Following the success of its first Craft Brewers Conference, the Craft Beer Industry Association has announced changes to its membership categories. We are advised the main changes are:

1) It has halved the membership fee for nano breweries, from $500 to $250 and lowered the upper volume limit from 99 999 litres per annum to 49 999 litres p.a. to make it easier for the smallest breweries to join.

2) Where previously the jump from Microbrewer to Regional Brewery would have meant a fee increase from $1000 to $5000 the CBIA has now introduced a tiered system so that it goes from $1000 to $3000 and then to $5000. Similarly under the previous system when a brewery went from Regional to National they went from $5000 to $10 000 per annum. The CBIA has put in another tier so it now goes from $5000 to $7000 to $10 000. The production levels for these tiers are listed below.

3) There has been an increase in the upper limit for a single member to 40 million litres per annum to take account of Lion’s acquisition of Little World Beverages. The CBIA Constitution allows for only one vote per entity so the upper limit had to be increased to accommodate this and to allow for growth.

Non brewers can also join the association with Enthusiast Membership available.

More details below.

(Disclaimer: Australian Brews News editor, Matt Kirkegaard, holds an unpaid position on the CBIA Consumer Awareness and Education Committee)

Media Release

The Craft Beer Industry Association announces new membership categories.

With the end of the financial year approaching the Board of the Craft Beer Industry Association has announced a revamp of its membership categories for full brewer members for the 2013/14 membership period.

“The CBIA Board has received a lot of feedback from the craft beer industry over the last 12 months regarding the various categories for membership,” said CBIA Chair Brad Rogers.”As a result of listening to our members and potential members, we are very pleased to announce these changes.”

The changes have been made with a view to achieving three goals.

Firstly, they will make it more affordable for the nation’s smallest brewers to join the CBIA.

Secondly, they will lessen the financial cost for those breweries making the jump from the Microbrewer category to the Regional Category and from the Regional category to the National category.

Finally, they recognise the changes created by Lion Co’s takeover of Little World Beverages to form the nation’s largest craft entity.

The changes will not result in a fee increase for any CBIA members.

“Many small breweries have told us that they want to join but just don’t have the room in their budgets for $500. We hope that by halving the membership fee we will make it easier for them to be involved,” said Rogers.

“The industry also has a number of breweries that are ready to make that jump up to the next output level. These guys are investing heavily in their businesses to accommodate this production increase and having such steep increases to their membership fees was a lot to ask.“

“We have also had to adjust the upper limit of our membership structure due to the Lion takeover of Little World Beverages. Our Constitution prohibits one entity from having two votes so Malt Shovel and Little Creatures will now be represented under the one membership. The national category will still have three members though with Burleigh Brewing Co recently joining the CBIA,” said Rogers.

The changes to the membership categories are effective immediately.

Contract brewer membership categories remained tied to the corresponding production levels listed below.

The Craft Beer Industry Association’s membership year runs in line with the financial year. Any brewery wishing to join before the end of June will only pay for the 2013/14 period.