One of the core values of the Ohio Craft Brewers Association is Empowerment: we strive to give Ohio’s independent breweries the training and tools to sustain and improve their craft. The Ohio Craft Brewers Conference enables us to empower our breweries during two days of educational programming geared towards providing breweries from the well-established to the still-in-planning with information to advance their craft and the opportunity to interact with and learn from their peers from across the state. Another core value of the OCBA is Fun: we commit to an industry culture built on transparency and a deep passion for the craft beer-making community. We intend to have some of that as well as we explore the craft brewing scene in and around Dayton.
“The Ohio craft brewing industry has shown tremendous growth as we surpassed 150 breweries this year,” said Mary MacDonald, Executive Director of the Ohio Craft Brewers Association. “The Ohio Craft Brewers Conference was created to instruct, inspire and connect our state’s craft brewers and partners in support of this burgeoning industry. Dayton is the perfect location for our second year enterprise as the flourishing local beer scene will offer ample opportunity for our conference attendees to get a literal taste of the region.”
New this year, one room of the conference will be entirely devoted to breweries in the planning and start-up phase. Topics will range from financing a brewery to the basic safety equipment that every brewery should have on site. The Ohio Craft Brewers Conference is a great place where those who are considering opening a craft brewery can learn some of the basics of what the business takes as well as rub elbows with and get advice from some of the best in the local craft brewing industry. This year the esteemed participants include Jim Koch of Sam Adams who will be delivering our keynote address.
The second Ohio Craft Brewers Conference will take place February 3-4, 2016 at the Dayton Convention Center. Registration is $200 per person. Discounted registration is available for OCBA brewery and allied members for $150 per person ($125 per person for groups of 3 or more from the same organization). Registration includes breakfast and lunch both days, a flash drive containing the conference presentations, a trade show with allied industry members and optional post-conference activities. Registration is available at this link: http://www.beerfesttickets.com/conference2016
The Ohio Craft Brewers Conference Presented by Ohio Beer Counsel is supported by Brewers Professional Alliance, Hunter Consulting Company, Sahm Inc, Reminger Co., LPA, Dayton Convention & Visitors Bureau and Briess Malt & Ingredients Co.
