Brewing industry professionals from around Ohio and across the country will convene at the Dayton Convention Center March 23-25 for the 11th annual Ohio Craft Brewers Conference presented by The Cincinnati Insurance Companies. This year’s conference will feature more than 30 educational seminars and panel discussions on a broad range of brewing industry topics.
The Ohio Craft Brewers Association organizes the 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 each day in addition to seminar tracks covering technical brewing, beer sales and marketing, business administration, and brewery fundamentals.
Chris Dimmick of The Idea Collective — owners of Sueño, Tender Mercy and Three Birds — will deliver the first keynote address on Tuesday, March 24, speaking on the importance of hospitality and customer experience in a changing food and beverage industry.
David Nilsen and Melinda Guerra, publishers of Final Gravity, will deliver the second keynote address on Wednesday, March 25. Final Gravity focuses on the experiences of the people behind the pints: Nilsen and Guerra’s remarks will stress how a brewery can effectively tell its story and make human connections.
“Craft beer has gone from niche market to mainstream product over the course of the past decade,” said Ohio Craft Brewers Association executive director Mary MacDonald. “It takes more than just great beer to succeed as a brewery now. This year’s keynotes and educational seminars were chosen to give Ohio breweries the tools and information needed to navigate the headwinds facing hospitality-centered businesses.”
Despite originally being postponed due to a late January snow storm, organizers expect more than 500 industry professionals to attend the rescheduled event. The conference trade show will also offer more than 80 businesses the opportunity to exhibit their goods and services that support Ohio’s 426 independent craft breweries.
Individuals and trade show exhibitors can register for the 2026 Ohio Craft Brewers Conference at https://ohiocraftbeer.org/conference. Ohio Craft Brewers Association members receive discounts on individual registration as well as trade show exhibitor spaces. Information on association membership is available at https://ohiocraftbeer.org/memberships/
A detailed schedule of events including seminars, receptions and evening activities is available at the conference website: https://ohiocraftbeer.org/conference
