The 2025 Annual Great Beer State Conference and Trade Show returned to Kalamazoo, Michigan, from January 8-10, delivering everything attendees love and more. Along with the signature highlights that make this event a staple of the brewing community, this year introduced two tracks: one spotlighting mental wellness in the brewing industry and another designed to support the growth and success of new and emerging breweries.
Great Beer State Conference 2025
We were thrilled to participate in the 2025 Great Beer State Conference! Beyond the event photos, we moderated a roundtable discussion on taproom events. Chuck moderated, and I took notes. The session went well; thank you if you attended the session. I was worried we’d be the only ones in the room.
Supporting Michigan’s craft beer scene has always been close to our hearts, and it feels especially crucial right now. Since our launch in 2012, documenting Michigan’s craft beer culture has been central to our mission.
In 2023, we introduced The Sunday Sip on Substack. Think of it as a postcard from the Great Lakes State, featuring what Chuck enthusiastically calls “The best event listing in the state! LOCAL music, LOCAL beer, LOCAL fun—DIG IT!” If you’re hosting an event, we’d love to include it in our listing—just email us the details.
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Conference Kick-Off
The Executive Director of the Michigan Brewers Guild, Scott Graham, opened the conference by recognizing key partners who made the event possible, including the Master Brewers Association of the Americas – District Michigan (MBAA) and Michigan State University Extension (MSU). He also thanked sponsors such as John I. Haas, Discover Kalamazoo, and others who contributed to events like the Bloody Mary Bar, lunches, and the awards dinner.
Reflecting on the brewing industry’s history, Graham provided a unique perspective by examining its growth in 25-year intervals. From the early days of small, local breweries to the explosion of craft beer in Michigan—growing from fewer than 100 breweries in 2000 to over 400 today—he painted an optimistic picture for the future.
In closing, Graham introduced keynote speaker Leah Cheston, co-founder of Right Proper Brewing Company in Washington, D.C., noting her leadership within the Brewers Association and her efforts to advance the industry nationally.
Keynote Speaker
Leah Cheston, co-founder of Right Proper Brewing in Washington, D.C., delivered an inspiring keynote, reflecting on the challenges and opportunities in the beer industry.
She acknowledged the industry’s current struggles, including tight margins, shifting consumer habits, and the exhaustion of constantly innovating to attract customers. Despite these challenges, she emphasized the importance of revisiting the core “why” behind each business, asking, “Why do we exist, and what happens if we don’t? The world needs creativity. It needs the color. Our breweries add vibrancy to our communities, and that’s worth fighting for.”
For Right Proper their mission is to create spaces that bring communities together, inspire creativity, and enhance quality of life. Leah urged brewers not to feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of challenges, reminding them to “Focus on the one next thing. Don’t get stuck on the enormity of the task ahead—just take the next step forward.”
Conference Sessions
The schedule of events was stacked! It overflowed into the morning before the tradeshow. I want to highlight two sessions: The Power of Collaboration and Creating Events for Experiences. I took the best notes during these sessions, and, let’s be honest, I am interested.
The Power of Collaboration: Building Brand and Community through Creative Partnerships
Nick Nerbonne from Travel Michigan emphasized that collaboration drives success in branding by fostering shared goals, tapping into local resources, and strengthening community bonds. He encouraged breweries and businesses to seek creative partnerships, involve local tourism organizations, and prioritize authentic storytelling to enhance their reach and impact.
Importance of Collaboration
The brewing industry thrives on partnerships that share knowledge, extend market reach, and create unique products. Collaborations aren’t limited to breweries; they include partnerships with non-profits, educational institutions, and local businesses. Cross-industry partnerships extend brand visibility and audience engagement.
Slipped between the numerous examples he shared, I was surprised to see our collaboration on the screen. Of course, I was thrilled!
Nick said it was a unique collaboration for an online magazine or publication to be interested in doing a collaboration. “But then for a brewery to say, this can benefit us, and this can help them, and it can interest our audience. I thought that it was very unique that they’re stepping outside of the traditional collaborations.”
When I mentioned to Nick that I was working on an article about Michigan beer collaborations, he immediately expressed interest in diving deeper into the topic. Now, I’d like to extend the same opportunity to all of you. If you’ve been part of a unique collaboration or have an inspiring story to share, I’d love to hear about it.
