HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS – CASK ALE
Join the ale trail Top tips on making your beer festival the event to remember and the talk of the town.
B
eer festivals are pushing their way into club calendars as the growing interest in cask ale comes to a head. Like any event, however, careful organisation and planning is necessary; an unthought-out profit generating idea can soon turn into a costly exercise. Items to be considered include: • Date – what month? Are you prepared for all weather conditions? • How long should the beer festival last? • Do you need any special licence? • How large is the event – how many beers? How many people are expected? • Who is your target market? Are you attracting families etc? • What equipment do you need for dispense and cooling? • Do you need to provide any catering and entertainment? • What are your staff requirements?
30 CLUB MIRROR
• Set up an action plan with deadlines. • Budget for sales and costs. How many beers are you going to put on sale? The number of beers you plan to put on is crucial given that any unsold beers will be costly. Eight beers mean you have to sell 576 pints. At two pints per person, that means you need to cater for over 200 people over the duration of the festival. Can you accommodate them? Enlist the support of members in promoting the festival to guests. Inform your local paper and CAMRA branch of the activity. This will encourage local interest – a useful tool if you’re recruiting for new members. Where possible, sell tickets in advance. If an entry fee isn’t appropriate (or possible, due to club rules) look at a discounted redemption price per pint. Ask members which beers they would like to be included.
Your suppliers will be an important part of your success. Having your beers stillaged correctly is vital, and most importantly in the summer, serving the beers cool at between 11°C and 13°C (i.e. cellar temperature) is a must. Invite local brewers to host ‘slots’ where they can present their own beers, explain their provenance and do tutored tastings. Food available? On the day, ensure staff are well briefed with the information on all the beers and run a beer competition to involve members. Although you are focusing on beer, ensure there’s plenty of food available; beer creates a good appetite and another opportunity to sell. After the event, have a review meeting. Did you achieve what you set out to do? Have you made the profit you envisaged? What could you do better next time? Canvas the opinion of your members. You can bet they’ll offer their honest opinions!
