The Art and Business of Beer Festivals
Every business has a personality. This is especially true of the small brewery business. The brewer may also be the person who delivers the beer to the pub, bar or tavern as well as local package stores. It is a good bet that every restaurant owner and manager knows the brewer by name and on sight. It an even better bet that the members of the local community board, town or village government know the brewer even better. And if the brewer is not on a first name basis with all of the members of local law enforcement and emergency services I would be flabbergasted. The connection a brewery has with its neighbors in its community, its neighborhood business accounts and local and municipal authorities builds a respect for that brewery that transcends basic business. It builds an image of the brewery and its products that is either lustrous or lackluster.
Beer Fests are perhaps the best ways for a brewery to enhance its image. However, for the next few months the number of beer fests in the United States is something that only the Brewers Association in Colorado might be able to tell you and I emphasize “might”…If keeping track of these events is a challenge for the beer drinker it is not hard to imagine the difficulty facing a brewer. Of course the Great American Beer Festival is a must-go for every brewer. After that it gets to be a real test of business acumen as to how Beer Fests can best serve a particular brewer.
I will venture to say that in most cases smaller is better. If the “Fraternity Party” image can be preserved in other venues the chance for the brewer to actually converse with consumers is enhanced. Beer Fests draw the curious and the curious have questions that they want to ask the brewer. This is the kind of person to person relationships that can make a brewer and the products of that brewery very popular.Huge Beer Fests are ideal for brewers that already have a reputation and are interested in either introducing a new product or giving their sales team a chance to practice their techniques.
Charity events will present the brewer in a benevolent light and also develop business relationships that can do the brewer no harm.As with any trade-fair, Fest or Event it is important to follow basic rules. “Never give it away.” and “You get what you pay for.” In the former I am referring to the brewers’ beer. In the latter I am referring to the cost of the booth/table.
In the last few months there have been more than five major articles written in three major beer and brewing trade publications on this topic. Send me an email and I will send you the list of links.After all of that being written, I close with the following… There is a saying in the food service business that if you please a single customer they will go out and tell their friends. If your customer is not happy they will go out and tell the world.
Cheers!Peter LaFrance
(peter.lafrance@beerbasics.com )
