About Guild Gatherings
Guild Gatherings are informal, social gatherings for current Guild members. Events occur each month in each of our established regions in the state: North Texas, Central Texas, San Antonio, Houston, Heart of Texas, East Texas, South Texas, and West Texas & the Panhandle.
Guild staff and designated regional leads recruit hosts and set the schedule on an annual basis. As a result, each region’s Guild Gatherings have their own flavor and style, which can vary even more depending on its host brewery. Current Guild members may attend Guild Gatherings in any region.
Guidelines for Everyone
Respect the host brewery’s COVID-19 protocols while you are on site. Guests who do not comply with the host’s posted or stated health and safety specifics may be asked to leave.
Make sure you RSVP. Plan ahead and use the event calendar in your Dashboard to RSVP for each event you plan to attend. It’s important that our hosts, leads, and any sponsors have an accurate headcount for planning.
Tip your servers! You know how hard those beer slingers work, especially when surrounded by their own thirsty compadres. Especially if you’re enjoying free or discounted beer, make sure to show them some love.
Ask Guild staff before bringing nonmembers. We’d love to meet folks you think would make great new members in any category! Like other things in life, the first one’s free, but we need to connect with the potential recruit to set expectations and protect Guild benefits for paying members like yourself.
Ask the Region Lead and/or brewery host before you bring product samples, swag, or promotional materials of any kind. Some Guild Gatherings are sponsored by an existing Allied Trade member, who has arranged in advance and invested in a special opportunity to be the sole marketer at that event. Additionally, some breweries have strict policies about outside alcohol of any kind on their premises. Email Guild staff to get connected to your region lead.
Don’t wear out your welcome. Arrive and depart within the designated timeframe of the event, which is posted on each schedule on the Member Dashboard and should be communicated by the host. Often, host breweries open exclusively for the purpose of hosting the Guild Gathering. Please be considerate, drink responsibly, and follow staff instructions.
Abide by our Code of Conduct. All Guild members, staff, volunteers, and ticketed or RSVP’d attendees at all Guild functions agree to comport themselves in accordance with the Code of Conduct posted in the Member Dashboard.
Guidelines for Allied Trade Members
We value our Allied Trade Members, and welcome them to join us at Guild Gatherings. Guild Gatherings are one of the best ways to plug into and maintain professional relationships with local industry connections. The following guidelines will help you make the most of your company’s representation at these events, and keep them productive and enjoyable for everyone.
Send a maximum of two representatives to any single event. Bringing a group of coworkers into Guild Gatherings can overwhelm the brewers and the host. We’d prefer you mingle into our group rather than bring your own.
Focus on building relationships, not selling a product. Craft brewers often attend Guild Gatherings to socialize and blow off steam. Save your product demos and elevator pitch for an upcoming Trade Show!
Don’t bring product samples, swag, or promotional materials without permission. A sponsorship arrangement may have already been made with an Allied Trade member. Keep reading for more information about how your business can sponsor for exclusive representation at an upcoming event.
Sponsor a Guild Gathering
The Guild and our Guild Gathering hosts are open to sponsorship proposals from Allied Trade members. Because of the variability in location, format, capacity, and amenities, we accept sponsorship proposals on a case-by-case basis. Here are some tips for a successful Guild Gathering sponsorship:
Plan ahead! Email Guild staff with the date and location of the event(s) you want to host at least one month in advance. We’ll check with the hosts and Region Lead for approval before connecting you directly to make arrangements. Looking for hosts with whom you already have a working relationship and/or a product in use at their facility is always a good start.
Get creative! Tailor your sponsorship to the opportunity presented. Not every host has A/V equipment, a folding table for your use, etc., and Guild Gatherings are usually not a great time to offer a presentation anyway. Please communicate with your host about your plans to make sure they can accommodate you. If you are provided an opportunity to address the group, please limit your remarks to under 10 minutes.
Promote your sponsorship! Post to the forum about the Guild Gathering that you’re hosting to get folks excited. Consider sending a personal email to invite Guild members in the region with whom you have a relationship.
Guild Gathering Sponsorship Examples
- The brewery host is a production brewery with an on-site food truck. An Allied Trade member delivers a $300 check towards the evening’s catering order from the on-site truck. The host brewery invites the sponsor to put table tents and brochures in their taproom for the event.
- A brewpub host has an on-site kitchen that is not normally open on Mondays. The host determines it will be more cost effective to have their sponsor place an order of pizza for the group rather than provide food in-house. When the pizza arrives, the brewery host publicly thanks the Allied Trade sponsor before opening the food line.
- A brewery host invites a friend who owns a catering operation to provide food for the Guild Gathering for promotional purposes. Since food is already provided, the Allied Trade sponsor starts a tab to cover beers and gratuity for the first hour of the event.
Still have questions? We’re here to help!