Conference
Brew Asia Conference
This year’s conference theme of “Shaping A Stronger Brewing Industry” will see presenters tackle the business side of growing a viable, profitable industry from corporate structure and investment to effective product distribution as well as new product launches and the importance and best practices behind brewing consistent quality beers.
Whether you were looking for innovative ingredients, state of the art equipment, branding advice or a competitive business advantage, there is something for every member of your team at Brew Asia 2024.
2024 Programme
Download the Programme
2024 Programme Highlights
DAY 1 KEYNOTE
A Campaign For Real Ale - Facing Reality, Even When It Sucks
Paul Jones, Founder, Cloudwater Brewing
SESSION OUTLINE:
Cloudwater Brew Co is on a journey to celebrate our 10th anniversary and chart a course to get to our 20th in fantastic shape. But searching questions arise thick and fast - What does the modern craft beer drinker want in 2024 and beyond? Is our focus too narrow, or stuck in the past? Can we be brave enough to let go of some of the dreams we had in 2014 when the brewery was founded, and face the realities in front of us today? Join me in exploration of what’s really happening now, and what on earth we’re all going to do about it.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER:
Paul Jones is the owner and Managing Director of Cloudwater Brew Co, a small brewery that launched in 2015 in Manchester UK. Gaining global reputation through international awards and UK firsts during its first few years in the craft beer industry, and known widely for its scene changing beer and forward-thinking ethos, Cloudwater Brew Co has established itself as an innovator, and at times a leader in the industry.
DAY 2 KEYNOTE
Coopers Brewery – 162 years and beyond…
Andrew Cooper, Executive Director, Coopers Brewery
SESSION OUTLINE:
In 1862, Thomas Cooper made a tonic for his sick wife using an old family recipe - that ale was the humble beginnings of what is now Australia's oldest and largest independent brewery. Andrew, a 6th generation Cooper involved in the running of the business, will offer an insight into how and why the business has evolved over the years, and how they are facing the challenges ahead as they look forward to 200 years of proud Australian family brewing.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER:
Andrew was appointed as a Director at Coopers Brewery in 2023, becoming the first of the family’s sixth-generation to join the Board. Andrew started with the brewery in 2017 as National Business Manager, prior to which he had worked with global drinks companies Diageo and Pernod Ricard as well as with investment bank Macquarie Group. In his current senior management position, Andrew is responsible for the brewery’s key national on-premise accounts as well as growing Coopers’ export markets.
PRESENTATION
Unlocking Maximum Efficiency: Advanced Hop Products Shaping the Future of the Craft Brewing Industry
Lennart Paul-Pax, Technical Sales Manager, BarthHaas
SESSION OUTLINE:
A dive into the transformative impact of advanced hop products on craft brewing, focusing on key areas such as reducing beer loss, shipping and storage advantages, consistency of technical parameters & flavor, and other positive impacts on the overall brewing process. Through detailed case studies the BarthHaas team will explore how these innovations can maximize efficiency & aroma, providing practical insights and strategies to help breweries thrive in an increasingly competitive industry. Learn how leveraging these advanced hop products can revolutionize your brewing process and strengthen your position in the market.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER:
A graduate of the Technical University of Munich Weihenstephan, Lennart will be joined onstage by Chris Swersey, ex-Technical Brewing Projects Manager for the Brewers Association and Alejandro Cortés and experimental brewer with the John I. Haas brewing team.
PRESENTATION
Adventure Into Lager: Exploring Diversity, Improving Efficiency & Quality
Simon Jeanpierre, Technical Sales Support Manager, Beer - APAC, Fermentis
SESSION OUTLINE:
Explore the rising interest and diversity in craft lager brewing. This session covers global lager styles, their technical characteristics, and production processes. Learn how fermentation parameters impact performance and flavor, enhancing quality and efficiency. Discover ways to diversify your lager, promote flavors during fermentation, and understand yeast-hop interactions. The session includes a tasting to illustrate key concepts, showcasing different lager yeasts and their suitability for various beer styles.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER:
With a bachelor's degrees in Industrial Science & Chemistry, Simon's role with Fermentis sees him sharing the technical knowledge between Research & Development and the Sales team on the market.
