Iowa Brewers Guild

What Iowa Brewers Guild does

The Iowa Brewers Guild (IBG) is a not-for-profit trade association founded in 2007 and headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa that unifies the state's professional craft brewers of beer, cider, and mead. The organization represents over 100 brewery members across roughly 76 Iowa communities plus a network of allied business members, and operates as the recognized unified voice of Iowa's craft brewing industry. Its scope spans legislative advocacy, statewide marketing through the #BrewedInIowa campaign, education, and networking for the membership base.

IBG's core offerings are a portfolio of programs rather than discrete technology products. These include the annual Iowa Craft Brew Festival at Water Works Park in Des Moines (now in its 16th year), the i-BEST (Iowa Brewers Education Seminar and Tippling) conference, recurring partner festivals (Brews on the Beach, Feelin' Sour, Let There Be Light, Iowa Craft Beer Bash), the bi-monthly Brewed In Iowa Podcast, an annual Ambassador of Craft Award, and IBG Educational Grants funded in partnership with the Iowa Wine and Beer Promotional Fund. The organization pairs with the Brewers Association for federal advocacy and with the Iowa Corn Growers Association and Choose Iowa for the 'Yield of Dreams' collaborative corn lager promoted at the Iowa State Fair.

Revenue is generated through three documented streams: membership dues from brewery and allied business members (described as intentionally low to maximize participation), event revenue from ticket sales, vendor fees, and sponsorships across flagship and partner festivals, and merchandise sales via a partner online store. Operationally, the Guild runs a lean staff of 11-50 employees led by Executive Director Noreen Otto, operates from a Des Moines PO Box, and is governed by a member board. The underlying industry context is substantial: approximately 150 Iowa breweries generated $1.25 billion in economic impact in 2024 and supported 7,219 direct jobs plus 14,448 supply chain positions, with the Iowa craft sector having doubled in size since 2014 following the 2010 passage of S.F. 2088.

Name

Iowa Brewers Guild

Legal name

Iowa Brewers Guild

Website

https://iowabeer.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Iowa Brewers Guild is a Des Moines-based not-for-profit trade association representing over 100 Iowa craft breweries, cideries, and meaderies, plus allied businesses, providing legislative advocacy, the #BrewedInIowa marketing campaign, education through the i-BEST conference, and signature events including the Iowa Craft Brew Festival.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Brewing Trade Association

NAICS

Breweries (31212)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Beer, Brewery & Craft Beverage Tastings (THAJAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mead Producers & Brands (CRADAIAG)

Keywords

• Craft brewing association
• Brewery trade organization
• Craft beer festivals
• Brewing industry advocacy
• Nonprofit trade association

Headquarters

HQ city

Des Moines

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: The Guild generates revenue through membership dues from brewery members and allied business members. Membership dues are described as intentionally low to support brewery participation.
2. Event Revenue: Revenue generated from signature events including the Iowa Craft Brew Festival, partner festivals (Brews on the Beach, Feelin' Sour, Iowa Craft Beer Bash), and the i-BEST annual education conference. Ticket sales, vendor fees, and sponsorships contribute to Guild operations.
3. Merchandise Sales: The Guild sells branded merchandise including t-shirts, coasters, and coozies through the Iowa brewing merch store, with proceeds supporting Iowa craft brewing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Iowa Brewers Guild is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association that supports Iowa's professional beer, cider, and mead producers through membership services, legislative and regulatory advocacy, educational programming such as the i-BEST conference, and consumer-facing craft beer festivals and events held across the state.

