Convention – American Craft Spirits Association

ACSA CONVENTION

Developed for the community of craft spirits producers, the ACSA Distillers’ Convention and Vendor Trade Show brings together distillers and suppliers to harness the energy of the industry. In the past years, ACSA has educated 1000s to strengthen the safety and prosperity of the trade and has provided a platform to network and explore products and services from our suppliers. See what convention is upcoming and take a peek at what you might have missed.

WHAT: ACSA’s 9th Annual Distillers’ Convention and Vendor Trade Show

WHEN: July 21-24

WHERE: New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center

HOST HOTEL: Hilton New Orleans Riverside

Quick Links

Convention Schedule

Convention Registration

Additional Events

Hotel Reservations & Convention Mobile App

Convention Schedule

This year, we’ll have three concurrent education tracks (technical, sales/marketing, and business/finance) in three difficulty levels (advanced, intermediate, and suitable for all).

(Adv) – Advanced
(Int) – Intermediate
(All) – Suitable for All

WEDNESDAY, JULY 20TH
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM	Pre-Convention Master Class: New Distillery Start-Up 101*
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM	Distillery Tour*
THURSDAY, JULY 21ST
8:00 AM – 4:00 PM	Vendor Set-Up
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM	Pre-Convention Master Class: New Distillery Start-Up 101* (Continued)
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM	Committee Meeting
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM	U.S. Gin Association
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM	American Single Malt Whiskey Commission
3:00 PM – 3:55 PM	Perspectives on the Art of Blending – Nora Ganley-Roper (Lost Lantern Whiskey), Jared Himstedt (Balcones Distilling), Joe O’Sullivan (Clear Creek Distillery/Hood River Distillers), Dave Smith (St. George Spirits) (Int)	USBG Presentation	Selecting the Best – Kamilah Mahon (Distill Ventures) (All)
3:00 PM – 5:00 PM	TTB Boot Camp
4:00 PM – 4:55 PM	Making Flavor-Driven Production Decisions: Practical Sensory Methods for Distillers – Lindsay Barr (DraughtLab) (Int)	Tasting Room Panel –Jamie Hunt (Fast Penny Spirits), Ashton Johnson (Cedar Ridge Distillery), and Jennifer Sabatino (Manatawny Still Works), Moderated by Amber Pollock (Backwards Distilling Co.) (All)	Workplace Harassment in Distilleries (and Elsewhere) – Rob Pinson/Aron Karabel (Waller Law) (All)
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM	Keynote Address, Distilling Better Mental Health & Crafting Support in Volatile Times, Presented by Matt Vogel & Town Hall
TBA – 9:00 PM	Welcome Party
FRIDAY, JULY 22ND
8:00 AM – 12:00 PM	Vendor Set-Up
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM	Mix & Mingle: New Members/First Time Attendee Morning Coffee & Beignets Klatch
10:00 AM – 10:55 AM	Responding to the Poor 2021 Malting Barley Harvest: Tying Analytical Observations to Impacts in the Distillery – Gabe Toth (The Family Jones), Harmonie Bettenhausen (Hartwick College for Craft Food and Beverage) (Adv)	Build the Brand Organically: Plowing Through the Drudgery of Sales – (All)	Managing the Finance & Accounting Function at a Craft Distillery – Tyee Carr (Westward Whiskey) (All)
11:00 AM – 11:55 AM	Barrel Aging Techniques and Special Considerations – (Adv)	Designing an Engaging & Profitable Club Program – Theresa Dorr (Vino Shipper) (All)	TTB Reporting 101 – Caroline Calhoun (FIVE x 5 Solutions) (All)
