5 Can’t Miss Seminars for the 2026 Craft Brewers Conference

The Craft Brewers Conference is packed with ways to run smarter, sell more, and keep drinkers coming back. Here are five seminars worth your time.

The Fresh Hop Beer Toolkit: Brewing, Logistics, and Consumer Insights

Regional Brewery Production Track

Fresh hop beers remain one of the brightest and most popular spots in the craft beer calendar but they are remarkably fragile, difficult to do well, and create challenges from sourcing ingredients to treatment throughout the process. This seminar offers keen insights from some top experts with deep experience in producing killer fresh hopped beers. This seminar offers a practical, brewer-focused guide to sourcing, transporting, and using fresh hops effectively, including how to determine dosing rates, optimize timing, and design recipes that highlight their distinctive qualities. Drawing on insights from growers, brewers, and researchers, the session examines both hot-side and cold-side applications, as well as key logistics like storage and shipping. It also presents findings from a collaborative trial involving Oregon breweries that compared fresh hop beers to dried hop controls, revealing how consumers perceive and prefer these styles. By combining technical guidance with consumer research, the seminar equips brewers to improve quality, streamline operations, and position fresh hop beers as compelling, in-demand seasonal offerings that resonate with drinkers and strengthen brand identity. Speakers include author Jeff Alworth, Matt Cole of Fat Head’s Brewery, Ben Edmunds of Breakside, Dr. Tom Shellhammer of Oregon State University, and Garrett Weaver of Coleman Agriculture.

Understanding Saisons: Practical Tips for Brewing a True-to-Style Belgian Farmhouse Ale

Small Brewery Production Track

Yvan De Baets is leading a seminar on brewing saison beer. What else do you need to know? Attend it.

My editor says I have to write some more words about this seminar. I’m not sure why. Well, if I must. 

Saison is one of craft brewing’s most celebrated yet misunderstood styles, and this seminar aims to correct the record while opening new creative paths. And Yvan De Baets of Brasserie de la Senne in Brussels is simply one of the foremost authorities on Belgian beer history and the saison style. He is the brewer that other brewers go to for information about brewing Belgian-style beers and he is known for his rigorous research and outspoken views. Never one to suffer fools, De Baets relishes challenging simplistic narratives about traditional styles. This seminar offers brewers an opportunity to benefit from a clearer, more flexible understanding of saison grounded in both history and modern practice. Drawing on historical evidence rather than modern assumptions, it challenges ideas like whether Saison must be “funky” or tied to a specific yeast strain. Attendees will leave with practical techniques, including alternative fermentation approaches and the Belgian practice of coupage, blending beers to create depth and balance. The session also explores how Saison connects to other Belgian traditions, offering a broader framework for recipe design.

Disruption Marketing: You Don’t Have the Budget to Be Boring

Strategic Business Management Track

In a crowded beer market, safe marketing rarely breaks through. This seminar examines how disruptive strategies can create real competitive advantage for breweries. Industry leaders share candid case studies, unpacking what worked, what failed, and how bold ideas translated into measurable growth. Attendees will learn to challenge category norms, uncover overlooked opportunities, and rethink customer engagement. The session also tackles a key friction point: gaining internal buy-in for unconventional ideas and aligning teams around them. Grounded in practical tactics rather than theory, this seminar equips brewers with tools to execute distinctive campaigns that drive results, not just attention, in an increasingly competitive landscape. The panel includes Rob Day of Vice President of Marketing at Barrel One Collective, Anna Sokratov, the Director of Marketing at Jeppson’s Malört, and Michelle Robertson, the Senior Brand Manager at New Belgium.

Hemp Beverages and the Future of Drinking

Small Brewery Leadership Track 

As breweries look beyond traditional categories, hemp beverages are gaining traction as a fast-growing segment. This panel, presented with the Hemp Beverage Alliance, brings together experts from across the supply chain to outline what entering this space actually involves. Attendees will get a clear, practical overview of regulatory conditions, along with best practices for formulation, safety, and labeling. The session also examines how hemp beverages move through distribution, how retailers merchandise them, and what effective marketing and consumer education look like in a still-evolving category.Drawing on real-world experience from producers, co-packers, and retailers, the panel helps breweries assess whether hemp beverages are a viable opportunity and how to approach the risks and operational complexities involved. Panelists include Oma Ansari of Surly Brewing, Shauna Barnes, the Founding Partner at Barnes Beverage Group, Christopher Lackner, the President of the Hemp Beverage Alliance, and Marc Sorini, the Vice President of Government Affairs at the Brewers Association.

