as I sit here feeling sorry for myself for not going to NHC in San Diego, Seattle Beer News announced that NHC 2012 is in the Seattle area. After 18 years with this hobby all alone, I have decided to announce that I am attending my first NHC in 2012.
Please join me.
Gary
Denver, CO.
No flight. Can visit my sis. I’m in! ;D
Steve
Portland, Oregon
I just might try to make that one a goal myself for next year…I have never visited the Pacific Northwest. And in all the years I’ve been brewing never been to a brew convention either.
Sure would be great to meet some of the nice folks on the boards!
Good decision!
I’m experiencing both my first conference and my first trip to San Diego. Let me say that it’s been amazing so far, and the conference hasn’t even started. The hospitality shown to us by Ale Smith, Pizza Port, and other local places has been great. And the organizers have been awesome… thanks for all their hard work.
How long until it’s on the east coast again? I dunno the distribution of AHA members but it seems slightly unfair to not alternate more often.
[Edit for reduced snark]
My votes:
NHC 2013 in Paris
NHC 2014 Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (I’ll supply the mead)
If you guys want me to help organize that for 2013, I can certainly do it, although it wouldn’t necessarily be the NHC Just don’t come here in the Summer, there are too many tourists as it is.
I would totally fly to Hawaii despite its nearly 1,200 EUR per person flight price tag, but that’s because it’s Hawaii. I guess I’m just a little upset because I’d really love to participate, at least every other year… I know Seattle is really far away from San Diego, but it’s still difficult - either one is 1,000 EUR for me, but then again I’m a special case and you can’t make everybody happy.
I looked at the past nine NHC locations, and there is a pretty reasonable distribution, so maybe I just need to eat some breakfast and not be as cranky.
Hell I’ll probably even go to the one in 2012 (Carl, you coming too?).
easy enough to arrange a trip to visit my wife’s family in oregon, but i will need to find a reason to get the kitchen pass to go to seattle 8)
I’ve always like the Seattle area, and haven’t been there in years. Now I have the perfect excuse to go next year.
edit: Paris and Hawaii would work too… 8)
Would love to go. However, the odds of me going diminish the farther you get away from the East Coast.
…there’s always a chance.
365 days and counting… 
I am planning to attend my 1st NHC in Seattle, as long as something doesn’t come up to screw up my plans like every other year ( surgeries, death, job, etc ).
As you might expect, there’s going to be the usual grumbling about another West Coast NHC, but it’s all up to the local clubs getting together and putting a bid in. With that said, I think there will be a big push for Philly in 2013.
The conference program this year is already advertising Philly in 2013. Hope that it’s not just a tease…
Philly is a go for 2013.
The local clubsdo the heavy lifting for these. Give the credit to the PA clubs for stepping up.
I think it makes perfect sense to have it in Seattle. The PNW is a beer mecca. Anyway, I think the majority of ya’ll couldn’t handle the heat down here. 
Gotta agree there Euge! 8)
Philly is definitely a possibility for me. Just got back from a Baltimore/Philly trip and I definitely want to go back. Would be cool if they tie it in with Philly Beer Week too.
i disagree…not that the PNW is a beer mecca, as it is…but that a NHC has little to do with craft beer. Its about homebrewing. NHC can be anywhere because you can homebrew anywhere.
You may not want to do that tie-in considering how insanely crowded Philly gets during that week. I just wish they’d make it a weekend or two later so that school will be out for the summer and us folks with kids would be able to go.
Well, it can’t exactly be anywhere because you need to have enough “club power” to pull it off and the right facility. Also, you’d be surprised at how many people attend because of the proximity of commercial breweries. There are a LOT of people who came to San Diego on sat. before a Thur. conference in order to tour breweries.
As Denny said, it takes some clubs with organization and motivation to do the NHC. WA has that. It also helps that they have a strong pool of BJCP judges to do the final round.
Man, how can you have a NHC without all of the iced bussing trays full of microbrews to choose from at all of the breakout sessions? Or all of the kegged microbrews at the dinner and commercial night? Homebrew alone could not carry the load by itself at the NHCs.
Think: All Beer - All The Time! It is amazing!!
(that’s why it takes a few days to recover once you’ve returned home)