Festivals can be an opportunity for growing your brewery and brand on your home turf and to fuel expansion into new markets. In this guide you will learn: -3 tactics to effectively grab attendees attention and get more people to your booth -How to create a cheat sheet and set your pourers up to turn attendees into fans and customers -Specific tactics to engage attendees on social media so you keep them involved long after the festival ends -The best giveaways to not only help attendees remember you, but tell their friends -How to keep in touch with attendees and turn one time tasters into brand advocates Brought to you by http://theportablebarcompany.com/

2. TABLE OF CONTENTS
Grab their attention ........................ 6
Start the conversation .................... 11
Create an interactive engagement .. 14
Give’em something to remember
you ................................................ 19
Keep in touch ................................ 24

3. As beer festivals continue to gain
popularity, more and more craft brewers
are using them to expose their brand to
new markets and grow their brewery.
Trouble is, some brewers have found beer
festivals to be less effective in introducing the
brand to new customers. Even worse, beer
festivals are either offering less
compensation for product poured or even
asking brewers to give their beer away for
free.
It’s no wonder that a lot of smaller brewers
are scaling back on festivals.
The truth is, beer festivals are an excellent
venue to market your product, meet your
fans and customers, and ultimately, fuel your
brewery’s growth and expansion.

4. that will turn beer festivals
from a “marketing expense”
into a powerful and
effective source of
growth for your brewery.

5. Once you put these to use you will:
Get more people to your booth
Create memorable experiences that turn
attendees into loyal customers
Turn customers into “raving fans” (that
do your marketing for you!)

6. 1
Grab Their Attention
Make your Booth the Talk of the Festival
Is Your Booth Generating Buzz?
A festival may be host to up to 50 breweries or more, and
each brewery pours at least two beers. It’s easy for
attendees get lost. Your first goal is to make sure attendees
get your booth so you can turn them into raving fans.

7. Signage
For outdoor festivals, tents are often a bring-your-own commodity. Make
yours easy to locate. Purchase a brightly colored or patterned tent (so
long as it doesn’t clash with your branding colors). If you’d rather not
have your name printed directly on the tent, invest in an all-weather
banner, table cover, and potentially a jockey box cover. You want
people to easily identify your brand. Large letters or a large logo are
the way to go.
Outgoing Pourers
Smile! Say hello! Welcome attendees to the event and invite them over to
try your product. They’re overwhelmed with stimuli and could use some
friendly coaxing and conversation. A friendly greeting and invitation
to try your brew is all it takes to turn a passerby into a taster.

8. Prime Location
The locale of your booth is often a factor out of your control, but it’s
important to work with what you’re given. If tucked away in a corner, this
is where bold, colorful signage works to your advantage.
It doesn’t hurt to ask event coordinators ahead of time for a particular
location. If you RSVP to the festival quickly, you’ll have a better
chance of getting a good location and festival organizers will be
more likely to help you. If you’re a late entry, chances are, the map has
already been laid out.
Every festival has it’s own flow. This is dependent upon the venue and
the festival’s size. In general, the bigger the festival, the more valuable a
booth location is. If you want to be the first brewery
the attendees lay eyes on, you will most likely
want to be near the entrance. However, just
because you will be mobbed in the
beginning, doesn’t mean attendees will
remember to return later or remember

9. you when they leave. You also don’t want to be hidden behind a crowd of
people the second the doors open.
The restrooms are rarely thought of as a glamorous hangout, but nearly
everyone will be headed there at some point. They’ll probably empty their
sampling glass before and be eager for another beer once reemerging
into the festival.
If the festival has food, locations near the food stalls can be great choices.
After grabbing a burger, they’ll be parched. Reel them in and quench their
thirst!
Sear Your Booth’s Location
into Attendees Minds
When you’re chatting with your audience, before they leave your booth to
meet another brewery, remind them of your booth’s location so you’re
easy to find as the festival progresses and they can return to continue the
conversation and enjoy another pour.

