If you are a brewery at a festival or if your brewery is being represented at a festival or event that equates to community outreach, customer development and marketing, bear these things in mind:

1. Make sure you have clear concise signage above the heads and shoulders of the crowds. Anything below 6 feet high is worthless; no eyes can see it from across the room and above the other folks eager to get a taste.
2. Make sure any signage or banners are clear, simple and easy to read. Use basic logos, lettering and only the key elements: name, location, online address. Keep it clean and simple.
3. Make sure those pouring your beer know how to do it, even in a state controlled by the state alcohol body. Proper pouring methods and amounts are really important to goers and to making sure your beer stretches as far as it should. It’s your currency, yes? Make it work for everyone.
4. Make sure there are dump buckets and clean rinse & drinking water at all times at your tables. Best opportunity for the flavors of your beer require rinsing glasses between tastes and hydration for guests.

Know how to 'do' a festival from your vantage point

For Festival Organizers:

1. Make sure there is sufficient lighting for the attendees, volunteers, brewers, distributors – everyone – to see where they are going, what they are doing and what they are getting. If inside, dimming lights may ‘set the mood’ but it’s difficult on the vendors and pourers as well as the guests. If outside, ensure lighting for proper viewing and safety.
2. No plastic one-use cups. By the time a few years have gone by using ‘disposable’, you can afford to have bought commemorative durable glassware or rented glassware to use (cleaning and rental fees included) which never truly go away – they just go somewhere else. The care you display for our planet will encourage more attendees and more revenue. It’s irresponsible to use anything less. You have a budget for a reason; use it wisely. We don’t take care of the planet and festivals will be a moot point.
3. Make sure all booths and vendors have clear and free access to their space. Vendors help make festivals possible and to have one vendor hog or greatly spill into the space that another vendor bought is careless and may not discourage them from returning. Finding new vendors that fit are harder to get than keeping the ones that already fit and support the event.
4. Make sure the level of any music included does not exceed normal conversation volume. Music that drowns out the regular range of conversation makes it difficult for pourers and vendors to converse and sell their goods. Music too loud = sales killer which is bad for the vendors and guests. You’re not at a concert, keep it reasonable.

For Recreational Consumers:

1. Wear sensible footwear. Flip flops, spiky heels, and shoes that can slide off your feet are silly and unnecessary. Plus you’re drinking alcohol; be kind to your feet and select appropriate shoes to enjoy the festival in.
2. Say thank you to the pourers, whether they are the brewers/breweries themselves or volunteers. It’s sometimes a thankless job to pass out hundreds of pours to people. You’re at a brew fest – don’t punish the messenger (pourer) if you don’t happen to care for the beer; it’s a taste – not a commitment.
3. Support your local festival. Many to most of the beer oriented festivals out there have a small to large component of volunteerism and donation. Organizers, breweries, pourers, and security – they are all working hard to provide a safe and fun environment. Festivals are very reasonable financial investments, should be fun and support many aspects of our communities in different ways.

All value, all the time.

Wouldn’t that be a dream channel for real life?

All value, all the time

Well, if you’re in the beer business, you can make this a reality and attract millions more consumers. Millions seems to lofty? Consider even dozens or hundreds more consumers would make a difference.

How? By properly courting the female consumer.

Let me tell you about value for the female consumer.

Value for women includes:

• Time value otherwise known as the experience. If they are going to take the time to do something, they want it to be worth while.
• Enjoyment value. They want the involvement to be enjoyable.
• Educational value. Women like to and want to learn. A better educated consumer is a great thing for the beer community too.
• Dollar value. Be it $8 for a six pack of canned beer they want or $22 for a dinner table bottle of special beer they want to share (like yummy Bruery Beers). Whatever the price tag, it’s not the low or high of the actual dollar – it’s how much it’s worth to them.

Value.

One of the top three things women consider in their relationship to beer. Drink that up.