Excitement is brewing as the Vermont Craft Brewers Conference (VTCBC) approaches, taking place on November 17-18 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Burlington. This annual event, now in its third year, brings together craft brewers, industry experts, and enthusiasts for two days filled with insightful discussion, networking opportunities, and of course, VT beer. Vermont has the highest number of craft breweries per capita in the nation, with 15.4 breweries per 100,000 adults 21+. Beyond cultural pride, the industry plays a major economic role, generating over $460 million annually for the state.
“Vermont may be small, but our impact on craft beer is enormous,” said Emma Arian, VBA Executive Director. “This conference is where brewers come to learn, collaborate, and ensure the industry stays strong for the next generation.”
The Vermont Brewers Association expects over 250 professionals from across the Northeast to attend. This year’s program features four educational tracks: Technical Brewing, Business Operations, Sales, and Resilience, with 18 breakout sessions, two keynote presentations, a tradeshow, and multiple networking events.
Technical sessions at the conference will include: Setting up Successful Fermentations – Yeast Attenuation and Wort Fermentability; Brewer’s yeast, fermentation re-pitching, and yeast management; Considerations for Malt Selection: Balancing Performance and Flavor; Hop Pellet Analysis for Dummies; and Low AV Beers and NA Beer/Risks and Learnings: Making Clean Non-Alcoholic and Low-Alcoholic Beer/What to Consider with NABLAB yeast.
The business track will discuss: From Skeleton Key to Strategy – Forecasting Cash Flow and Predicting Profitability; Profitable Taproom Tactics – 12 Everyday Tactics to Grow Sales, Reduce Expenses, and Make Consistent Profit in the taproom; Crafting Culture – HR Ingredients for Brewery Success; Implications of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and Updates to R&D Tax Credits; and A Practical Guide to Media.
Sales sessions will involve: Best Practices for Use of VIP Software and how to use it to work better with your Distributor; Exposure to selling fundamentals – from prep to closing the sale; and Sell Smarter, Not Harder – How to Drive Growth Without a Traditional Sales Team.
The resilience track will focus on: CO2 Conservation from the Malting Process to the Brewery; A Quality Workshop; Resilience, Hope, Neurodivergence, Emotional Intelligence, Creativity; Build Your Leadership Bench, and Things I’ve Learned in 43 Years of Brewing.
The conference is open to members of the Vermont Brewers Associations as well as members of the public. Registration starts at $150 for VBA member brewers, $200 for industry partners, and $250 for the general public. To learn more about the Vermont Craft Brewers Conference: https://www.vermontbrewers.com/events/vermont-craft-brewers-conference
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