My name is Kat Reyes, and I have worked in the beer industry since I opened web and graphic design firm Tr3s Creative in late 2014. Although I had been enjoying the plentiful craft beer to be found in Seattle since 2005, I hadn’t worked in the industry. Mac and Jacks was on tap everywhere, and I discovered a Scotch Ale from Pike Brewing Company that I recall fondly: Kilt Lifter!

At the time, I lived in Seattle, Washington. I also lived a few blocks from a place called Chuck’s Hop Shop. To me, this place was simply heaven. There were taps pouring excellent local beers, coolers full of more fine beverages, and indoor and outdoor seating. On weekends, there were up to two food trucks a day. Cannabis was just becoming legalized, and all three of these industries represented growth and a new way to do business. I opened Tr3s Creative to cater to these industries I appreciated.

I supplement my business income with odd jobs, and one of these become my first beer gigs and exposure to beer festivals. It was really fun working as Beer Police for the Seattle international Beer Festival. My job was to supervise volunteers, and other tasks related to the festival management. I made friends at that event, and got my bike back after it had been stolen from where I locked it up. It had been dumped in a skate park after it was taken on a joy ride while I was inside the Seattle Center working the festival. I spotted some kids who had found it wheeling it around the Seattle Center after my last shift, and got my bike back intact.

Before going into business for myself, I was working at an architecture firm that built many of Amazon’s South Lake Union buildings. Seattle had become harder to live in as the population increased, so my experience was not completely idyllic. After residing in Washington State for 12 years, mostly in Seattle, the time had come to move on.

Oregon represented a lot of opportunity, and my business thrived here where the beer and food trucks and Cannabis clients were plentiful. I have come to love Oregon through and through, and found natural beauty, adventure, and quality beer here. And lots of brew fests. I’ve poured beer dozens of times over the years in both Washington and Oregon, in festivals big and small, from supervising a gaggle of volunteers at the Oregon Brewers Fest to checking ID’s at a small beer garden at an Arts and Nature festival in West Seattle.

When the pandemic started, I was living in Clackamas County, south of Portland. Many of my clients immediately went out of business, and Tr3s Creative also saw a drop in revenue. A beer colleague in Antwerp, Belgium needed branding for his Beer Tour Company. As we discussed how the pandemic affected his tour business, I noted that many are turning to video and virtual events. I suggested he try virtual tours. He replied that a virtual beer festival could be interesting. In my mind, a light bulb went on. That was April of 2020.

For me, inspiration comes when the mind finds an idea that it keeps returning to. The Covid-19 Pandemic wrought devastation that made it seem impossible to find a way forward for some industries. As an entrepreneur, I embrace change and the opportunities that it can bring. Although some decisions are forced upon us, creativity offers us a way to address these challenges. Today, I continue to be inspired by the potential of a novel project blending technology and culture.

It is my goal for World Wide Beer Fest to support the business of beer, provide opportunities for individuals in the industry to tell their story, and spur innovation with the socially responsible use of internet and mass media. This project will help the Beer Industry become more resilient and bring beer culture within reach of a global audience; utilizing the full potential of cutting edge streaming technology.

I believe in the power of art to create positive change.

I hope everyone who participates or watches has as much fun with World Wide Beer Fest as I have. Thank you for reading!