p.m. SESSION 2

• In the Brew House - Nutrients and Flavor: The Hidden Drivers of Beer Quality 
  Alesha Ivey, Lallemand Brewing & Chris Lovett, Country Malt Group

  Nutrients do more than prevent sluggish fermentations—they can be powerful drivers of flavor, consistency, and beer quality. Learn how strategic yeast and nutrient management can improve fermentation performance and the finished beer.

• Business of Brewing - Business of Brewing - Starting Up, Keeping On, Starting Over (Panel)
  Moderated by Fran Caradonna, Caradonna Collab

  The Beer Business evolves, and we all start up, keep going and re-start over the years.  This panel of experienced business people will share their stories of how they’ve grown and changed their breweries over their years in business.

• Beyond the Bar - Creating a Culture of “Unreasonable Hospitality” in Your Taproom
  Carol McLeod, Hold Fast Brewing

  What if your taproom could deliver more than great beer? Inspired by the book, Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara, Carol shares practical ideas for creating memorable guest experiences, empowering your team, and building a culture of hospitality that keeps people coming back.

3:00 p.m. SESSION 3

• In the Brew House - Maximizing Yield by Finings Optimization
  Alan Windhausen, Murphy and Son

  Are you over-dosing finings into your beer, creating excess loss? Too little, reducing efficacy? Dosage rates for kettle and tank finings vary greatly based on your raw materials and recipes, and manufacturer guidelines are not tailored to your individual setup. The solution to maximizing their impact without wasting money is optimization! Understand how finings clarify, learn when optimization is needed, get the SOP’s, see the impact from real-world examples, and increase your yields / bottom line!

• Business of Brewing - Paths to Profit
  Julia Grubbs, Small Batch Standard

  If you own or operate an established brewery, and want to increase profit this year, this session shows exactly how. Drawing from 15 years of financial insight across 285+ U.S. craft breweries, we’ll break down three common paths to increase profit by $100k/year or more using adapted examples from real-world scenarios.

• Beyond the Bar - The Gathering Place: Building Community in Your Taproom (Panel)
  Moderated by Chris Byars, Bee’s Knees Brewing Company

  People may be hosting less at home, but the need for connection hasn’t gone away. How can craft breweries fill that gap? Join our panelists for a lively conversation about turning taprooms into community hubs through creative events, local partnerships, and shared experiences that bring people together—and keep them coming back. ‍‍

4:00 p.m. SESSION 4

• In the Brew House - Q&A with the Master Brewers
  Moderated by Elliott Ivory, Vine Street Brewing Company

  What does it take to build a career around great beer? Hear directly from experienced brewers as they share hard-earned lessons, brewing challenges, career insights, and the moments that have shaped their craft.

• Business of Brewing - A Fresh Take on the 20oz Pour. Put More Butts on Barstools!
  Alec Johnson, TapWyse

  Go beyond the pint with proven loyalty and membership strategies designed to turn casual guests into raving fans. Explore how to build, market, and measure a program that drives repeat visits and revenue.

• Beyond the Bar - Stop the Biergeekspeak!
  Ashton Lewis, RahrBSG

  Beer language has come a long way—from approachable descriptions to today’s increasingly over-the-top “biergeekspeak.” Ashton explores how we got here and challenges brewers to rethink how they talk about beer so that today’s consumers don’t need a glossary to understand what’s in their glass.

5:00 p.m. HAPPY HOUR BOTTLE SHARE & HEAVY APPS

6:30 p.m. MISSOURI BEER CUP AWARDS CEREMONY AT ROSE MUSIC PARK

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The awards presentation begins at 7 p.m. Your conference badge is your ticket to the party! Celebrate the winners of the 2026 Missouri Beer Cup and enjoy music, food and drinks at Rose Music Hall. Sponsored by Hopsteiner.

9:30 p.m. LAST CALL & CLOSING REMARKS

10:00 p.m. END OF CONFERENCE