Professor shares “lessons from brewing”

Professor shares “lessons from brewing” at business conference, Jan. 29

Contact: Christin Hunter | 541-306-0479 or centraloregoncerf@gmail.com

January 9, 2015

BEND, Ore.  – The seventh annual business conference and economic forecast for central Oregon will be held Thursday, Jan. 29 from 7 to 11:30 a.m. at the Riverhouse Convention Center. Washington Federal is the title sponsor with Rivera Wealth Management and Zolo Media as lead sponsors.

The 2015 conference, “Entrepreneurship Through Innovation,” brings some of the nation’s foremost leaders in business, innovation and entrepreneurship to the region to provide leading-edge information, experience and knowledge. This year’s lineup features “What’s Brewing? Lessons from the Craft Brewing Industry” as one of three dynamic segments:

Lessons from Brewing promises to be a popular segment as participants look at the craft beverage industry from a national and local perspective and get practical advice on how every central Oregon business can apply lessons learned from the successes of this growing industry. The keynote speaker is Ryan Lake, vice president of First Beverage Group, who represented 10 Barrel in their sale to Annhauser-Busch. He will address national trends and opportunities in the beverage industry. Dr. Jeff Dense, professor of craft beer studies and political science at Eastern Oregon University, will also speak. Dense is an internationally recognized expert on the political economy of the craft brew industry. Local beverage industry leaders will form a panel to present their stories and how they have been innovative to succeed.

Innovation in Business is with Mr. Robert Tucker, president of Innovation Resource, a global consulting and executive development firm devoted exclusively to strategic innovation. The author of international bestseller “Managing the Future: 10 Driving Forces of Changes,” Tucker is one of the thought leaders in the growing innovation movement. A frequent contributor to numerous publications, he has been a guest on PBS, CBS News and CNBC. Tucker is a much sought-after speaker and his clients include more than 200 of the Fortune 500 companies as well as international companies. He will share lessons from his international work in innovation and incorporate three local businesses into an intelligent talk show format that will unveil how innovation has lead to their success. Businesses leaders to be interviewed are Issac Tolpin, CEO of Choose Growth, Patricia Bartelson, owner from Straw Propeller and Doug King of Epic Air.

The 2015 Economic Forecast segment will feature top economist Dr. William Watkins, executive director of the Center for Economics at California Lutheran University.  Watkins will once again present a compelling overview of economic trends and realities for 2015 that effect central Oregon, the state of Oregon and the nation. He will discuss the challenges and opportunities faced in central Oregon and how to use the information to frame strategic business plans for 2015.

The business conference provides independent, unbiased economic data, analysis and forecasting for central Oregon. Register to attend by January 28 at https://centraloregoneconomicforecast.com or contact Christin Hunter at 541-388-0404.