DOGFISH HEAD FOUNDER SAM CALAGIONE, LAWSON’S FINEST CEO ADELINE DRUART TO HEADLINE 2026 MBG CON
Dogfish Head Founder, Sam Calagione
Lawson’s Finest CEO, Adeline Druart
Daylong Technical Brewing & Business Conference returns
to Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers in Framingham on Nov. 2
FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — The Mass Brewers Guild (MBG) has announced the speaker lineup for its 2026 Technical Brewing & Business Conference, presented by Allen Craft Beverage Insurance, taking place Monday, Nov. 2, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers in Framingham.
The daylong educational event, known as MBG Con, brings together brewery owners, brewers, production staff, sales and marketing professionals, and other members of the craft beverage industry for workshops, lectures and peer-to-peer learning focused on the challenges and opportunities facing today’s breweries.
Headlining this year’s conference are Sam Calagione, brewer and founder of Dogfish Head, who will deliver the morning keynote, and Adeline Druart, CEO of Lawson’s Finest Liquids, who will deliver the afternoon keynote.
“We have an exceptional lineup of speakers joining us for MBG Con this year, and I’m incredibly proud of the range of experience and expertise represented in this program,” said Katie Stinchon, executive director of the Mass Brewers Guild. “Our goal is to make sure attendees leave with more than inspiration. We want them to walk away with practical ideas, tools and strategies they can bring back to their businesses the very next day. Whether you work in the brewhouse, manage the books, oversee marketing or are trying to figure out how to do all of those things with a small team, there is something here for you.”
Commerce, Creativity and Community
Calagione will open the conference with “Commerce, Creativity, and Community-building,” drawing on more than three decades of building Dogfish Head into one of the country’s best-known craft beer brands.
His keynote will explore the three pillars he believes are essential to creating an enduring brand: commerce, creativity and community-building. Drawing on Dogfish Head’s journey through rapid growth, industry disruption, changing consumer tastes and shifting economic cycles, Calagione will discuss how businesses can embrace creative risk-taking while remaining commercially successful and deeply connected to their communities.
Following the keynote, Matt Gacioch, staff economist for the Brewers Association, will present “The Story of Craft Beer in 2026.” The all-conference session will examine the economic, competitive and consumer trends shaping craft beer nationally, along with where Massachusetts breweries fit within the larger industry picture and the strategic choices brewery owners can make as they prepare for 2027 and beyond.
Practical Tools for Production and Profitability
Attendees can choose between Technical Brewing and Business tracks throughout the day, allowing participants to build an agenda around their role and interests.
The morning Technical Brewing breakout will feature Tom O’Connell of New Belgium Brewing presenting “A Place for Everything: Using 5S to Build a Better Brewery.” O’Connell will introduce the principles of Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize and Sustain and demonstrate how breweries of any size can use the 5S system to improve efficiency, safety, consistency and productivity.
On the Business track, Kary Shumway of Beer Business Finance will present “How to Install a Brewery Financial Operating System: Your 90-Day Action Plan for Profitability.” Attendees will learn how to establish financial and cash-flow targets, create department-level KPIs, run productive weekly financial meetings and build a culture in which managers better understand how their decisions affect the financial health of the business.
Building Businesses That Last
The afternoon keynote will feature Druart presenting “Crafting What Lasts: Lessons from Cheese, Beer and the Business of Purpose.”
Drawing on her journey from intern cheesemaker to president of Vermont Creamery and now CEO of Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Druart will explore the common ingredients behind enduring businesses and brands: purpose, product and people. Her keynote will examine what she has learned about adapting to change, surrounding yourself with strong teams, creating brands people believe in and building businesses positioned to thrive for decades.
From Water Chemistry to Smarter Marketing
The conference will conclude with another set of concurrent Technical Brewing and Business sessions.
The Technical Brewing track will take a deep dive into beer’s most-used ingredient with “Your Main Ingredient: What’s in Your Water?” The presentation and panel will begin with David Coppes, former chief operations officer of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, retired water supply engineer and home brewer, discussing water chemistry, seasonal changes in water profiles and the value of developing a relationship with local water suppliers.
Coppes will then be joined by professional brewers working with different water sources and systems for a discussion of testing, treatment and adjustments used to maintain consistency in the brewhouse. The session will also include an interactive sensory component demonstrating how water chemistry can influence what ultimately ends up in the glass.
On the Business track, Julie Rhodes of Not Your Hobby Marketing will present “S.O.P. It Up: Using a Brand Calendar to Align Sales, Marketing & Taproom Execution.”
Designed specifically for small teams, Rhodes’ session will demonstrate how breweries can coordinate product launches, promotions, social media, events and wholesale outreach using a shared Brand Calendar and free or low-cost tools. She will also explore practical ways breweries can use AI to save time while protecting sensitive business and brand information. Attendees will leave with an editable Brand Calendar template and a repeatable system they can implement at their own businesses.
Registration
MBG Con runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 2, at Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers, 100 Clinton St., Framingham, Mass. A continental breakfast, lunch and happy hour are included with registration.
Early bird pricing through Oct. 26 is $150 for Mass Brewers Guild members and $220 for non-members. After Oct. 26, registration increases to $185 for members and $250 for non-members.
MBG membership includes both brewery members and associate members. Those unsure of their membership status may contact Executive Director Katie Stinchon at katie@massbrewersguild.org.
The 2026 Technical Brewing & Business Conference is presented by Allen Craft Beverage Insurance and made possible with support from Aetna, Bowditch, Country Malt, Cove Risk, Evently, Fat Basset Design, Hart Print, Inovar Packaging Group, InTouch Labels, Jack’s Beverage Co., John I. Haas, Pixels & Pinball, Stone-Leigh Brewery Cleaners, The Richards Group, Title Town Trivia and UCD Law.
These businesses are associate members of the Mass Brewers Guild whose support helps make MBG's educational programming accessible and affordable for its members.
About the Mass Brewers Guild
The Mass Brewers Guild is a nonprofit trade association dedicated to protecting and promoting the interests of craft brewers across Massachusetts. Through advocacy, education, marketing, events and industry resources, the Guild works to strengthen the Commonwealth’s craft beverage community and the businesses that support it.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Katie Stinchon
Executive Director
Mass Brewers Guild
katie@massbrewersguild.org
