The National Beer Wholesalers Association’s Building Relationships and Empowering Women (BREW) initiative and the Alliance for Women in Beer co-hosted the largest Making Moves to-date, as more than 430 attendees joined the two-day event to gain valuable leadership skills and celebrate women’s important role in the beverage industry.

Making Moves is centered around women in beer, offering dynamic and relevant content to help attendees elevate their careers, forge meaningful connections and get fresh perspectives on today’s biggest industry issues.

“Since we launched Making Moves three years ago, it has rapidly grown into a must-attend event for beverage professionals in all stages of their careers,” said Kim McKinnish, NBWA chief operating officer who leads the BREW and Alliance programs, in a statement. “Women and men alike come to Making Moves to find connection, career development and timely industry insights they can’t find anywhere else. We’re thrilled about the overwhelming response to this year’s event and look forward to continuing to deliver a world-class experience for beverage leaders.”

Former CEO of Barstool Sports, Erika Ayers Badan, kicked off the event with an electric keynote about how to set your career up for success. "I’m a huge proponent of failure,” Badan stated. “If you are constantly putting yourself in a place where you’re uncomfortable and learning how to fail and get back up — it trains you to handle a lot."

The event featured a star-studded lineup of speakers from across the beer and beverage industry:    

•    Jenn Litz-Kirk, Beer Business Daily

•    Merrilee Kick, BuzzBallz and Southern Champion

•    JB Ryan, Molson Coors

•    Brittany Crosby, Walgreens

•    Kimberly James, bp

•    Sofia Colucci, Molson Coors

•    Dr. Cynthia Bentzen-Mercer, Zeal of the Heel

•    Kimberly Rath, Zeal of the Heel

•    Laura Merritt, Diageo Beer Co.

•    Laurel Patrick Slick, Reyes Beverage Group

•    Portia Dowell-Simmons, Glazer’s Beer and Beverage

•    Connie Kim, Heineken USA

•    Tandy Harvey, Breakthru Beverage California

•    Sinead Carey, Breakthru Beverage California

•    Bridget Smith, Origlio Beverage

•    Natalie Burbidge, Constellation Brands

•    Stacey Karczewski, Mark Anthony Brewing Inc.

•    Colleen Lucas, Anheuser-Busch

•    Erica Taylor, Boston Beer Co.

•    Rosalie Kennedy, Athletic Brewing Co.

•    Whitney Stevenson, JuneShine

At Making Moves, NBWA also announced that Glazer’s Beer and Beverage received the 2024 Frieda G. Maisel Trailblazer Award for fostering a supportive environment for women’s professional growth.

The next Making Moves event will take place Oct. 15 in Las Vegas following NBWA’s 88th Annual Convention and Trade Show.