• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • About Craft Brewing Business

Craft Brewing Business

Professional Insight, Unfiltered

Craft Brewing Business Craft Brewing Business
  • News
  • Business & Marketing
  • Packaging & Distribution
  • Equipment & Systems
  • Ingredients & Supplies
  • Webinars & White Papers
  • News
  • Business & Marketing
  • Ingredients & Supplies
  • Packaging & Distribution
  • Equipment
  • Webinars & White Papers
  • COVID-19

Three Days of Videos from the NBWA’s Annual Convention and Trade Show

October 7, 2013Keith Gribbins

Last week, one of the biggest and best trade shows in the beer business was held in the glitzy convention capital of Las Vegas. The National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) held its 76th Annual Convention and Trade Show from Sept. 29 to Oct. 2 at Caesars Palace, offering 23 educational seminars, almost 300 exhibitors and a busy craft beer section.

“We are all aware of the fact that the beer distribution industry is changing right before our eyes,” NBWA President and Chief Executive Officer Craig Purser told distributor attendees. “We’ve said it before: You are transforming from brand dependent beer wholesalers into independent, brand building distribution companies. All of you are taking on new products, building new alliances and reevaluating what works and doesn’t work.

“Your story is unique because of that important role that your business plays, not on Wall Street, but on Main Street. You are the trucks that run up and down local roads. You are the ones who regularly visit the corner pub or the popular restaurant. You are the ones who provide quality jobs and solid wages to men and women across your community. America’s beer distributors are America’s Main Street.”

For the second consecutive year, one of the big highlights for the 4,000 attendees was the opportunity to hear from the leaders of five U.S. breweries and importers who appeared together on one stage for a discussion moderated by Donna Spagnola, president and chief financial officer of Central Beverage Co. in Broadview, Ill., and former chair of the Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois. The discussion included Sam Calagione, president of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery; Luiz Edmond, president North America for Anheuser-Busch; Bill Hackett, president of Crown Imports LLC; Tom Long, chief executive officer of MillerCoors LLC; and Dolf van den Brink, president and chief executive officer of Heineken USA.

The tradeshow itself featuring products and services from nearly 300 exhibitors, including more than 500 labels of imported and domestic beer, non-alcoholic beverages, warehousing technology, financial services software and promotional products.

NBWA honored several talented industry leaders at the convention. The NBWA Life Service Award is presented to beer distributors who have dedicated a lifetime of service to the industry, community and fellow distributors. The first NBWA Life Service Award was presented to Joseph “Joe” DeMarco, chairman of the Board of Directors for High Grade Beverage based in South Brunswick, N.J. DeMarco has run High Grade Beverage in New Jersey since 1961. A second NBWA Life Service Award was presented to Bill Olson, president of the Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois (ABDI). Olson began his career with ABDI in January 1985, working as an advocate for beer distributor interests and state-based alcohol regulation. He has served as president of the Wholesale Beer Association Executives and has been an active representative on the NBWA Industry Affairs Committee. For more award news, check out this web page here.

Twenty plus educational sessions were also a part of the big show; topics ranged from “Understanding Social Media: The Evolving Beer Business” to “Emerging Brewers and the Business of Craft Beer” to “The Current Beer Distributor Lending Environment.” In fact, there was so much going on at the convention and trade show, that you might just want to watch the videos above and below to catch up on the latest distributor news, trends, products and players at the NBWA’s 76th Annual Convention and Trade Show.

Enter a lottery for the privilege to buy Dogfish Head’s $395 UBER growler (its Steampunk Treehouse design is admittedly badass)
Market Garden cans cbb crop
Cleveland’s Market Garden Brewery expands barrel-aging program, adds cans/new core beers
National Beer Wholesalers
We dig the low-fi informativeness of NBWA’s Ask a Beer Expert video series
Dogfish Head packaging cbb crop
Clarity and consistency: Check out Dogfish Head’s new packaging designs

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. DI_tweet says

    October 8, 2013 at 11:52 am

    RT @CraftBrewingBiz: Three Days of Videos from the NBWA’s Annual Convention and Trade Show. Props @NBWABeer http://t.co/z5j25VNpOx

    Log in to Reply
  2. NBWABeer says

    October 8, 2013 at 11:38 am

    RT @CraftBrewingBiz: Three Days of Videos from the NBWA’s Annual Convention and Trade Show. Props @NBWABeer http://t.co/z5j25VNpOx

    Log in to Reply
  3. MikeBikeHike007 says

    October 8, 2013 at 8:36 am

    RT @beerofsc: The @NBWABeer recently held its national conference. Here is a recap: http://t.co/ikZX2hP9L6 #CraftBeer

    Log in to Reply
  4. beerofsc says

    October 8, 2013 at 7:58 am

    The @NBWABeer recently held its national conference. Here is a recap: http://t.co/ikZX2hP9L6 #CraftBeer

    Log in to Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

Latest News

  • Beyond beer: Examples of craft breweries exploring canned cocktails
  • San Diego breweries gear up for Pucks & Pints Charity Hockey Game
  • Are you a steel keg champion? The Steel Keg Association wants to honor you
  • Guinness Open Gate Brewery Chicago finally opens this summer

Sign up for our newsletter

unsubscribe from list

Most Popular Today

Recent Features

  • newbelgium_2023_wildnectar-shopping-basket_family_IMG_2Beyond beer: Examples of craft breweries exploring canned cocktails
    March 16, 2023
  • brooklyn 35 featureBrooklyn Lager turns 35 and more beers to know this week
    March 14, 2023
  • Backwoods Brewing to open a 19-acre resort called Party Acres in the Columbia River gorge this May
    March 13, 2023
  • Distribution update: NYC’s Alewife Brewing now sells in eastern Pennsylvania + news from Maui, Urban South and more
    March 13, 2023
  • Years in planning: Flix Brewhouse will open a nine-screen luxury theater and brewery in Mansfield, Texas, this fall
    March 9, 2023
  • insurance-risk-exposure7 crazy insurance claims ─ could your brewery fall victim?
    March 8, 2023

Footer

  • Email Newsletter Sign Up
  • About Craft Brewing Business
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise on Craft Brewing Business
  • Media Kit Download
  • Privacy and Terms

© 2023 · CBB Media LLC