10. If you’re exploring the festival yourself, make sure you’re
representing your brewery somehow (brewery t-shirt or
hat) and let attendees who haven’t tried your beer
know where your booth is. Reference memorable
landmarks so they don’t forget: “Take a left by the
human chess board and look for our slightly obnoxious
red banner on the right.”
RECAP
SIGNAGE
You want people to easily identify
your brand
OUTGOING POURERS
Welcome attendees to the event and
invite them over to try your product.
PRIME LOCATION
If you RSVP to the festival quickly, you’ll
have a better chance of getting a good
location
SEAR YOUR BOOTHS LOCATION
INTO ATTENDEES MINDS
Remind them of your booth’s location so
they can return.

11. 2
Start the Conversation
Get ‘em Hooked on your Brand
You Gotta Give Before You Get
There will be beer snobs, beer novices, and there may be
people who’d rather be somewhere else (the horror!). You need
to be able to cater to all. And a, “Huh? Oh, I don’t know. I just
volunteer,” is the response from hell. Educate your pourers!
Many guests have ventured to the festival to find a new favorite
beer or learn about beer in general. By seeking out those
who are genuinely curious and feeding their curiosity,
you’re engaging the people most likely to turn into
longtime customers (and eventually brand advocates that
spread the word for you!)

12. 1
Use a Cheat Sheet
2
Don’t Be Afraid
to Have a Bit of Fun
For each beer poured, share the style, ABV, and where the beer
can be purchased locally. People may also want to know hop and
grain origin, brewing style, and original gravity. Make sure there
is an arsenal of brand knowledge handy for your servers; a
cheat sheet with the above data points should do just fine.
While some are there to learn, others may have purchased a
ticket just to get drunk with their friends. The best way to handle
this crowd is to have fun. Oftentimes the memories that stick out
through the haze are the funny conversations. Don’t be afraid to
have a little fun and keep yourself from getting annoyed.

13. How a Dirty Women’s Tank
Top Led to Positive
Exposure
There will be spills and there will be slobs. If a guest spills his or
her beer onto merchandise, take the loss and create a gain. At a
festival a few years ago, I saw two female reps dare a guy to wear
the tank top he’d spilt beer on for the remainder of the session.
It was a win-win for everyone. The girls utilized a damaged piece
of merchandise and gained extra exposure for the brand. The
crowd loved it and the stunt attracted additional guests to the
brewery’s booth. And, the participant scored a free (women’s)
shirt.

14. 3
Create an Interactive
Engagement
Reel in Attendees Hand Over Fist
Create MEMORABLE experiences
Engage your audience so they won’t forget you after last call.
In-person engagement and conversation, be it at your
brewpub, beer dinners or at beer festivals, is one of the
best opportunities to convert the curious into customers.

15. Build Personal
Relationships
A common interest has delivered your target
audience directly to you. Connect over it. Talk
beer. Empower your audience by valuing their
opinion. Personal connections and stories
create a narrative and story about your
brewery and brand that’s far more powerful
than just good beer.
Save Thousands by
Leveraging In-Person
Feedback
Use the feedback you get to your advantage.
Major companies pay thousands for market
research. A beer festival is an excellent
opportunity to conduct your own research
for free. A brief chat with one guest can be
insightful. Imagine what 1,500 one-on-one
engagements could tell you.

16. If you’re planning to expand your merchandise catalog or
introduce a new beer, ask tasters for their input. Which color
shirt do they prefer? What’s their favorite style of beer? What
kind of beer is the market lacking?
Take note of what people like and don’t like about your beer.
Pay special attention to how they describe the beer. That
language is ideal to reuse in your marketing.
Don’t forget, people like talking about themselves and giving
their opinions. By engaging them, they’ll leave with a much
better impression of your brand.
“Crush it” with Social Media
Social Media is an
incredibly powerful
tool for keeping
attendees engaged
long after they leave the festival. Make it easy and actively
encourage attendees to connect with you.

