Everything You Need to Know About The Roles and Benefits of The Brewers Association

Have you ever considered the benefits of belonging to the Brewers Association in your business as a brewer? The journey to business expansion for you can be exciting and challenging but also lonely. By joining a network of like minds, you can leverage their influence and resources towards the path of success in a competitive industry.  From protecting your interest, to connecting you with top industry influencers, a brewers association can play a major role in your destiny as a successful brewer.

The Brewers Association is a non-profit trade association committed to protecting the interests of brewers and brewery enthusiasts. The body hosts over 5,000 brewery members and about 40,000 members of the American Homebrewers Association. The network also extends to distributors, retailers, institutions, and staff.

There’s a lot your business can benefit by joining today.

Roles and Benefits of The Brewers Association: Why You Need to Join

Member Advocacy

One of the reasons you should join an association is to ensure your interests are well represented. When government regulations strike hard, the Brewers Association will defy all odds to support all state guilds nationally in Washington DC. Thus, when decisions that affect the industry are made, you can rest assured that your brewery will enjoy the rewards.

For example, the United States Congress passed a bill in 2017 that defined a two-year provision to the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act (CBMTRA). The legislation sought to reduce the federal excise tax (FET) for wineries, breweries, and other industry players for two years.

Again, the strategic approach and planning the Brewers Association adopts in influencing government decisions is applaudable. For instance, a political committee is set up encouraging members to support public office candidates who have the industry’s interests at heart.

Fortunately, when these efforts of advocacy are aggregated, the impact is felt nationally, with each brewery benefiting from the ripple effect. Also, the Brewery Association is instrumental in educating members of Congress on your behalf.  While your voice might not reach DC, the association is busy helping Congress members understand the implications of their legislation on budding and independent brewers.

Sustaining the Industry’s Best Practices  

It’s not all about brewing great beer. When it comes to running a successful beer business, the customer and social experience are key.  When you join the Brewers Association, you will have unlimited access to industry insights that can benefit your business. Today, safety, sustainability, and diversity are reshaping the art of business in the 21st century.

Your brewing practices should adopt the industry’s health and safety standards for your employees and brewery facilities. By considering sustainability, you understand how your business position on issues like climate change, waste management, and production choices can affect your brand.

Also, the principles of diversity and inclusion are very powerful factors in customer experience and brand acceptance. How do you know your brand welcomes all races and identities? Do your brand position and customer service reflect these values?

Periodically, members of the Brewers Association are exposed to exclusive content and conferences to help them understand critical industry trends.

Network Opportunities

The art of craft brewing requires a lot of learning and craftsmanship. It is with this insight that the Brewers Association organizes conferences, puts on forums, and even releases publications to inform members on the best practices. So by becoming a member, you enjoy discounts on event tickets and access to publications. What’s more? These events open you to a world of opportunities where you can network with fellow brewers, influencers, and top industry players.

Supply Chain Health

As a brewer, your craft doesn’t just begin in the brewery. The process is kick-started in farms, on the tables of agricultural partners, and with other key policymakers. How do you know the decision processes in each of these chains do not affect your production cost and livelihood?

Gladly, the Brewers Association can be an intermediary on your behalf in these background processes. From sponsoring groundbreaking research, to facilitating partnerships with agricultural stakeholders, your access to brewing ingredients is not cut short.

Quality Assurance

Standing out from the crowd is not an easy decision in business, especially with the unending competition. But you can easily maintain quality standards with a BA membership. With access to an unlimited supply of educational resources, you can retain your customers by improving the level of your craft and production standards.

Moreover, it is less difficult to navigate the industry’s standards with access to the right quality programs that influence your maintenance and safety culture.

How to Join a Brewers Association

All the benefits of the Brewers Association outlined above are only open to members of the BA. Hence, your decision to become a member can impact your business for the long term.

• To join, all you need do is visit the Brewers Association official website.
• Select your membership typem and complete the registration.

Choosing Your Membership Type

The membership types define the various privileges, benefits, and fees of various members of the BA.

The Brewery

Starting from $195 per annum, this membership is open to breweries who require exposure, essential resources, and support for sustainable business growth.

The Brewery in Planning

This also goes for $195 per annum. Intending breweries can access the resources, tools, and support needed to launch their brewery or brewpub.

The Allied Trade

At $495 per annum, this membership grants you exposure and access to a community of craft brewing experts. You can enrich your network, create productive relationships with influencers, and earn a discount on registrations to BA events.

The Distributor

$395 per annum makes you a distributor, where you enjoy access to industry insights, evolving trends, and beneficial business opportunities in the craft beer market.

The Craft Beer Retailer

For $195 per annum, the retailer enjoys the luxury of engaging with major customers, industry stakeholders, executives, and other players and key partners in the chain of distributive trade brewers, who are members of the BA.

The Individual

From $175 per annum, individual membership is beneficial for enthusiasts, students, researchers, and media practitioners whose affairs revolve around the activities of the industry.

The Educational Institution

At $495 per annum, this membership would help educational institutions harness the BA’s industry expertise to design exciting brewing programs for schools.

It’s time to upgrade your brewery to the next level. Joining the BA can yield great returns for your craft and business in the long run. As the industry keeps changing, it is essential that you are aligned with the trendsetters. You can take your time to visit the BA website to get started.