One is not used to the attention on the D list. ;D
Listening or even watching the seminars online doesn’t really compare to being able to attend in person. You can’t ask questions, talk to them afterwards, or sample the presentation samples online.
Meeting and talking with other homebrewers from across the country (and sometimes world) is also not to be overlooked.
At the Homebrew Expo you get to see demos (and oftentimes samples) of all sorts of different/new products.
Sorry I’m going to miss this year BDawg. I have a feeling BNA10 is going to be epic. Have a great time and hope to run into you next year.
Not only can you see the new gadgets and gizmolics that are on display, you can talk to the venders, like say John Blichmann, who has a great sense of humor.
You can also meet and talk to the authors who are there to sell their books. That are great people, as Amanda has pointed out about Stan H.
Pro Brewers often present and hang out, why? Because it is the “Best 3 days of beer related activities ever!”
Had to work that in again.
What are Drew and I, chopped liver? 
well, no, just your book.
AAAYYY!!!
LMAO!
Daaaamn!
Tyrannasaurus REKT!
[Link to list of US Burn Centers]
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(sorry, thought I was on r/homebrewing for a second. love you guys!) ;D
You two are on the A list, no mention is necessary!
You guys were the liveliest and most entertaining session at NHC 2014.
Agreed. Somehow you guys made waking up the morning after Club Night worth it. Ha!
FWIW, I can’t imagine having something like this within driving distance and not going.
If it helps, it sounds like Keith’s out, so I have half a hotel room available. It’s the half without the bathroom, but still.
Thanks, Mark. We hope to top that this year!
Ok, I’m going to try to make it (provided there’s no issue with my taking the time off work).
I wonder if there are still hotel rooms available at the main site. I guess I’ll look into that this weekend.
If you can’t book one, watch for offers to share on here. A10t2, also known as Sean made his own humorous offer to share (sort of) the room.
If you’re serious, I’ll take you up on that offer.
My wife and I attended the 2014 NHC in Grand Rapids for the first time. We attended with a group of about 15-20 of our club members and participated in Club Night and Social Club. We’re part of the Urban Knaves of Grain homebrew club from DuPage County, IL and we were dressed as the Monks and Nuns on Club night.
I didn’t even get to enjoy half of what the conference had to offer due to running around and doing things with our club memebrs and sampling the local city brews. But, while there, we were having such a great time and meeting great people, we decided then and there that we were going to San Diego in 2015.
We’re excited to be going there this year and made a vacation out of the trip taking some time in LA before the conference and extra time in SD after the conference.
And, this year, I will be getting to more of the seminars and such.
All-in-all, I’d tell you to go for it. With the conference being close to home, it gives you a great opportunity to check it out with a smaller investment than traveling out of state.
I am registered…but now may not be able to attend. It was to be my first conference :-.…still not sure and won’t know till the end of the week. I recently opened a small LHBS and have industry track registration along with banquet tickets…all for 2. I sure hope to use them but in the event we cannot make it, I might be able to offer some tickets if they are needed.
I read a lot here…don’t post…just learn
This will be my fifth and I’ve really enjoyed each and every one of them. For my money, the Philadelphia AHA Conference was the gold standard. The hotel and layout were superb, the exhibititon center was huge and the acoustics were good and the Philadelphia beer scene was very, very impressive.
What I was not crazy about in Grand Rapids was the way the home brews at the exhibition hall were somewhat overshadowed by the number of commrcial breweries that were serving their beer. In Philly, only Moonlight Meadery poured commercial products; last year there were numerous commercial breweries. They tended to take away from the homebrews that were being poured in the exhibition hall. Our club brought 24 kegs from NC based on the fact that we blew all of our kegs in Philly and we didn’t come close in Grand rapids; most our kegs went during the set up in the exhibition hall in Philly. I can fully understand that sponsorship is key but it shouldn’t come at the expense of homebrew.
I will have to disagree about the acoustics. I could not stay long in the hall where they held pro night or club night due to the noise. Otherwise it was a great conference.
I didn’t have any problems with noise there at all. I had more of an issue in Grand Rapids.
I don’t recall how many conferences I’ve been to, but my first was in 2008. so, let’s see how many years that is…more than a few but not as many as I hope to get to over the next few years!
I have a great time, and see old friends and meet new ones every year. I’m really looking forward to this one again.
Since my husband has only gone once (he hates being away from home in the summer), I go solo but it doesn’t ever feel like that. I enjoy the seminars, going on brewery tours (I always go early just for this), seeing friends, judging the NHC, and enjoying the best beer I’ve ever had.
It really is a great experience, and if it’s in your backyard you may really regret missing it. I live in the middle of nowhere, without even a freeway within 150 miles, but I still manage to go almost every year!
Same here…I couldn’t hear the opening speeches and I was only about 50 feet from the stage. But the layout was nice and getting to experience the Lagunitas geiser was special.