Product overview

The Iowa Brewers Guild operates as a not-for-profit trade association offering a portfolio of services including the 'Brewed In Iowa' promotional campaign, annual festivals (Iowa Craft Brew Festival, Brews on the Beach, Feelin' Sour, Let There Be Light, Iowa Craft Beer Bash), the i-BEST education conference, the Brewed In Iowa podcast, educational grants, and the Ambassador of Craft award program. These products collectively serve to unify Iowa's craft brewing professionals, promote Iowa beer, and advocate for industry growth through education, networking, and marketing initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Iowa Wine and Beer Promotional FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Iowa Wine and Beer Promotional Fund to offer the IBG Educational Grant scholarship funds supporting ongoing growth and leadership opportunities for breweries. The grant supports educational expenses for IBG members including i-BEST conference registration, Cicerone training, Craft Brewers Conference attendance, and product testing.
• Iowa Corn Growers AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership between the Iowa Brewers Guild and the Iowa Corn Growers Association to create the 'Yield of Dreams' collaborative corn lager. The beer features corn grown across the state and donated by 18 Iowa farmers, representing the relationship between craft beer and agriculture industries.
• Choose IowacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChoose Iowa is a program promoting locally produced goods at the Iowa State Fair. The Iowa Brewers Guild partners with Choose Iowa for the Yield of Dreams brew, which is featured at the Iowa Craft Beer Tent during the State Fair.
• Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division (ABD)coreOthersThe Iowa brewing industry is regulated by the Iowa Alcohol Beverages Division under the Iowa Department of Revenue. The Guild provides compliance resources and information for members on state regulations.
• Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB)coreOthersFederal regulatory authority over brewing. The Guild provides resources to help members comply with TTB regulations including the Brewer's Notice requirements.
• Brewers AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational trade organization for craft brewers. The Iowa Brewers Guild engages in federal advocacy in partnership with the Brewers Association on legislative matters affecting the craft brewing industry.
• Lake Time BreweryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBrewery member and co-host of the Brews on the Beach annual festival, which features up to 40 Iowa craft breweries. Proceeds benefit local community projects and the Iowa Brewers Guild.
• Clear Lake Rotary ClubminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-host of the Brews on the Beach annual festival with Lake Time Brewery and the Iowa Brewers Guild. Proceeds benefit local community projects and the Iowa Brewers Guild.
• Millstream Brewing Co.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHost venue for the Iowa Craft Beer Bash charity event. The event features unlimited samples from Iowa breweries, spirits, cider, kombucha and more, with proceeds supporting IBG.
• Water Works Park / Lauridsen AmphitheaterminorOthersEvent venue for the Iowa Craft Brew Festival. Located in Des Moines, the venue hosts the annual premier craft beer event for the Guild.
• Iowa Green Brewery Certification ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainability program managed by the University of Iowa's Iowa Waste Reduction Center (IWRC). The Guild references this program as a resource for members interested in sustainability and waste reduction.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• California Craft Brewers Association: California's state-level craft beer trade association. Operates with a similar membership/events/advocacy framework at a much larger scale, providing a useful comparison for the Iowa Brewers Guild's structural model.
• Texas Craft Brewers Guild: State-level trade association for Texas craft brewers. Directly comparable in structure, mission, and member-services model to the Iowa Brewers Guild, including legislative advocacy and education programming.
• Colorado Brewers Guild: State brewers guild representing Colorado craft brewers. Comparable member-driven trade association structure with festival programming and advocacy, aligned closely with the Iowa Brewers Guild's mission and operating approach.
• Oregon Brewers Guild: State-level trade association representing Oregon craft brewers. Same membership model, festival programming (e.g., Oregon Brewers Festival), and advocacy mandate, making it the closest direct peer to the Iowa Brewers Guild.
• Brewers Guild of Michigan (Michigan Brewers Guild): Michigan's state brewers trade association. Comparable Midwest trade association with membership dues, festivals, and legislative advocacy—directly parallel to the Iowa Brewers Guild.
• Illinois Craft Brewers Guild: State-level trade association for Illinois craft brewers. Operates a similar membership, festival, and advocacy model to the Iowa Brewers Guild in an adjacent Midwest geography.
• Brewers Association of New York (NY Brewers Guild equivalent): New York's state craft brewing trade association. Closely mirrors the Iowa Brewers Guild's membership dues, festival, and advocacy structure, making it a strong direct peer for benchmarking.

Broad incumbents

• American Homebrewers Association: National membership organization for homebrewers, a sister organization of the Brewers Association. Comparable membership/dues/event model aimed at a related audience (beer enthusiasts who often become craft brewery customers and employees).
• Brewers Association: The national trade association for the U.S. craft brewing industry. It is the direct federal-level counterpart to the Iowa Brewers Guild and an active partner on legislative advocacy, making it the most strategically comparable organization.
• Master Brewers Association of the Americas: Long-established professional society for brewing production and technical professionals. Broader in scope (national/international, technical focus) but overlapping in providing education and credentialing that complement the Iowa Brewers Guild's i-BEST offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/IowaBrewersGuild
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iowa-brewers-guild

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Iowa Brewers Guild