What changes at America’s largest beer festival reveal about the future of craft beer
America's largest beer festival is getting a dramatic makeover, and the changes may reflect a much bigger shift in the craft beer industry.
When the Great American Beer Festival returns Oct. 10–11, it will move from its longtime home at the Colorado Convention Center to an outdoor event at Denver’s Levitt Pavilion, with lower ticket prices, two daytime sessions and a greater focus on brewer interaction, live music and festival-style experiences.
The changes come as the craft beer industry faces rising , slower growth and changing consumer habits.
, professor of entrepreneurship at Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØBoulder's Leeds School of Business and co-host of the podcast , can discuss:
- What GABF’s shift toward experiences and brewer interaction could signal for the craft beer industry.
- How craft beer is evolving from a growth industry into a mature market, including why some breweries continue to thrive while others struggle or close.Â
- How changing consumer habits are affecting breweries’ business models, including taprooms, events and destination experiences.