Speakers

• Christine Comeau Executive Director - Canadian Craft Brewers Association
  

  Christine Comeau

  Executive Director - Canadian Craft Brewers Association
• Ken Beattie Executive Director, BC Craft Brewers Guild
  

  Ken Beattie

  Executive Director, BC Craft Brewers Guild

  Building on decades of experience in the beer industry, Ken currently sits as the Executive Director of the BC Craft Brewers Guild and Lead Administrator for the BC Ale Trail, working tirelessly to support craft breweries of all sizes across BC. Ken is a founding board member of the Canadian Craft Brewers Association and a faculty member in the Brewing and Brewing Operations Program at Kwantlen Polytechnic University.

• Mark Hicken Executive Director-Canadian Alliance for Responsible Drinking
  

  Mark Hicken

  Executive Director-Canadian Alliance for Responsible Drinking
• Mark von Schellwitz Vice President Western Canada, Restaurants Canada
  

  Mark von Schellwitz

  Vice President Western Canada, Restaurants Canada

  As Vice President-Western Canada of Restaurants Canada, Mark von Schellwitz combined two of his
  passions – the hospitality industry and public affairs.
  His involvement in the hospitality industry came at a young age as his family built, owned and
  operated, a small resort hotel on Vancouver Island after moving to BC from Alberta where Mark
  was born and raised.
  While obtaining his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science at the University of British Columbia,
  Mark helped support his education by working part time at various Vancouver restaurants.
  In 1985, Mark completed his degree and his interest in Canadian politics took him to Ottawa, where
  he became an Assistant to the Honourable Pat Carney in two portfolios, Minister of Energy Mines
  and Resources and International Trade. In 1988, he returned to Vancouver and worked as the BC
  Regional Assistant to the Minister of Western Economic Diversification.
  In 1991, Mark moved to Vancouver Island to manage the family’s resort hotel for the next five
  years. During that time, he successfully expanded the business to include a new neighbourhood
  pub.
  In 1997, Mark returned to Vancouver and accepted a government affairs manager position with
  Canada’s largest hospitality industry association, the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices
  Association. In 2001, Mark was appointed the association’s Vice President for Western Canada. In
  2014 the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association rebranded and is now known as
  Restaurants Canada.
  Mark’s work on numerous public policy issues in BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan over the years has
  helped association members in the challenging foodservices industry grow and prosper. Mark
  continues to be a strong advocate for the hospitality industry and represents the industry on
  numerous small business and tourism related organization boards and committees. Mark is past
  Chairman of the Coalition of BC Businesses and of Go2 (BC’s resource for people in tourism).