Crafted For All, LLC is proud to be a sponsor of the 2020 North Carolina Craft Brewers Conference, which will bring together craft brewing professionals from across the southeast on November 2 – 6. Like many industry events, the 7th annual NC Craft Brewers Conference (NCCBC) will be virtual this year. The North Carolina Brewers Guild (NCBG) staff have worked tirelessly to create a robust five-day experience full of learning, networking, and socializing opportunities for this year’s attendees. “This year’s conference is focused on moving forward, past the challenges of the pandemic,” says Rich Greene, NCBG Executive Director.
J Jackson-Beckham, Principal at Crafted For All and Brewers Association Diversity Ambassador, has delivered keynote addresses and educational seminars at nearly two dozen state guild conferences since 2017. However, the 2020 NC Craft Brewers Conference marks the first time she has offered a comprehensive slate of seminars that crosses multiple education tracks. “We are providing breweries throughout the southeast access to seminars that will cover topics from technical brewing to business operations to sales and marketing, and front of house management. All sessions are aimed at bringing our industry forward; not only technically and economically, but also from a perspective of equity and inclusion,” said Greene of the upcoming conference. Jackson-Beckham raved about the unique sponsorship arrangement. “This format provides a brilliant opportunity to communicate that equity and inclusion isn’t an add-on program for organizations who are looking to do the work. Equity and inclusion are a process–an evidence-driven approach to improving outcomes across a broad range of organizational functions.”
The conference also marks a limited return to travel for Jackson-Beckham after being grounded by COVID-19 since early March. She will be spending the week of the conference in Asheville, NC. Highland Brewing Co. will host Jackson-Beckham for a ticketed event on the evening of Monday, November 2, from which she will open the NCCBC with a live-streamed general session called “Fans, Hands, and Brands: Moving Beyond an Introduction to Equity & Inclusion.” This talk will be followed by a socially-distanced panel discussion with local business leaders and consumers who will discuss the current and future challenges and opportunities to making the craft brewing industry a more inclusive and equitable community. “Our spacious event center offers the connection of a live audience for these important conversations,” says Leah Ashburn, President/CEO of Highland Brewing Company. “All precautions will be observed, from distanced seating and staff in masks to touchless water service, payment, and sinks.”
For more details about Monday evening’s event and Covid-19 safety precautions, contact Highland Brewing Company. A schedule of Crafted For All’s educational sessions at the NCCBC is provided below.
Monday, November 2
5pm – 6pm
GENERAL SESSION – “Fans, Hands, and Brands: Moving Beyond an Introduction to Equity & Inclusion”
What do a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu, a colony of ants, and a recipe for a brown ale have in common? In the real world, very little. But in Dr. J.’s interactive talk, this eclectic list of common objects will inspire attendees to rethink how we approach diversity and inclusion in the brewing industry. Dr. J. will open the door for an honest and judgment-free conversation about the realities of authentically reaching populations that are underrepresented among those that produce, distribute, and sell craft beer.
Key takeaways:
- Provides market-specific data about craft beer consumption among demographic segments in North Carolina.
- Diagnoses three critical flaws in common approaches to organizational diversity and inclusion.
- Presents a framework for rethinking organizational diversity and inclusion that empowers employees to craft context-specific solutions that are tailored to their organization’s goals and capacity.
Tuesday, November 3
9am – 10am
BUSINESS OPERATIONS TRACK – “Processes not Programs: SOPs for Equity and Inclusion”
Does your brewery staff and leadership reflect the diversity of your community? Are you prepared to respond to incidents of bias or discrimination in your workplace or community? Are you maximizing the benefits of diverse thinking and experience? If not, you’re not alone. You’re also leaving a world of opportunity for organizational success unexplored. In this talk, Dr. J. will demonstrate how organizations can build inclusion, equity, and justice into standard operating procedures (SOPs). Though there are no one-size-fits-all tactics that are appropriate for all breweries, this talk will cover a range of practical implementations that span multiple business functions.
Key takeaways:
- Introduces the concepts of inclusion, equity, and justice as a corrective to thinking in terms of “diversity.”
- Demonstrates how these three concepts can be used as a tool to evaluate existing and future organizational policies and initiatives.
- Provides a step-by-step approach for crafting, implementing, and assessing IEJ-based standard operating procedures.
Wednesday, November 4
11am – 12pm
FRONT OF THE HOUSE + TAPROOM MANAGEMENT TRACK – “Transformative not Transactional: Building Relationships with your Fans”
BREAKING NEWS: A Randomly Scheduled Brewery Hip-Hop Night Failed to Make the Brewery’s Customer Base More Diverse.
We can all get a good chuckle from efforts like these, but the truth of the matter is that too many efforts to diversify taprooms result in inauthentic pandering. In this talk, Dr. J will introduce a way to rethink relationship-building with your future fans that leads to lasting, mutually beneficial relationships.
Key takeaways:
- Distinguishes between “transactional” and “transformative” relationship-building and compares their respective benefits.
- Maps out common avenues of relationship-making for front-of-the house functions.
- Offers an alternative to protectionist and compliance mindsets in customer interactions with underrepresented populations.
Thursday, November 5
1pm – 2pm
SALES AND MARKETING TRACK – “Barriers not Bait: KPIs for Equity & Inclusion”
The challenge of reaching new customers commonly rests with marketing and sales staff. While most savvy businesses recognize the potential benefits in growing a fanbase among underrepresented populations, the reality of doing so is a daunting task. In this talk, Dr. J will introduce barrier-removal-based marketing and sales strategies. This talk will also tackle tough questions that many are reluctant to ask like: Where do we draw the line between appreciation and appropriation? How can we be inclusive and stay true to our brand identity? What should we do when consumer preferences line up with popular stereotypes?
Key takeaways:
- Defines common types of barriers that are experienced by underrepresented consumers in the marketplace.
- Provides guidance for identifying what unintended barriers may be affecting your future fans.
- Provides goal and assessment building strategies for tracking and incentivizing IEJ success.
Friday, November 6
3pm – 4pm
BREWING TOPICS TRACK – “Putting It Into Practice: Best Practices in Equity and Inclusion”
The past week of seminars provided strategies and tactics for adopting and assessing inclusive, equitable, and just practices in several contexts of brewery operation. This seminar is about putting it all together into a comprehensive strategic plan, creating a responsibility structure, and the challenging realities of implementation. Dr. J talks with Patrice Palmer, Diversity & Inclusion Specialist for New Belgium Brewing Company, about developing best practices.
Key takeaways:
- Provides guidance for strategic planning processes.
- Details three types of IEJ responsibility structures that can be scaled for use at breweries of all sizes.