PRESENTATION
AI And Your Beer Business: Practical Applications To Save You Time And Money
Spencer Jemelka Co-Founder, Redpoint Brewing Co.
SESSION OUTLINE:
Join Redpoint Brewing and explore how AI can help automate tasks and streamline business operations. We'll discuss applications such as social media automation, order fulfillment, document review, and equipment monitoring. Gain practical beginner scripts to build your own AI solutions, reducing errors, saving time, and allowing you to focus more on brewing, distribution and growing your business.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER:
In a former life Spencer was Taiwan Country Manager for an automotive ERP software company, he has applied these skills to integrated multiple AI built solutions into Redpoint’s daily operations, reducing human error and streamlining processes across the business and brewery.
WORKSHOP
Live Strategy Hour: Crafting Beer Brands
John Scott, Executive Creative Director & Samantha Shuttleworth, Head of Strategy & Transformation, Construct Digital
SESSION OUTLINE:
Ready to make your craft beer stand out in a crowded market? Join the Construct Digital team for a 60-minute hands-on workshop designed to give your brand the competitive edge it deserves.
This interactive workshop will help craft businesses develop effective brand differentiation strategies in a competitive market. Designed for brewery owners and marketing teams, the session will cover key aspects of brand positioning and marketing for craft beer companies. Expect rapid-fire problem solving, tackle real-world branding challenges head-on, uncover hidden insights, learn to tap into the deeper motivations of your customers and find your competitive advantage.
ABOUT THE PRESENTERS:
With a combined industry experience of over 45 years this award winning duo excel in tackling real-world branding challenges through consumer insights, innovative engagement campaigns and social media strategies. Construct Digital is Singapore’s Leading Transformation Agency.
PRESENTATION
Quality and Risk Management In Your Brewery
Edwin Yang, Technical Brewing & Quality Manager APAC, Molson Coors
SESSION OUTLINE:
A risk management mindset aids decision making when faced with everyday challenges. This session explored risk management practices across your business with a focus on product quality and business affecting outcomes. Including a walkthrough of realistic scenario’s the key methodology covered will include objectives, the assessment process, the 4T principles (Transfer, Tolerate, Treat or Terminate) and assessment of probability against impact. If you are serious about risk management in your business this session is definitely one not to be missed.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER:
A technical manager with over 11 years craft and corporate brewing experiences his current role in Molson Coors focuses heavily on quality management and assurance systems across multiple sites in the Asia Pacific.
SENSORY SESSION
Bio-Transformation - A Guide To Yeast & Hop Interactions For Targeted Sensory Outcomes
Scott Sharp-Heward, Technical Manager - Oceania, Lallemand Brewing
SESSION OUTLINE:
This interactive workshop will introduce bio-transformation in beer and provide a logical, scientific framework for combining ingredients to obtain specific sensory profiles. Within this, we will explore the dynamics of bound terpene and thiol precursor release by yeast, the introduction of these precursors via hops, and other sensory-active fermentation products which may affect expression of these. Ultimately, brewers will walk away from this presentation with a better idea of how to target specific sensory outcomes in their hoppy beers.
ABOUT THE PRESENTERS:
A masters graduate in winemaking & science as well as a qualified brewer, Scott has a background in production and quality brewing roles in New Zealand and the United Kingdom as well as a flair for sensory.