How I Won This: A Roundtable Discussion with the 2025 GABF Brewers of the Year

Small Brewery Production Track

This discussion is one you can’t afford to miss if you want clear insights into how some of the country’s best brewers routinely score wins at highly competitive international competitions. Brewers know that winning at competitions like the Great American Beer Festival takes more than great beer. It requires strategy, precision, and an understanding of how competitions are judged. In this panel, 2025 GABF medalists join an experienced judge to break down what actually leads to success. From choosing the right categories and managing entry counts to refining recipes, cellar practices, and packaging, panelists will share candid insights drawn from their own results. Just as important, attendees will gain a judge’s perspective on how beers are evaluated and what separates medal winners from the rest. This session goes beyond competition tactics, offering practical guidance that can improve overall beer quality. Brewers will leave with a clearer sense of how to approach competitions thoughtfully while sharpening their process from brewhouse to package. The panel includes Tonya Cornett, brewer and owner at UPP Liquids, Jake Gardner, Director of Brewing and partner at Westbound & Down Brewing Company, Steve Luke, Head Brewer & founder at Cloudburst Brewing, and Kelly Montgomery, Head Brewer at Third Eye Brewing Company, and Brian Hutchinson, co-founder and Head Brewer at Cannonball Creek Brewing Company.

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Craft Beer Isn’t Dead: It’s Actually Where You Want To Be

Marketing & Branding and Statistics & Trends Tracks

Despite recent headlines, craft beer continues to show strength in key areas, if you know where to look. This session brings together industry professionals to examine data that highlights where beer is succeeding relative to wine and spirits, and how breweries can align with those trends. Panelists will explore the growth of specific beer styles, evolving consumer behaviors like “better-for-you” preferences, and how these shifts can be leveraged through product development, marketing, and branding. The conversation will also touch on packaging innovation and strategies for reaching younger consumers, including Gen Z. Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all solution, this panel aims to provide a grounded look at what’s working now, and how breweries of all sizes can respond with intention. For those interested in practical, data-informed approaches to navigating a changing marketplace, this session offers tools to better understand and adapt to where the opportunities lie.

Building THC Into Your Business: Production and Innovation of THC Beverages in a Brewery

Non-beer Beverage Production Track

As consumer interest in cannabis beverages grows, breweries are exploring how to integrate THC products into their operations. This panel brings together industry professionals with hands-on experience in the production of hemp-derived THC beverages to share insights and practical considerations for breweries entering the space. Topics will include sourcing cannabinoids, selecting appropriate emulsions, packaging and stability concerns, and navigating co-packing relationships. The session will also examine product development strategies, flavor and dosage trends, and current on- and off-premise sales data. Panelists will address frequently asked questions about cannabis production in brewery settings and offer guidance on compliance, safety, and promoting responsible consumption. Whether you’re actively developing a THC beverage or evaluating the opportunity, this session provides a grounded look at the challenges and opportunities facing breweries in this evolving segment.

Seat at the Table: State and Federal Issues Your Brewery Needs to Know

Government Affairs & Legal Track

Nearly every aspect of brewery operations, including ingredients, labeling, distribution, and retail, is shaped by legislation and regulation at both the state and federal levels. In this session, Marc Sorini, Vice President of Government Affairs at the Brewers Association, will provide an overview of the key legal and regulatory issues currently affecting breweries. The discussion will cover recent developments, emerging legislation, and how these changes may impact daily operations and long-term planning. Attendees will also gain a clearer understanding of how to engage with the policy process to protect and advocate for their business interests. This session is intended for brewery professionals looking to stay informed about the legal landscape and better navigate the regulatory environment in a rapidly evolving industry.

Having a Sense for Sensory: Incorporating Sensory Training into Your Beer Education Portfolio

Brewpubs & Taprooms Track

Sensory training is a valuable but often overlooked component of beer education in taproom and brewpub settings. While staff are commonly trained on beer styles, brewing processes, and proper service, sensory skills, including basic off-flavor identification, are frequently treated as optional. This session, led by Jen Blair and LaTreace Harris, will explore how to make sensory training a consistent and practical part of staff development and public education. The discussion will focus on accessible approaches to building sensory awareness, incorporating hands-on learning, and using partnerships with producers and culinary professionals to enrich training programs. Attendees will leave with ideas for implementing sensory education at varying levels of depth, tailored to different roles and motivations. This session is intended for those looking to enhance staff engagement, improve communication around beer flavor, and foster a deeper appreciation for beer among customers.

Evaluating the Behavior of Foodborne Pathogens in Packaged Non-Alcohol Beer

Researcher Presentations

The CBC also provides a venue for researchers doing work relevant to the craft beer industry and offers them an opportunity to learn more about select topics and ask questions of the presenters. Roxana Navarro is a faculty research assistant at Oregon State University where she manages the Food Safety Systems Laboratory, which aims to help industries solve their food safety and spoilage related issues. Her research and educational focus areas include fermentation microbiology, and she has worked at Boston Beer as a new product developer for beyond beer products. As interest in non-alcoholic beer continues to grow, so does the need to understand its microbial safety, particularly during storage. In her research presentation, Navarro will share findings from a study evaluating how three foodborne pathogens, Salmonella, E. coli, and Staphylococcus aureus, behave in both hopped and unhopped non-alcoholic beer stored at ambient and refrigerated temperatures. Unlike previous studies conducted with de-carbonated samples, this research preserves original carbonation to assess the potential influence of dissolved CO₂ on pathogen survival. Given the absence of alcohol and the relatively high pH of NA beer, understanding these dynamics is critical for producers focused on safety in packaged products. This session provides new data to inform risk assessment and storage protocols in the growing NA category.