Early bird registration for the 2023 Craft Malt Conference is now open. The sixth annual event themed “Celebrating 10 Years” to commemorate the Guild’s tenth anniversary is scheduled for March 16-18, 2023 in Portland, Maine.
“Celebrating a decade is extra special for us, so understandably we are excited to get the craft malt community back together to celebrate! This will be the first time many from our community have been in person together since 2020,” says Jesse Bussard, Guild Executive Director. “In 2023, we are also happy to continue to make craft malt education accessible to everyone by offering a virtual conference registration option to allow those unable to travel to Maine to tune into the live, in-person educational offerings.”
Craft malting in North America has experienced incredible growth over the past decade with the Guild’s Member Malthouse cohort rising from 8 craft maltsters in 2013 to nearly 70 today.
A not-to-be-missed milestone celebration, those making the trek to Maine can expect a packed three days of conference activities. The event will start Thursday, March 16 with a series of pre-conference tours featuring chances for behind-the-scenes visits to Allagash Brewing Company and the University of Southern Maine’s Quality Control Collaboratory in Portland, and Blue Ox Malthouse in Lisbon Falls. The day ends with a Welcome Reception at the Holiday Inn By the Bay, the host hotel and convention center.
Two days of educational seminars, a trade show, and networking sessions are scheduled for Friday, March 17, and Saturday, March 18. The 2023 Malt Cup Awards Ceremony will take place during a reception dinner on the evening of Friday, March 17, and also be broadcast live for public viewing on the Guild’s social media channels.
While seminar planning is still underway, the 2023 conference docket includes a wide array of sessions covering trending topics from across the craft malt supply chain such as American Single Malt Whiskey, distilling with brewer’s malts, lager brewing and malt selection, barley breeding, small grains agronomics, and malt flavor.
Confirmed speakers to date include the following:
- Joel Alex, Blue Ox Malthouse
- Kevin Brent Smith, Company Distilling
- Josh Buck, Maine Malt House
- Jason Cody, Colorado Malting Company
- Vince Coonce, Technical Malting and Brewing Consultant
- Dr. Heather Darby, University of Vermont
- David Griggs, Crisp Malt
- Becky Harris, American Craft Spirits Association and Catoctin Creek Distillery
- Steve Hawley, American Single Malt Whiskey Commission
- John Holl, All About Beer Magazine
- Emily Hutto, RadCraft
- Dr. Yueshu Li, Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre
- Brent Manning, Riverbend Malt House
- Twila Soles, Grouse Malt House
- Dr. Mark Sorrells, Cornell University
- Andrea Stanley, Valley Malt
- Sean Towers, The Seed: A Living Beer Project
More speakers, our 2023 keynote, and a full schedule with detailed session descriptions are set to be released in November.
Early bird registration rates are $450 per person for Craft Maltsters Guild members and $650 per person for non-members. Virtual early bird registration is $150 for Guild members and $250 for non-members. These rates will be available until January 15th. After that time, all registration fees will increase by $50. Register here.
As part of the Guild’s continuing DEI initiative, scholarships to attend the Craft Malt Conference will again be offered to individuals from underrepresented groups in the craft malting industry. Two in-person attendance scholarships and three virtual attendance opportunities are available, with all awards including one year of complimentary individual membership with the Guild. More information about the scholarships and the link to the application can be found on the Guild website.
The Holiday Inn By the Bay in Portland, ME will serve as our base for lodging and most activities for the conference. Room reservations can be made online.
General questions and sponsorship inquiries can be directed via email to Guild Executive Director, Jesse Bussard, [email protected].
Contact Emily Hutto at [email protected] with media inquiries about the 2023 Craft Malt Conference.