SENSORY SESSION
Hops Sensory - The Yakima Chief Hops Way
James Monshing, Sr. Sales Manager – ANZ/SE Asia (Macro Accounts) & Alvin Teo, Regional Sales Manager - Southeast Asia, Yakima Chief Hops
SESSION OUTLINE:
Join the Yakima Chief Hops Team in an interactive, hands-on hop evaluation session as we take you through how we select hops the Yakima Chief Hops Way. Together, we will assess some of the most quality consistent hops in the world, all freshly flown in from the 2024 hop harvest at our farms in the Pacific Northwest. Look forward to a room bursting with hops aroma from some of your favourite familiar hops like Simcoe® and HBC 586, and one other potential variety showcasing a very different side of Yakima’s aroma profile! Expect to have your hands smelling like hops for the rest of your day!
ABOUT THE PRESENTERS:
James has been working in hops since 2007, growing up just a 5-minute drive from a hop farm in Australia. Passionate about beer he's proud to connect the world’s finest brewers with the Hop growers from the Pacific Northwest.
PRESENTATION
Accelerating Brewing & Distribution Productivity With Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software
Ganesh Raj Kumaraguru, CEO, Radiant Intrepid Creative Employees
SESSION OUTLINE:
Unleash the true potential of your team by letting humans focus on their best work! Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software can help you free up schedules by dramatically reducing the time taken for essential administrative tasks such as inventory, procurement & supply chain management, manufacturing, quality control and invoicing. Citing real life brewing industry case studies Ganesh will show how, by harnessing the power of ERP software, you can react faster to changing circumstances helping you increase profit in both beer production and distribution.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER:
Having worked for large consulting behemoths such as Mercer and Accenture, Ganesh set up his own consulting company helping clients across multiple industries implement ERP software into their day-to-day operations.
WORKSHOP
Regionalizing Classic Beer Styles
Derek Walsh, Founder, Bier+
SESSION OUTLINE:
An exploration into the localization of classic beerstyles. With the use of regional examples this workshop will cover how and where to look for inspiration in creating new hybrids that reflect your regional biome, the benefits of uniqueness in your brand story and pitfalls to avoid. It will also explore the development process for new national styles that can help define a country's beer culture.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER:
The creator of many competition beerstyle guidelines Derek founded BrewingInnovationEducationRecipes+ (BIER+) consulting in 2002 which focuses on beer recipe development and troubleshooting for commercial breweries.
PRESENTATION
Expanding into Distilled Spirits as a Craft Brewer
Andrew Brunson, Head Brewer, The Guam Brewery
SESSION OUTLINE:
A year and a half ago we made the decision to pursue Craft Spirits. In this presentation I'll discuss our motivations to expand into Craft Spirits, how we incorporated it into our production facility, what equipment was required, and the regulatory hurdles that we had to overcome.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER:
Over 12 years global brewing experience, from Jordan to the USA and now Guam.
PRESENTATION
Using Process Aids To Improve Beer Quality, Maximise Volumes & Boost Profitability
Sarah Young, Global Product Manager, Enzymes & Process Aids, Lallemand (AB Vickers)
SESSION OUTLINE:
In the current economy, craft brewers have the challenge of cutting costs while still making excellent innovative beers, necessitating the efficient use of ingredients and equipment. This presentation will demonstrate how process aids, enzymes, and yeast nutrients can enhance beer quality and profitability, by increasing brewing volume, optimising tank use, and shortening fermentation time, leading to a more cost-effective process and consistent quality.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER:
An honours graduate from the Heriot-Watt University brewing school in the UK, Sarah has been working for AB Vickers in the UK as a Technical Support Manager for process aids and enzymes for the last 22 years.
