The Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board (VFTCB) has relaunched Montco Makers, a mobile passport that aims to support local craft beverage producers.

Montco Makers, a 2018 initiative, showcases the area’s breweries, wineries, and distilleries; its latest edition now has a more gamified look and feel to increase its appeal.

Celebration of Local Excellence

The tourism initiative highlights one of Montgomery County’s many strengths in the hospitality industry, its array of talented brewers, distillers, and vintners. The area, according to the VFTCB, ranks second in statewide distribution of breweries, behind only Allegheny County.

With more than 20 local businesses participating, Montco Makes showcases the craftsmanship of its regional adult beverages in an easy, mobile-friendly way. Its revised passport is a program in which residents and visitors can easily enroll.

Thriving Craft Beverage Scene

“Montgomery County has a thriving craft beverage scene,” said Justine Garbarino, VFTCB’s Associate Vice President of Marketing. “There are new spots popping up every day.

“This pass not only gives consumers a chance to discover the breweries, wineries, and distilleries of Montgomery County, it also helps boost economic impact for our destination.” 

Development via Partnership

Growing conversations around visitation to craft beverage establishments led the VFTCB to partner with well-known technology company in the travel space, Bandwango (Murray Utah), to implement the Passport. Bandwango technology is designed to support free and paid experiences created by destinations and marketed to visitors and locals.

With this technology in place, the VFTCB then worked alongside local businesses to get their offerings loaded into the Passport.

Activating and Redeeming

To activate and redeem, users visit a dedicated mobile passport landing page on which they can sign up for a Passport by providing:

• Names
• E-mail addresses
• Mobile phone numbers

A link is then sent to their mobile phones; it opens the passport and directs users to add the button icon to their home screens, where they can access it any time.

When visiting a participating business, users simply ensure their locations services are turned on to check in via GPS. Once users reach 15 check-ins, they’ll receive a free Montco Makers pint glass.

Users and Sites

Since its launch, the Montco Makers Passport has seen 133 sign ups, and 56 check ins at participating locations.

Merchant onboarding is still in progress. All breweries, wineries, and distilleries wishing to be a part of the Passport can contact the VFTCB directly.

Montco Makers Passport participants include:

• Artifact Brewing, Hatboro
• Bald Birds Brewing Company, Audubon
• Blueprint Brewing Co., Harleysville
• Boyd’s Cardinal Hollow Winery, Lansdale
• Co-Hops Brewery & Cannery, Hatfield
• Crooked Eye Brewery, Hatboro
• Evansburg Vineyards, Collegeville
• Five Saints Distilling, Norristown
• Imprint Beer Co., Hatfield
• La Cabra Brewing, Berwyn
• McAllister Brewing Company, North Wales
• Mermaid Spirits Distillery, Huntingdon Valley
• Publication Brew Works, Pennsburg
• Ten7 Brewing Company, North Wales
• Trinity Flavors, Phoenixville
• Troubles End Brewing, Collegeville
• von C Brewing, Norristown
• Well Crafted Ambler
• Widow’s Peak Distilling, Ambler
• Workhorse Brewing Company, King of Prussia

More about this mobile passport — including a download link — is online.