Ohio Craft Brewers Conference Returns to Cincinnati

The Ohio Craft Brewers Conference presented by The Cincinnati Insurance Companies will be held Jan. 18-19, 2022 at the Duke Energy Convention Center. The seventh annual conference will feature 33 presentations and panel discussions on a broad range of brewing industry topics. More than 80 businesses that serve and support the industry will also exhibit at a trade show during the conference.

Cincinnati was chosen as the conference location for the second time after previously hosting in 2017. Initially scheduled for January 2021, the conference was postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The past two conferences – held in Columbus in 2019 and Dayton in 2020 – each drew approximately 650 brewing industry professionals to the two-day event.

The Ohio Craft Brewers Association organizes this annual event as part of the group’s mission to promote, preserve, diversify and unify Ohio’s craft brewing industry. The conference features a keynote address on each day in addition to seminars covering technical brewing, beer sales and marketing, business administration and other topics. There is also a specific focus on brewery startup issues, both for newly established breweries and those still in the planning stages.

“Ohio is home to nearly 400 independently-owned craft breweries, with another 70 in planning,” said Ohio Craft Brewers Association executive director Mary MacDonald. “Despite the turbulent years caused by the pandemic, market demand for high quality craft beer has not waned. Now more than ever, breweries need to have reliable access to educational resources to stay on top of industry trends and meet customer needs.”

Tim Brady, co-founder of Whetstone Craft Beers in Brattleboro, Vermont will deliver the first keynote address on Tuesday, Jan. 18, focusing on training brewpub and taproom staff to offer customers the best possible service. Brady serves on the Brewers Association board of directors and is an instructor for the University of Vermont Business of Craft Beer program.

Ohio Division of Liquor Control superintendent Jim Canepa will deliver the keynote on Wednesday, Jan. 19, addressing regulatory issues for Ohio’s craft brewing industry. Canepa has led the Division since 2017 and serves on the board of the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association.

Online conference registration is open through Friday, Jan. 14, 2022. Ohio Craft Brewers Association members receive discounts on individual registration as well as trade show vendor spaces. Information on association membership is available here.

Listings of seminars, receptions and evening activities, trade show exhibitors and more are available at the conference website.

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