PRESENTATION
The Business Model Shifts That Are Helping Australian Craft Breweries Survive
JP Purcell, Head of Customer, East Coast Canning + Printing
SESSION OUTLINE:
How do the 600+ brewers survive and, even thrive, in a maturing market? In Australia, the craft beer game has changed, and this has led to a shift in business models for many of the existing breweries. In this session, JP will explore the strategies breweries are using to reduce the strain on their working capital, speeding up existing revenue streams, opening up new ones, reducing waste and in turn increasing business success. This session will give you a window into the Australian market sharing learnings and observations.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER:
JP's marketing and sales career has seen him help leading Australian brands such as Gage Road and Matso's grow beyond their home and local markets. He now helps small businesses navigate the changing economic landscape
PRESENTATION
Innovation in Malt
Cristal Peck, Product Innovation Manager, Boortmalt/Joe White Maltings
SESSION OUTLINE:
Learn about new and innovative malt varieties with Boortmalt's Product Innovation Manager Cristal Peck. Cristal will explore her journey to creating Joe White Malting's revolutionary range of “Infusion Malts”, experimentation with malting different cereals and also applications with traditional specialty malts. This session will provide brewers with valuable insights and help generate innovative ideas for new products using varieties created for specific characteristics like flavour, colour, or performance in the brewhouse - knowledge that can help brewing teams select the right malt to achieve desired flavours or improve efficiency.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER:
A Brewer and biologist Cristal is the creator of the Joe White Maltings range of “Infusion Malts”, formerly head brewer of Berliner Berg in Germany she is not the Product Innovation Manager at Boortmalt based in Antwerp.
PRESENTATION
Manu Cans It!
Manu Gulati, Founder, Effingut Brewery
SESSION OUTLINE:
This presentation will delve into the inspiring story of Effingut, one of India's pioneering microbreweries. Established in 2014 by Manu Gulati, Effingut has grown from a small brew pub to a nationwide craft beer sensation. Explore the challenges and triumphs faced by Effingut as it navigated the complexities of the Indian brewing industry and educated the market about craft beer. It will also highlight the brand's evolution from a local brew pub to a widely accessible brand with growler stations and canned offerings.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER:
An Engineer by profession, seasoned entrepreneur and certified brewer Manu established the first of his Effingut Brewpubs in India in 2014. His company now operates 4 brewpubs in Pune (the original), Mumbai, Kolkata & Delhi with a team of over 300 staff and have just ventured into wider can distribution with their flagship Bavarian Wheat Beer and Cider.
WORKSHOP
Alternative Brewhouse Activities: Makgeolli, From Traditional To Post Modern
Yoonsang Park, M.D., Co-Founder & Jaewon Lee Head Brewer, Seoul Fermentary
SESSION OUTLINE:
In this “Beyond the Brewhouse” workshop the team from Seoul Fermentary will introduce Makgeolli, a traditional Korean fermented rice beverage, and explore a modern new twist employed by them to help bring quality and consistency to their products. Traditional Makgeolli is fermented in one vessel using a combination of rice and nuruk, which is a compound of microorganisms. Find out how a new method developed by Seoul Fermentary uses a two-step process based on beer brewing and allows them to include non-traditional ingredients in their ‘post-modern’ product. During this workshop attendees will learn the biochemical basis of Makgeolli compared to beer, and be able to compare traditionally brewed Makgeolli and new versions from Seoul Fermentary including their popular “Double Hopped” variant.
ABOUT THE PRESENTERS:
Since 2018 the team behind Seoul Fermentary have been producing Makgeolli, a traditional Korean fermented rice beverage that has seen a recent resurgence in popularity. Co-founder Yoonsang Park, who hails from a medical background, and head brewer Jaewon Lee, previously beer brewing with the White Crow Brewing Company, have refined the traditional fermentation process and now produce makgeolli with a modern, new-age, twist.
SENSORY SESSION
Brew Asia 2024 Conference Brew - Ingredients insights
Mitch Griboff
Head Brewer
BREWERKZ
PANEL DISCUSSION
Scaling Up By Contract Brewing: Sharing Experiences of Successes and Difficulties
Panelists to be announced
PANEL DISCUSSION
Finding Funding: The Search For The Perfect Partners
Panelists to be announced
PANEL DISCUSSION
Growing The Brand: The Importance of Brand Development in Distribution
Panelists to be announced
PANEL DISCUSSION
Community Building: The Power Of The Collective
Panelists to be announced
PANEL DISCUSSION
The Shaping Of Things To Come: Looking To The Years Ahead For Asia's Craft Beer Industry
Panelists to be announced