Keynote: Brewing Science—From Enviable Heritage to Impressive Future
Sunday, June 14 • 8:30–10:00 a.m. • Fiesta 3,4,6,8
Brewing can be considered to be the most interesting combination of art, skill, technology, engineering, and science. Despite this, brewers are seldom given credit for their contributions to novel scientific discovery, despite an enviable heritage in this regard. During this presentation, the impact of brewers on some of the most important historical scientific discoveries will be discussed. Many eminent scientists have been attracted to and intrigued by key brewing challenges and this presentation will explore what future challenges drive these individuals towards our sector. Insights into the future of brewing science and engineering will be discussed.
Katherine Smart, SABMiller PLC, SABMiller House, Church Street West Woking, Surrey GU21 6HS, England
Katherine A. Smart completed a B.S. degree (hons) in biological sciences at Nottingham University and was awarded the Rainbow Research Scholarship to complete a Ph.D. degree in brewing yeast and fermentation at Bass Brewers, Burton-on-Trent. This was where her passion for brewing science began. She has held fellowships and academic positions at the University of Cambridge, Oxford Brookes University, and most recently at the University of Nottingham, where she was the SABMiller professor of brewing science. Katherine cites as her achievements the founding of the National Brewing Library at Oxford Brookes University and the Bioenergy and Brewing Science Centre at the University of Nottingham. During her academic career Katherine has received several awards for her research, including the Institute of Brewing and Distilling Cambridge Prize (1999), the prestigious Royal Society Industrial Fellowship (2001–2003), an Enterprise Fellowship (2002), and the Save British Science Award at the Houses of Parliament in the UK (2003). In 2012, she joined SABMiller as group chief brewer. She also holds a professorial role at the University of Nottingham. Katherine is a Fellow of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling, the Royal Society of the Arts, Manufacturing and Commerce, and the Society of Biology. She has served as Council and Board member for the IBD, was International Director for the ASBC, and is a longstanding member of the MBAA. She has published extensively, with more than 100 publications in brewing.
Guest Speaker Session: Why Should Anyone Care About Quality Beer?
Monday, June 15 • 4:15–5:00 p.m. • Fiesta 3,4,6,8
Chris Swersey, Brewers Association
Today’s alcohol drinker has more beverage type and brand choices than ever before. Competition for share of stomach and share of dollars means that only the strongest will survive; brewers who ignore customer expectations do so at their peril. Fulfilling drinker quality expectations is essential for the long-term health of beer as a beverage and for individual beer brands. Brewers large and small have unique needs and means of satisfying those expectations. Communicating the quality imperative to motivate brewers and providing the right tools to help individual brewers measure quality progress are critical to keeping beer, breweries, and their brands competitive. In this standalone session, invited speaker Chris Swersey, technical brewing projects manager and competition manager for the Brewers Association, will address the craft brewer mindset, identity, and needs as they pertain to overall beer quality.
Closing Session: Sensory Thinking: An Essential Element to Innovation
Wednesday, June 17 • 4:15–5:00 p.m. • Fiesta 3,4,6,8
Innovation is a core value and primary growth driver for The E&J Gallo Winery. This has been critical to growth, particularly in the last ten years, as the winery has innovated throughout the business to deliver brands and products on a global basis that delight consumers. “Sensory thinking” is one of the essential fuels to this continuous fire of innovation. Thinking about your business in terms of the sensory experience for your consumers, shoppers, products, and processes is something that every person in the audience can practice and instill in their own company. We will explore the possibilities of reach and impact by discussing five core principles to enable innovation through sensory thinking!
Anna Roberts, E. & J. Gallo Winery
Anna Roberts is the director of winestyle and product guidance with E. & J. Gallo Winery since 2005. She oversees the consumer and product research (wine and spirits) that provides the portfolio strategy for the company’s entire product line. Previously, she led all aspects of sensory and consumer research in the development of new products for PepsiCo Beverages and Foods. Roberts has an M.S. degree from Kansas State University and a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. Her area of specialization was sensory science with supporting courses in marketing research and statistics.
