More Than a Map: Designing Beer Trails for Lasting Engagement

More butts in seats, stronger loyalty, and a clearer picture of who your guests really are. What started as the Charlottesville Ale Trail has evolved into a passport program that helps beer trails move beyond simple maps and into measurable taproom traffic. In this conversation, we’ll walk through how to set up and sustain a passport program that breweries want to participate in and guests are excited to use. We’ll cover engagement tactics, the data you can collect along the way, and how these programs can support economic impact stories and grant applications.Todd Wickersty is the Executive Director of the Charlottesville Ale Trail and co-founder of LoyalBrew, a digital passport platform designed for food and beverage trails. He helped launch the Charlottesville Ale Trail in 2018 and continues to lead its growth and community partnerships eight years later. During the pandemic, Todd and his business partner created a digital passport for the Ale Trail to help local breweries stay connected with visitors. That innovation evolved into LoyalBrew, now used by tourism organizations and beverage trails across the country to inspire exploration and support small businesses.Join us in person for CBP Connects ChicagoJune 15-17, 2026Come get inspired, leave with actionable strategies: https://cbpconnects.com/