Most craft beverage companies, no matter their size or model, recognize the importance of marketing, but too many ignore a high impact strategy: earned media. 

In this webinar, Virginia SBDC Craft Beverage Assistance program manager Chris Van Orden asks Lisa Archer, Editor and Publisher of Edible Blue Ridge, about her experience working with the craft beverage sector, the media’s process for sourcing stories on local producers, and what makes a good subject.

Speaker: Lisa Archer is the editor and publisher of Edible Blue Ridge, a quarterly magazine dedicated to celebrating Central & Southwestern Virginia’s unique regional food scene, with a focus on our many farms, orchards, wineries, farmers markets, specialty shops, eateries, food artisans and home cooks. Edible Blue Ridge distributes 10,000 copies of each issue through more than 200 select grocers, restaurants and retailers across their territory. 

There are many avenues by which breweries can seek out efficiencies, but only environmental improvements have the added benefit of making Virginia a bit greener. 

In this webinar, Virginia SBDC Craft Beverage Assistance program manager Chris Van Orden asks Meghann Quinn, Manager of the Office of Pollution Prevention at the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, about the strategies and resources available to breweries looking to sharpen operations in an eco-friendly way.

Speaker: Meghann Quinn has managed the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s Office of Pollution Prevention for the past 8 years. The Office of Pollution Prevention promotes green practices that go beyond regulatory requirements through programs including the Virginia Environmental Excellence Program, Virginia Green, and the Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards. Prior to working with DEQ, she gained experience working with industry and municipalities on compliance and environment management systems.  Ms. Quinn has a Masters degree in Environmental Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from the University of Mary Washington.  She grew up on Long Island. In her free time you can find Meghann running or chasing her 2 young boys around.  

Craft beverage producers know only too well how quickly the industry can move; from pandemic-related closures to regulatory shifts and everything in between, Virginia’s breweries, wineries, cideries, and distilleries have had to respond to ever-shifting terrain. This same adaptability is needed when it comes to capital attraction.

In this webinar, Virginia SBDC Craft Beverage Assistance Manager Chris Van Orden welcomes back previous speaker Jason Sleeman, Vice President of Craft Beverage Lending at United Community Bank, to share his insights on the changing capital landscape for craft beverage producers.

SPEAKER: Jason Sleeman is Vice President of Craft Beverage Lending at United Community Bank. In this role, he has worked with dozens of craft beverage producers around the country to secure capital and chart a stable financial course. In addition to his expertise with SBA loan products, Jason closely tracks the developments in the craft beverage industry. While he works with clients throughout the United States, Jason lives in Georgia with his family.

As more producers come online and the distribution market gets ever more crowded, many breweries, wineries, and cideries are looking to their tasting room to drive revenue.  But how can companies maximize this high-margin channel?  In this webinar, Virginia SBDC Craft Beverage Assistance Manager Chris Van Orden asks Andrew Coplon, Founder of Secret Hopper and Craft Beer Professionals, what strategies are most effective in improving tasting room performance. 

Andrew Coplon is the Founder of Secret Hopper and Craft Beer Professionals. Andrew helps breweries nationwide create more memorable and profitable taproom experiences using data-based insights gathered from thousands of visits. He has successfully built a community of 16,000 Craft Beer Professionals dedicated to the growth and betterment of our industry across the United States. When he isn’t building relationships on Zoom or meeting you for a pint, he enjoys climbing jungle gyms with his son, Max, or planning the next adventure with his wife, Stacie. 

To compete in the increasingly competitive distribution space, alcohol producers need to hire, equip, and incentivize their sales teams intelligently.  In this webinar, Virginia SBDC Craft Beverage Assistance Manager Chris Van Orden asks Ben Lewellyn, Founder of craft beverage analytics firm Full Count, what tools and strategies are most effective for craft beverage producers looking to maximize their sales staff’s impact in the market. 

SPEAKER: Ben Lewellyn has worked in craft beverages for more than a decade, focused primarily on building and improving wholesale sales operations (forecasting production, managing salespeople & distributors, selling to key accounts, and developing strategy).  He started Full Count Analytics to help craft manufacturers make sense of their data through custom software solutions and individualized coaching.  

There are many technical demands to be met when building out a craft beverage production facility: water, drainage, electrical, even ceiling heights. But with the growing importance of in-house sales, producers need to think about the aesthetic experience of public-facing spaces, as well.  In this webinar, Virginia SBDC Craft Beverage Assistance Manager Chris Van Orden asks Christopher Peli of CORE architecture + design how breweries, wineries, cideries, and distilleries can design their facilities to balance form and function.

Speaker: Christopher Peli, CORE architecture + design

In every corner of the Commonwealth, there’s a great brewery, winery, cidery, or distillery capable of attracting tourists, but they don’t have to do it alone – the Virginia Tourism Corporation is here to help. Through grants, research, and other helpful resources, the VTC can support small businesses looking to bring in visitors from Virginia and beyond.

In this webinar, the Virginia Tourism Corporation’s Partnership Marketing Grants Manager Staci Martin shares details on the many VTC resources available to craft beverage companies, including the Microbusiness Marketing Leverage Program, closing on September 20th.

Chances are you’ve heard of the phrase “data-based decision-making,” but what does it mean for alcohol producers growing their distribution?  In this webinar, Virginia SBDC Craft Beverage Assistance Manager Chris Van Orden asks Ben Lewellyn, Founder of craft beverage analytics firm Full Count, how producers can make the most of their sales data, from diagnosing issues and constructing sales incentives to charting growth opportunities and preparing for annual budget planning (ABP) meetings with distribution partners.

Ben Lewellyn has worked in craft beverages for more than a decade, focused primarily on building and improving wholesale sales operations (forecasting production, managing salespeople & distributors, selling to key accounts, and developing strategy).  He started Full Count Analytics to help craft manufacturers make sense of their data through custom software solutions and individualized coaching.  Originally from Alabama, Ben now lives with his wife and son in Charlottesville.

Alcohol distribution in the United States is governed by the three-tier system, which means that distributing craft beverage producers’ success requires healthy working relationships with their wholesalers.  In this webinar, Virginia SBDC Craft Beverage Assistance Manager Chris Van Orden asks Craft Beverage Strategic Advisor Julie Rhodes about the tools and strategies that breweries, wineries, cideries, and distilleries can employ when working distribution partners towards mutual success.

Speaker: Julie Rhodes, Owner, Not Your Hobby Marketing 

With over 2 decades of experience on the business side – supplier sales, digital marketing, and distribution management – of the craft beverage industry, Julie provides strategic sales and marketing advice to small- and medium-sized beverage alcohol brands through webinars, whitepapers, digital courses, one on one consulting, and group coaching programs.  

Every craft beverage producer in America, no matter its size, structure, or stage, will come into contact with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), the lead Federal agency overseeing the production and sale of alcohol.  In this webinar, Virginia SBDC Craft Beverage Assistance Manager Chris Van Orden asks TTB Investigator Len Lee about the key regulations governing the safe and responsible manufacturing of beer, wine, and spirits, from pre-launch licensing to label approvals and beyond.

Speaker: Len Lee, Investigator, Southeast District, Trade Investigations Division, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB)

Len Lee is an investigator with TTB’s Trade Investigations Division in the Southeast District. He has a total of 32 years of Law Enforcement experience. Len works on a variety of alcohol – and tobacco-related cases, including tax, product integrity, and permit investigations. He began his career with TTB in 2008. He has a BS degree in Criminal Justice from Mountain State University and lives in Jacksonville, Florida.