CHATHAM, Mich. — This year, the Great Lakes Hop and Barley Conference is sporting a fresh name and expanded scope as a new collaborative conference.
The Great Beer State Conference and Trade Show will unite the former Great Lakes Hop and Barley Conference and Michigan Brewers Guild Winter Conference, providing content focused on beer, hops, barley and malt. This will expand opportunities for brewers, growers and processors to develop relationships and share information. The conference will be held on Jan. 12-14, 2022, at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa in Acme, Michigan.
Hop and barley sessions will include research updates from Michigan State University faculty, grower panels on important topics and time for discussion. Featured hop topics include a spotted lanternfly update by Rufus Isaacs, a Diaporthe presentation by Tim Miles and a panel addressing the status of the hop supply chain. Featured barley topics include variety and management trial reports from MSU and Cornell University, a look at alternative barley markets with Alyssa Hartman of the Artisan Grain Collaborative and updates from representatives of the American Malting Barley Association and Michigan Craft Beverage Council. Attendees will also have access to brewer topics of interest. See the tentative agenda here for more information.
Registration
Registration includes access to all educational tracks, materials and meals as indicated in the draft agenda. Registration starts at $300. Register now at the link below for the best rates and to ensure your spot! Growers need to select the “Member Registration” option and on the next page click the “MSU Affiliate” box.
If you plan to host a booth at the trade show, register using the vendor link below. Vendor registration includes conference access.
For previous sponsors of the Great Lakes Hop and Barley Conference that choose not to purchase a tradeshow booth but are still interested in supporting the hop and barley conference tracks, please contact us (Rob Sirrine, sirrine@msu.edu; Erin Lizotte, taylo548@msu.edu; James DeDecker, dedecke5@msu.edu) to discuss sponsorship opportunities.
Hotel reservations
Rooms at the Grand Traverse Resort are available starting at $109 per night plus a $18.95 daily resort fee and tax and CVB fees of 11%. To guarantee this rate, you must book your room by Dec. 10. There are various room options available. The resort is requesting that you use the link below to book your room online:
— Michigan State University, Upper Peninsula Research and Extension Center
