2026 KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Don’t Believe Everything You Read on the Internet
Headlines about alcohol in recent years have ranged from dour to outright dreadful. But don’t believe everything you read on the internet. Get ready to dig into the data and research behind all the rhetoric, ground yourself in fact and discard the fiction. From tax threats and cancer warnings to Gen Z and Delta-9, this up-tempo talk will break down the most important stories and add crucial context that too often gets lost in the shuffle.
Christopher Shepard writes and edits, follows trends and analyzes data for the family of beer industry trade publications from Beer Marketer’s Insights. He often leads BMI’s legal coverage, offers in-depth looks at alcohol policy and science as editor of Alcohol Issues INSIGHTS and serves as a Senior Editor of craft-focused newsletter Craft Brew News. He frequently presents at industry conferences and plays key roles in building BMI’s annual data reports and webinars.
PAST KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Kyle Clark, anchor for 9News, was the keynote speaker for the Summit in 2025. His talk touched on the parallels and challenges the brewing industry and the broadcasting industry both face, as Coloradans change their habits and how finding success requires creativity, passion, and a dash of humility.
Time for a Gut Check on Craft Beer
Join Julia Herz, Executive Director of the American Homebrewers Association and former Brewers Association Craft Beer Program Director, who helped grow the indie craft beer movement, gave a guided journey and gut check on our passions, entry and exit points in beer.
The talk covered craft beer’s essential tie to homebrewing and other beverage alcohol, plus how we each contribute to the trajectory and future of the biz. Insights included how the AHA is working to engage younger and more diverse homebrewers and how we each grow when we diversify our stakeholder and customer base.