Whether you are new to the industry or a vet, our educational 3-day conference program is designed to take your career and business to a higher level of success. Learn from the best in the Beer, Food & Wine Track.

Tuesday, March 19

2:10 PM – 3:00 PM  - Room N116
Selecting Seasonal Beers to Keep Customers Coming Back
Maia Gosselin • Owner • Sip Wine Education & Managing Editor • Massachusetts Beverage Business

Seasonal brews are all the rage these days but selecting the right beers for your bar can be daunting! It seems as if every time you blink there’s a different seasonal available. How do you choose what’s right for your venue? What’s seasonal in California isn’t necessarily the same as Massachusetts. This seminar will focus on building a well-balanced, appealing seasonal beer list. Topics will cover general styles, building a program that incorporates beer dinners and tastings, the “buy local” angle as well as other current trends in seasonal beers.

3:10 PM – 4:00 PM - Room N116
Take Your Bar Food Menu to the Next Level
Beni Velazquez • Chef/Partner • Bar+Bistro @ The Art Factory

Have you fallen into the rut of serving solely what items you find from your vendors? Are all your foods fried because it’s quick and convenient? Are you merely a copycat of what the bar down the street is doing? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then it is time to change your thinking and learn how to set yourself apart from the competition and make a better bar food menu. Incorporating new and exciting foods that can’t be found in other bars not only instantly sets you apart, but also makes your venue more exciting.

4:10 – 5:00 PM - Room N116
Flavor & Diversity: What Today's Beer Drinker Wants
Luis Tovar • Founder & Certified Cicerone • Hooked on Hops, Mark Del Monte • GM • Public House, John Lenata • GM • Todd English Pub and Karl Herrera • Las Vegas Beer Ranger • New Belgium Brewing Company

Join Certified Cicerone Luis Tovar and a panel of craft beer bar operators and enthusiasts, who will discuss the growing beer trends among consumers. You’ll learn what customers want to see in a beer list, the bar staff, and how these things can impact your business. Emerging beer styles, food pairing, education, and more will also be covered in this beer-centric session.

Wednesday, March 20

10:00 AM – 10:50 AM - Room N116
Uncork Your Wine Potential
Maia Gosselin • Owner • Sip Wine Education & Managing Editor • Massachusetts Beverage Business

Do you feel as if your staff is only selling “safe” wines? It’s easy to offer a house Chardonnay or Cabernet but there’s undoubtedly more to your wine list than just the usual suspects. Customers want to be tempted. They’ll spend money to try new things but they need help from your staff who are often too intimidated to offer new suggestions. This seminar will focus on selling tips, trends, hot varietals and suggestions for operators to develop a well-rounded and appealing wine list.

2:00 PM – 2:50 PM - Room N116
Boost Profits with Accurate Costing & Menu Engineering
Mark Kelnhofer • President & CEO • Return on Ingredients

In this session Mark Kelnhofer will take you along a journey of combining his passion of numbers and data with your passion for food and superior service. Learn how to apply a unique methodology to discover what producing food for guests really costs you. With accurate recipe writing and costing as a base, Mark will walk you through the steps to re-engineer your menu for success and profitability utilizing his proven methods.

3:00 PM – 3:50 PM - Room N116
Perfect Draft Beer: Filling the Last Tank
George Reisch • Brewmaster & Director of Brewmaster Outreach • Anheuser-Busch

Believe it or not, as sophisticated as our beer culture is, it’s the back to basics of on-premise draft pouring that fundamentally drive sales. Does your bartender use the right size glass for the style of beer? Is the glass clean? As an owner, it’s your responsibility to ensure that the point of contact with the customer understands that the basics of pouring beer is the foundation for enjoying beer.

4:00 PM – 4:50 PM - Room N116
Bar Food For Thought - Achieving Brand Awareness and Loyalty with Your Food
Christopher Osborn • Managing Member & Owner • Cadillac Ranch Southwestern Bar & Grill

Many bar operators stick to generic bar menus with the same items that you can find just down the road at the next guy’s establishment. When you started your venture you had a concept in mind. In this session, you will learn to honor your concept through your menu and create a unique identity through signature dishes available on your menu only.

Thursday, March 21

1:00 PM – 1:50 PM - Room N116
Marketing Beer to Women: Killer Beer Programs That Work!
Ginger Johnson • Owner & Operator • Women Enjoying Beer

Do you know who the world’s largest market share is? Do you know how to reach them? Women are the answer and if you’re proactively learning how to best recruit them as customers, you’re ahead of the pack. Women make up 75 - 85% of all purchasing decision in the U.S. Anyone who still relies on tired, outdated and less than respectful tactics will see a decline in women patronizing their business. Ginger Johnson will address this powerful market segment, provide real ideas on how to attract, and what not to do in your efforts of marketing beer to women.

2:00 PM – 2:50 PM - Room N116
Increase Profits with New Menu Items
Christopher Osborn • Managing Member & Owner • Cadillac Ranch Southwestern Bar & Grill

If you’re tired of your bar food menu, than so are your guests and staff! Identifying all the dishes that are not profitable, and learning how to add new menu items regularly, will make a difference to your bottom line. Chris Osborn will show you how to keep up with trends, educate your staff on pairings suggestions, and other insights to crafting new and profitable menu items.

3:00 PM – 3:50 PM - Room N116
What Does a Cicerone Know?
Ray Daniels • Founder & Director • Cicerone Certification Program

Covering everything from dirty glasses to mixes, gases to foam lacing and food matching, Ray Daniels will provide interesting and informative examples of what a certified cicerone knows about beer. For your beer centric venue you need to make sure that your staff is presenting this alluring beverage in its finest form for your customers. Daniels will also address how individuals and groups can prepare for the certification and why it’s important for your employees to obtain this certification.