Brewing industry professionals from around Ohio and across the country will convene in Columbus for the 10th annual Ohio Craft Brewers Conference presented by The Cincinnati Insurance Companies on Jan. 28-29, 2025 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. This year’s milestone conference will feature 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, and business administration. There is also a specific focus on brewery startup issues, both for newly established breweries and those still in the planning stages.
Who’s the Keynote Speaker?
Kate Bernot will deliver the first keynote address on Tuesday, Jan. 28, focusing on shifts in consumer trends in the alcohol beverage market. Bernot is the current director of the North American Guild of Beer Writers, with more than a decade of reporting and editorial experience focusing on the business of food and beverage.
The Brewers Association’s Director of Social Impact, Dr. J. Nikol Jackson-Beckham, will deliver the day two keynote on Wednesday, Jan. 29. Jackson-Beckham leads the national trade group’s efforts in diversity, equity, and inclusion, member and community engagement, high-ROI philanthropy, and association accountability.
“The craft brewing industry has undergone profound change over the past ten years,” said Ohio Craft Brewers Association executive director Mary MacDonald. “Through the brewery boom of the late 2010s, the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the transition to a mature craft beer market, providing up-to-date educational resources has been a great help to small and independent breweries trying to navigate shifting business currents.”
How Big is Ohio Craft Brewers Conference?
Organizers expect more than 600 industry professionals to attend this year’s event. The conference trade show will also offer 120 businesses the opportunity to exhibit their goods and services that support Ohio’s 440 independent craft breweries.
Individuals and trade show exhibitors can register for the 2025 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
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