Craft Brewers Conference and BrewExpo America gathers in Denver April 8-11

From April 8-11, Denver will play host to the 31st edition of the Craft Brewers Conference and BrewExpo America (CBC). Presented by the Brewers Association, CBC is the largest industry event, and the only one that serves both brewpubs and packaging breweries. BrewExpo America is the premier trade show for craft brewers, allowing exhibitors and buyers to develop profitable business relationships and helping brewing and brewery restaurant professionals encounter the latest and the best products and services that industry vendors have to offer.

CBC 2014 also serves as home to the World Beer Cup (WBC), often referred to as “The Olympics of Beer Competition.” As the world’s largest global beer competition, WBC creates greater awareness about different beer styles and flavors while promoting international brewing excellence. Every two years, a highly qualified professional panel of beer judges — about 70 percent of whom hail from outside the United States — honors the top three beers in 91 categories with gold, silver and bronze awards. Several first time countries will be represented on the 2014 judging panel, including Spain, China and Taiwan.

An estimated 7,000 attendees will have the opportunity to visit with more than 400 exhibiting companies and hear from more than 145 presenters, including CBC keynote speaker, bestselling author, food advocate and activist Michael Pollan.

Craft breweries are a vibrant and flourishing economic force at the local, state and national level with more than 2,700 breweries operating in the United States, pouring $33.9 billion into the economy in 2012. With the innovation and full flavor that craft brewed beers offer, there continues to be an increased demand in the marketplace for small and independent brewers. CBC provides an environment for new and established members of the craft brewing community to connect, share ideas and learn about the growing industry.

For a full schedule of this year’s events, be sure to check out the CBC conference schedule. And for a taste of the info you can glean from the conference, read up on Craft Brewing Business‘s CBC live coverage from last year’s event.