BrewBroker to launch in US: BrewBroker, an online market place for the global brewing industry, is set to launch its platform in the US. BrewBroker, which currently works with 400-plus traders in Britain and Europe, will begin rolling out its transatlantic platform from April. Kicking off the launch at the Craft Brewers Conference in Denver, BrewBroker will become one of the first of its kind to provide solutions to the US and UK brewing markets on such a large scale. The business will also look to provide in-country solutions for the US brewing industry in the coming months. BrewBroker’s aim is to enable businesses to search, sell and buy brewing services from each other. The company is set to invest more than £400,000 in the platform’s functionality, with the addition of multiple languages, new currencies and even tax calculations. Co-founder and chief executive Daniel Rowntree said: “We are so excited to launch in America and can’t wait to show people how powerful our platform is. We have aspired to be able to facilitate transatlantic brewing and our most recent investment is a bold step towards making that dream a reality. America is widely considered the home of craft beer so it’s great to be taking our platform to the roots of our sector.” Ben Morgan-Smith, chief technical officer and co-founder, added: “From inception, BrewBroker has always aimed to make its platform international. We are keen to further support our global buyers and suppliers with functionality designed around their needs.”

Nominations open for 2019 Operations Managers Awards: Nominations are now open for the 2019 Operations Managers Awards. The awards, now in their 24th year, recognise the skill, professionalism and flair the best operations managers bring to licensed retail businesses. Nominations are open to area managers working in managed outlets and business development managers working in leased or tenanted outlets. Awards founder Nick Bish said: “Operations managers are essential to the successful running of venues and they need to be dynamic, responsive and intuitive. The awards celebrate the valuable work they do and the unique role they play.” Nominations can be made at www.opsawards.org.uk and close on Friday, 31 May. Up to 20 finalists will proceed to a three-day masterclass in July before panel interviews in October. The winners will be announced at a gala event later in the year.