12:00 PM – 6:00 PM	Vendor Trade Show Open
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM	Lunch
4:00 PM – 4:55 PM	Ester Overexpressing Yeast Offering Innovative Highly Flexible Use for New Trendy Spirits Distilled on Lees – (Int)	How To Organize and Run a Successful Spirits Festival – (All)	Developing Liqueurs To Increase Market Share and Tell Your Brand’s Story – Will Groves (Maggie’s Farm Rum) (Int)
4:55 PM – 5:15 PM	Break
5:00 PM – 5:55 PM	Developing a Cannabis Beverage Business Plan – (All)	Bar-ify Your Tasting Room – (All)	Valuing Your Craft Distillery – Donald Snyder (Time and Tasks) (Adv)
6:00 PM – 6:55 PM	Distillery Wastewater: How To Keep It Clean – (All)	Marketing on a Shoestring: How Local Engagement Can Save Your Business – Meagen Moreland-Taliancich/Ash Easterly (Happy Raptor) (All)	How To Survive an ABC Hearing – Ryan Malkin (Malkin Law), Teri Quimby (Former State Regulator, Michigan) (Adv)
7:30 PM – 9:00 PM	ACSA PAC Fundraiser
SATURDAY, JULY 23RD
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM	State Guild Roundtable Discussing Important State Initiatives
10:00 AM – 10:55 AM	A Look at Current and Future Sustainable Fermentations – Annick Mercier/Mitch Codd (Lallemand) (Int)	Distributor Management Practices – Andy Mansinne/Joe Karcz (Brand Elixir Partnership) (Adv)	Financial Implications of Energy Conservation –Patrick Kelty (VITOK Engineers) (Int)
11:00 AM – 11:55 AM	A Look at Current and Future Sustainable Fermentations (Cont.) – Annick Mercier/Mitch Codd (Lallemand) (Int)	Build Your Export Sales With USDA Funding – Ron Tanner (Tanner Food Group/Food Export Midwest/Northeast) (Adv)	Interacting With Elected Representatives/Effective Legislation – P.T. Wood (Wood’s High Mountain Distillery) and Mark Shilling (Big Thirst) (All)
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM	Lunch Inside Vendor Trade Show
12:00 PM – 4:30 PM	Vendor Trade Show Open
4:45 PM – 5:40 PM	How To Win Awards – (All)	5 Tips To Use Data To Get Better ROI for Marketing – Matt McGinnis and Wylie Donoho (Big Thirst) (Int)	Business Lessons From the M&A Process: How To Set Yourself Up for Continued Success (or a Successful Exit) – Corey Day/Craig Pacheco (Stoel Rives), Taylor Marsh (Bank of Montreal) (All)
4:45 PM – 8:00 PM	Vendor Break Down
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM	Pre-Soiree Happy Hour
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM	Spirits Soiree: Awards Dinner and Banquet
9:00 PM – 10:30 PM	Sips of Award Winning Spirits
SUNDAY, JULY 24TH
8:00 AM – 12:00 PM	Vendor Break Down
9:00 AM – 10:30 AM	Coffee + Breakfast
10:00 AM – 10:55 AM	Developing a Strategy To Operate Your Distillery Safely – Gary Yurt (Industrial Safety and Training Services) (All)	Direct-to-Consumer Spirits Shipping: Key Compliance Considerations – Alex Koral (Sovos Shipcompliant) (All)	Leadership & Culture: Soft Skills for Strong Businesses – Courtney McKee (Headframe Spirits) (Int)
11:00 AM – 11:55 AM	Understanding Sprinkler Protection and Water Supply – Michael Reardon (Reardon Fire Consulting) (All)	Email Performance Marketing: The Cornerstone of Scaling Online – (All)	How To Train Your Distillery – Derek Sproveri (Wyoming Whiskey) (Int)
12:00 PM – 12:55 PM	Risk Mitigation and Uptime Solution: Lightning Protection 101 – Michael Boyd (Bonded Lighting Protection Systems, Ltd.) (All)	How to Design, Build and Open a Tasting Room – (All)	Leader As Coach: How To Bring Out the Best in Your People – (Int)
3:00 PM – 7:00 PM	Hands-On Distilling Tour

*Additional Fee

Convention schedule is subject to changes.

