Master Cicerone
Brewmaster
Certified Sommelier
Consultant
à la Bière
Bozeman, Montana
Master Cicerone
Consultant à la Bière


Conference Speaking

I have years of experience speaking at public events, from presenting conference seminars and teaching industry courses to moderating and participating on panels.

All of the material and content has been my own, and I have presented on both my own and others’ research.

For a list of presentations, please see my Public Speaking Resume.

As a Master Cicerone and Certified Sommelier, and with my years of experience and research in hospitality business, brewing, history, languages, and travel, I offer depth of content on a broad range of topics, and I infuse great teaching and personality in my presentation style. Comfortable in front of audiences large and small, I blend academic focus and field experience with enthusiasm and an outgoing personality to create presentations that are useful, memorable, and entertaining. I deliver enlightening talks that are helpful to attendees and that reflect positively on the event and organizers.

Contact me to discuss opportunities for valuable beer presentations at your conference or festival.
Hospitality Industry Conferences – Potential Topics
  • Beer Translated for Wine Businesses; Wine Translated for Beer Businesses
  • Current and Future Growth Trends: the buzz of craft, local, organic, gluten-free, sour, barrel-aged, session, gypsy beers, and beer cocktails
  • Introduction to craft beer styles, flavors, sales, formats, and glassware
  • Cicerones and Beer Directors: the service and marketability of in-house and consulting experts in retail beer programs
  • Food and Beer Pairing: syncing up your menu, servers, kitchen, and events to capitalize on beer’s role with food
  • Beer Program Best Practices: operations, service, and customer experience
  • Successful Events: keys to tastings, tappings, beer dinners, and more that enhance your hospitality, publicity, and bottom line
Wholesaler Conferences – Potential Topics
  • Current and Future Growth Trends: growing with local, regional, and imported brands
  • Keep Your Accounts: strategies for proactive communication, draft maintenance, food and seasonal beer pairing, and cultivating successful events
  • Food and Beer Pairing: selling to your accounts’ diners, not just their drinkers
  • Product Support Strategies at Chain Stores and Mom and Pops
  • Where Your Beer Stands: understanding your portfolio and your competition’s portfolios
Brewing Industry Conferences – Potential Topics
  • Brewing, Branding, and Marketing to the Culinary Experience
  • Regional Specialties: flavor profiles and brewing techniques for lesser-known Old-World styles
  • To IPA or Not To IPA?: pros, cons, and strategies for riding the IPA wave
  • Time (and Place) in a Bottle: brewing with local ingredients and marketing seasonality and terroir
  • Crafting Flavor and Long-Term Sales with Session Beers
  • Successful Brewpub Events: keys to tastings, tappings, beer dinners, and more that enhance your hospitality, publicity, and bottom line

Food & Beverage Festivals – Potential Topics
  • Farmhouse Beer and Farmhouse Cheeses
  • California Hops, History, Food, and Beer
  • Beyond the Spicy Frontier: new strategies for pairing IPAs prefect with food
  • Pairing Lagers and Food: inventive food pairing strategies beyond German cuisine
  • Aging with Barrels, Staves, and Baseball Bats: the role of wood in sour and non-sour beers

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