ONTA R I O C R A F T B R E W E R S CONFERENCE
Ontario Craft Brewers shares fresh insight and
approaches for rapidly growing craft beer market
Ontario Craft Brewers, the provincial industry association representing indepen-dent
craft brewers, celebrated the success of all its members – and the industry
as a whole – at OCBC 2018, while also announcing details that its annual con-ference
will be held at the Scotiabank Convention Centre in Niagara Falls, Oct. 29–30,
2019. The OCB annual general meeting was also held in conjunction with the confer-ence,
which included the election of the incoming Board of Directors.
The seventh annual Ontario Craft Brewers Conference & Suppliers Marketplace
took place on Wednesday, Nov. 7–8, 2018, at the Beanfield Centre at Exhibition Place
in Toronto.
“The OCB annual conference and trade show represents everything that makes
craft brewing in Ontario so significant and special,” said Scott Simmons, president at
Ontario Craft Brewers. “We share ideas, processes and thoughts on how to grow the
industry – it’s a unique combination of respectful competition and busi-ness
companionship.”
Keynote speakers, technical talks, breakout sessions,
hops sessions, cider sessions, mentoring workshops and
other timely industry talks highlighted the two-day
event, along with a Suppliers Marketplace.
The craft beer segment in Ontario contin-ues
to grow at an incredible rate, including a
20 per cent jump in sales versus a year ago,
and now represents eight per cent of beer
sales in Ontario.
Ontario Craft Brewers (OCB) is an
association of 90-plus small, indepen-dent
brewers dedicated to making great-tasting,
high-quality beer across the
province. OCB develops and produces
hundreds of different brands and styles
of beers using fresh, all-natural ingredi-ents
in communities throughout Ontario.
These craft breweries are located in over
110 communities across the province and
in total, there are over 270 operating brewer-ies
and brewpubs, with an estimated 75-plus
in various planning stages. For more informa-tion,
visit www.ontariocraftbrewers.com.
Photos: Ontario Craft Brewers
WINTER 2019 § POURED CANADA § 21
/www.ontariocraftbrewers.com