Attendee Registration

General Pricing Now Until July 8

Member Attendee: $650
Additional Member Attendees (from same distillery): $450 per person
Day Pass*: $225 per person

*does not include education sessions. Spirits Soiree: Dinner & Awards Banquet is an additional fee

ACSA members must be logged into ACSA’s website to receive discounted attendee pricing. If you have trouble logging into your ACSA account please contact Carason Lehmann at carason@americancraftspirits.org.

General Pricing Now Until July 8

Non-Member Attendee: $875
Additional Member Attendees (from same distillery): $525 per person
Day Pass*: $275 per person

*does not include education sessions. Spirits Soiree: Dinner & Awards Banquet is an additional fee

Non-Member Convention Registration

Non-Member Saturday ONLY Day Pass

Health & Safety Protocols

We will be following CDC and state guidelines.

Exhibitor Registration

General Exhibitor Pricing Now Until June 27

10×10 (single booth) – $2,099
10×20 (double booth) – $3,450

As a reminder, ACSA affiliate members receive a 10% discount on their vendor trade show booth. If you have any questions regarding exhibitor registration or need the discount code, please contact Ashley Guillermo at ashley@americancraftspirits.org or 702-301-7802.

Click Here to Exhibit

Click Here for Exhibitor Kit

Sponsorship Opportunities

These sponsorship opportunities were designed to amplify your business presence, enhance your brand image, expand business opportunities and more. Connect, inspire, and create lasting relationships. All packages will be customized to meet your specific marketing objectives and offer unparalleled convention exposure and return on your investment.

Click Here to View Opportunities

New Distillery Start-Up 101 Pre-Convention Class

Join seasoned members of the craft spirits community as they highlight technical/distilling, business/finance, and sales/marketing content geared toward those just starting out. This two-day class will address topics including basic distillery safety; equipment selection; oak extraction and aging; material selection; flavor chemistry and biochemistry; pros and cons of tasting rooms; working with distributors; building a sales team; general business management; and MUCH MORE!

Member Rate: $399

Non-Member Rate: $799

When: Wednesday, July 20 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm & Thursday, July 21 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm

ACSA members must be logged into ACSA’s website to receive discounted attendee pricing. If you have trouble logging into your ACSA account please contact Carason Lehmann at carason@americancraftspirits.org.

Non-Member Registration

Pre-Convention Distillery Tour

On Wednesday, July 20, you’ll get a taste of the Bayou State on ACSA’s pre-convention distillery tour as we spend a full day exploring some of the area’s best distilleries. The distilleries include Three Roll Estate + Alma General Store, Sugarfield Spirits, and Porchjam Distillery.

Non-Member Registration

Hands-On Distilling Tour

On Sunday, July 24, we’re offering a hands-on distilling tour called, “A Foray into Flavor”, where we’ll be discussing how distillers approach creating flavorful spirits; touching on barrel aging, vapor distillation, and maceration/infusions. The distilleries include Roulaison Distilling Co., Porchjam Distillery, and Happy Raptor Distilling.

Non-Member Registration

Hotel Room Block

Stay in downtown New Orleans at ACSA’s host hotel, Hilton New Orleans Riverside hotel, and enjoy the prime location on the banks of the Mississippi River, adjacent to New Orleans Convention Center and steps from the French Quarter. Stay in a spacious guest room with views of the vibrant city or relaxing riverfront. Secure your reservations early, as the last day to book is June 20th.

ACSA does NOT use third parties to reserve or book hotel rooms for our annual convention.

Reserve Your Room

Download ACSA's Convention Mobile App

In an effort to be more eco-friendly, we are no longer printing our convention program which outlines the convention schedule. We will be relying solely on the convention mobile app. Plan your day with a personalized schedule; read session descriptions and presenter bios; browse vendors; check out recommended restaurants; and find your way around using maps of convention venues and hotel floor plans.

Download ACSA’s New Orleans app by scanning the QR code or clicking the link below. If you’ve already downloaded the app, click the icon in the upper lefthand corner and click ‘yes’ to switch event. From the homepage, click ACSA Annual Convention 2022.

Please note, we will be constantly updating the app.

Reserve Your Room