Season’s Greetings and a Look Ahead from President & CEO Bart Watson

Happy holidays from all of us at the Brewers Association. As I reflect on my first year as President and CEO, one of the things I'm most thankful for is our committed and engaged membership. It's not hyperbole to say that there is no way we could do what we do without all of you.

As we look back on 2025, I see a year filled with challenges but also resilience. The industry and the economy are changing, perhaps more rapidly than ever, but your breweries are adapting to those changes. It's only fitting that your association change as well, evolving to fit the needs of your businesses today.

We'll continue that evolution in 2026. As we plan for our coming year, our focus is on ways to add tangible value to your business. I hope you'll see that in some of the changes coming next year. Your national conference is going to be shorter and more cost-effective to attend, while hopefully providing more value than ever. Our government affairs team will be focused on ways to save you money and reduce regulatory burdens. Our membership team will work to provide education and benefits that reduce costs or level up your hospitality, brewing, and business in ways that help your bottom line. And we'll continue to evolve the ways we promote beer and neighborhood breweries through our marketing efforts, our competitions, and more.

As we evolve, we hope you'll see the value of being a member of your association grow, and invite you to engage with us in the coming year. Join a committee, attend the hill climb, learn and commune at CBC, or just reach out and let us know what you're thinking or how we can help. We work for you, and I couldn't be more proud to show you all of the ways we plan to do that in the coming year.

Happy holidays and best wishes on a productive 2026!

Cheers,

-Bart