Imagine our Brewing Future: 2020
At the World Brewing Congress 2012 in Portland, Oregon, USA, the organizers’ faces were beaming and for good reason: The Master Brewers Association of the Americas (MBAA) and the American Society of Brewing Chemists (ASBC) jointly hosted the event, and they were very pleased by this year’s attendance numbers. With a total of 1157 registered participants, it was the largest for this event so far. The schedule of the five-day convention, held from July 28th until August 1st, left the participants spoiled for choice: In 22 technical sessions from A as in analytical to M as in microbiology or Q as in quality considerations down to Y as in yeast, a plethora of information was available for the attendees on the latest scientific findings as well as the most current practical issues facing the industry. With up to four presentations running simultaneously, attendees were presented with a variety of lectures, workshops and round table discussions, all taking place under this year’s motto: “Imagine our Brewing Future: 2020”. The large brewing organizations, for instance, the Institute of Brewing & Distilling (IBD), the Brewery Convention of Japan (BCOJ) and the European Brewery Convention (EBC), attracted attendees to their respective symposia, where they presented information about their own organizations, on-going projects and current research. Aside from lectures, the attendees, who hailed from 25 countries, had the opportunity to peruse information offered by over 120 exhibitors during their noontime breaks. For those seeking further information regarding the latest research findings, 180 posters were exhibited at the event. Those with question concerning the posters could discuss their content with their respective presenters. Various tours to breweries and suppliers and also local places of interest as well as evening gatherings enhanced the WBC’s daily event schedule.