It used to be a lot easier to be.a beverage trade association. When there was a clear line between "us" and "them," a rally cry around independence worked really well. The hard part is when "we" become "them" through nothing other than hard work and success. Then COVID happens and the primary income source for trade associations evaporates, causing internal changes and layoffs, plus increased scrutiny on the changing roles for these organizations. Although these conversations are difficult to have, we owe it to ourselves and to our trade associations to have them.

The value provided by trade associations is changing, but sometimes the associations themselves are staying the same. What would you like your craft beverage trade association to do moving forward?