17. 6 Sound Social Media Marketing
Practices:
1. Use QR Codes to connect. Use the code to drive
attendees to your website, Facebook page, or an email
newsletter signup form so you can stay in touch.
2. Encourage guests to check-in at your booth via
Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
3. Develop a hashtag and encourage your audience to get it
trending throughout the day. For example, on Twitter, ask
guests to tag your brewery in their post with the
accompanying hashtag phrase “#aperfectdayforabeer.” The
line may trend and even capture attention from Twitter fans in
the area that aren’t even at the festival!
4. Post photos via Instagram or Facebook. Include the event’s
name as a hashtag to track where you’ve been, too. Invite
guests to jump in, and ask if they’d like to be tagged. If you
keep showing up, curiosity alone will make sure anyone
watching their social media feeds will have to check out
your booth.

18. 6. Thank guests for a social media shout-out with a free koozie
or other piece of swag. Not only does it leave them feeling
good about your brew, it’s free advertising to their friends online and off.
Can Pick-up Lines Sell Beer?
Hold your own small-scale competition. This could
work just as well at a bar promotion or in-house
brewery event. What do people do at bars (and
beer festivals for that matter)? Meet people!
Hold a competition for the best pick-up line. Post
the winning lines on your social media outlets. Winners receive
a free t-shirt or pint glass and bragging rights. You may be out
$1.25 - $5.50 for the merchandise at cost, but you will have
created a memorable experience for the participants, gained
attention on the web, and hey, you may even learn a new
pick-up line.

19. 4
Give ‘em Something to
Remember You
Avoid the One Night (or Afternoon) Stand
How Many Attendees Think of You the
Day AFTER the Festival?
The biggest fear for most brewers at festivals is being
forgotten. The last thing you want is someone to say
the next day, “Yeah, that beer was awesome! What
was the name of that brewery again?”
Once the beer goggle vision fades away, don’t let you
beer and booth fade away too.

21. Abandon Hope All Ye
Who Still Use Business Cards
Treat your merchandise - giveaways and paid - as a business card
replacement.
Include your brewery name and a big logo or memorable,
cheeky tagline
Include some a call-to-action like a website or QR code that lets
people connect
Include your contact info - web address and a physical brewery
address if you have one
Save Cash, Spend Creativity
Giveaways need not be four-color, vinyl masterpieces. Two-tone can be
ust as effective and far more affordable. What people will really
remember is the creativity you put into the merchandise.
Let’s talk coasters. They are two-sided, so there are opportunities to

22. deliver two different messages. You can create a game by flipping the
coaster like a coin. One side could read “next round on me” while the
other is “next round on you.”
You’d be shocked the places people think to stick stickers.
Magnets are great and often wind up on display on the fridge. (You know,
that place where people keep the beer!)
Bottle caps are great collectibles. Some caps have puzzles on the
underside, like pictionary.
Bottle openers, especially the type that go on key chains, are
relatively cheap, last years, and serve as a constant reminder
every time someone starts their car or opens their door.
Are Your Giveaways Ending up in
Drawers or on Display?
Brewery memorabilia collectible clubs are an international market and
shared hobby for many beer lovers. Would any of your current
merchandise offerings fit in? Collectors proudly display their collection

23. which amounts to a nice little in home endorsement of your brewery!
Whether it’s a high-quality piece of merchandise or something unique and
catchy because of the tagline or design, brand yourself to stand out. If
you’re going for quality, order a small run of really nice neon signs.
Increase the demand by offering a limited availability. This will also help
keep your overhead costs down. Vintage designs are popular and fit the
‘memorabilia’ mold. Before you know it, people will be trading your bottle
caps and buying sleeves of coasters.
When you’re ordering merchandise - think of items you have around your
own home or something you are always looking for. Think functionality.
Let’s take a barbeque for example. What do you need to host one? A
bottle opener for the beers, koozies to keep the bottles cold. A portable
cooler to transport or keep the drinks nearby. How about a spatula to flip
the burgers or an apron for the master chef? By focusing on functional
items, you’ll make sure people will keep using them (and thinking
of you) for months or years to come. Bonus if it’s something they
use at public get togethers!