Let’s showcase the creativity and community spirit that define Michigan’s brewing industry—reach out and let me know!
Creating Events & Experiences for Taproom Success
It was a laid-back brainstorming session. Everyone was quick to share fun ideas for events to draw in crowds, build community vibes, and amp up sales. Event suggestions included unique offerings like silent discos, adult coloring book nights, improv nights, LARP (live-action role-playing) events, soapbox derbies, and hosting business collaboration meetings.
Key takeaways included the importance of community involvement and effective partnerships. While events can be resource-intensive, they can be instrumental in differentiating breweries and enhancing customer loyalty.
Weighing the Benefits and Challenges of Events
It was noted that events can create discontent. Some regulars might not appreciate the disruptions caused by events or, if there is live music, the noise. And yes, events are more work.
Details include:
- Consider discussing with your town leaders, local business owners, or community members to identify slow periods and uncover gaps in available activities
- Experiment with smaller, low-cost events to gauge interest before scaling up
- Use apps like Community for direct text communication.
- Streamline event promotion through platforms like Eventbrite or Toast (newsletter option)
- List your event on Pure Michigan and Hop Passport
Event Ideas
The round table discussion generated many ideas generally falling into the following categories:
Milestone events include anniversary parties or a founders’ day. More time was needed to dive into the nitty-gritty of event planning and promotion. A roundtable discussion on tools, strategies, and techniques for successful event planning and execution would be a good topic for a future conference.
Brewers Guild Annual Meeting
The Guild’s annual meeting is held during the conference, and the new board was elected:
- Andrea Pernsteiner of Ore Dock Brewing in Marquette, President
- Edward Stencel of Unexpected Craft Brewing Co. in Royal Oak, Vice President
- Jason Spaulding of Brewery Vivant in Grand Rapids & Broad Leaf Brewery & Spirits in Kentwood, Secretary
- Justin Buiter of Railtown Brewing Co. in Dutton, Treasurer
- Aaron Ross from the Sustainable Brewing Program at Kalamazoo Valley Community College
- Eric Plata from Batch Brewing Co. in Detroit
- Jef Smith from Loaded Dice Brewery in Troy
Awards and Such
Ted Badgerow of Ypsi Alehouse was honored with the prestigious Tom Burns Award. This award celebrates individuals who exemplify the pioneering spirit of Michigan’s brewing industry. It recognizes those whose dedication, passion, and perseverance have significantly shaped the Great Beer State, all while fostering collaboration and support within Michigan’s beer community.
The Michigan Beer Champion Award—recognizing an individual, organization, or business that actively supports and advocates for Michigan’s craft beer industry—was awarded to Annette May. Annette, a full-time beer and saké educator, has been a steadfast advocate for promoting and protecting the industry. She couldn’t personally accept the award since it was the first night of the Winter Semester at Schoolcraft College Brewing and Distillation Technology. Kim Schneider accepted it for her.
Finally, Fred Buetlmenn curated a lovely memorial video honoring Ron Jeffries.
8th Annual Michigan Chinook Cup
The Hop Growers of Michigan presented the 8th Annual Michigan Chinook. The Michigan Chinook Cup is awarded to the Great Beer State’s best Chinook hop grower as determined by a panel of expert craft brewers through a series of blind sensory tests.
Alec Mull, General Manager at Bell’s Brewery and past president of the Hop Quality Group (HQG), presented awards:
First Place award to Ken Porter and Jim Mikesell of Dog Star Hops.
Second Place was awarded to Mr. Wizard Hops in Monroe.
Third Place honors went to Bell’s Brewery in Comstock.
Trade Show
If the trade show was smaller this year, it must have been sneaky about it because I didn’t notice a thing! I was glad it was held at the Radisson—it felt like a perfect fit. The setup made everything feel more connected to the conference, and it was great to see folks lingering longer at each booth, soaking it all in.
Beer Dinner
Under the expert guidance of Beervangelist Fred Bueltmann, the talented team at the Radisson Plaza Kalamazoo crafted a truly memorable dinner. What made it so special? The perfectly curated beer and food pairings. When Fred is behind the pairings, you’re in for a one-of-a-kind culinary adventure. His knack for matching the intricate flavors and nuances of each beer with complementary ingredients elevates the entire dining and tasting experience to an entirely new level.
Pictures
Check out the gallery for more photos of the Great Beer State Conference.
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