24. 5
Keep in Touch
Create Raving Fans
Are People RAVING about your Brewery?
How do you properly follow-up after a job interview? A
thank you note (or e-mail) of course! While you probably
can’t get the personal, the small extra effort to thank
your customers, old and new, and treat them like a
new pal pays off HUGE in the long run.
If you can get them raving about your brew and
brand. They won’t only become loyal customers,
they’ll become brand advocates that do your
marketing for you.

25. Leave a newsletter sign-up sheet at your booth with space for their
name and email address. Once you have captured an email address,
you can begin putting together an online fanbase. As an incentive to get
people to sign up, choose one name at random per session to receive a
gift certificate to your brewpub or merchandise catalog. Offer people on
your mailing list exclusive invitations and offers to upcoming
events. This can be a great way to promote on-premise events on
otherwise slow nights!
Post photos from your booth to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Post a short video clip of reps pouring guests a beer or capture
attendees reactions to your product to Vine or Instagram.
Prompt guests to follow you on Twitter or Facebook so they can see
pictures of themselves (everyone loves a bit of flattery). When you post,
try to stir up some conversation and interaction. Pose a question or offer

26. a prize. For example, the tenth person to comment wins a free t-shirt.
The more you appear on your customer’s newsfeed, the more
in-tune and connected with your brand they feel.
Encourage fans to tag your brewery and post photos of themselves
enjoying your beer wherever they are - at the lake, on the beach, at a
ball game. Retweet or share their photo to your other fans.
Remember those bottle caps? For people who uncover a cap with a
specific logo on the underside of the cap, have them snap a photo and
share it. Winners receive a free dinner or private brewery tour within the
next calendar year.
Ask attendees to track your beer via free smartphone apps like
Untappd or Beer Citizen. Untappd allows users to check-in with where
and what they’re drinking at the moment. It also allows users to rate the
product. Beer Citizen takes the rating a step further and allows users to
rate beers specifically with aroma, flavor, and other factors. There’s not a
whole lot that’s more convincing than a host of favorable customer
reviews.

27. Keep ‘em in the Know - Create a Passionate
Fan Club
Keep the people that follow you in the loop with brewery news and
updates. Offer discounts and exclusive event invitations. They’ll feel like a
million, and you’ll have gained a new lifetime customer, one festival at a
time.
Newsletter & Post-Worthy Ideas
Brewery news - Are you expanding? Has your brewpub’s menu
changed recently? Any new hires or exciting people news such
as a birth or marriage? If it’s something you’d be comfortable
sharing with a friend of a friend, consider sharing it with your
customers. People love to be in the know.
Discounts - Run a special sale on t-shirts, tank tops, and bottle
openers over a long Memorial Day weekend to welcome the
warm weather. Only share within your fanbase and require a
specific code or phrase for the discount to be applied.
Events - What other beer festivals will you be attending this
month? Next month? Share your calendar.

28. Beer Festival
Give your attention, fresh product, brand knowledge
and yes, swag. Take the value of a small-scale market
research experiment and use the results for future
product and marketing development.

29. 1
Grab their attention
2
Start the conversation
3
Create an interactive engagement
Use a colorful tent or a large branded sign to stand out
Have your reps engage the crowd and start the conversation
If possible, request a prime spot near a communal mark at the
festival (i.e. near the food)
Educate your pourers with an arsenal of brand knowledge,
specifically about the beers they are pouring
Be prepared to turn “spilt beer” into a marketable opportunity
Connect with social media by posting photos and asking
attendees to hop in the picture; tag them if they give you
permission
Thank festival-goers with free swag for checking-in at your
booth
Conduct a live survey for any upcoming brewery initiatives
- new t-shirt color or new winter beer style

30. 4
Give’em something to remember you
5
Keep in touch
Think pocket-sized and functional with stickers, magnets,
double-sided coasters, BBQ essentials
Treat the giveaways like a business card by including all the info
someone would need to reach you - website, physical
address, etc.
Ask your guests to stay in touch by signing up for a newsletter
or following you via social media
Keep your fanbase in-the-know with brewery news and
upcoming events
Offer members-only discounts and invitations
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If you have any feedback or want to talk more - email me at
taylor@theportablebarcompany.