Hosted by USA Hops, registration for the 63rd Annual American Hop Convention is now open! The conference will be held Jan. 23-25, 2019 at the Portola Hotel in Monterey, CA.

The 2019 convention offers multiple educational sessions, market updates, and opportunities for networking with hop producers, merchants, brewers, and hop industry experts (Figures 1 and 2). The Brewers Association will present the results of their annual hop usage survey and delve into craft brewing and hop usage trends.

Figure 2. Participants mingle at the Palm Springs Air Museum prior to the announcement of the 2018 Cascade Cup. 

The 2019 convention will take place at the Portola Hotel in Monterey, CA. Due to the popularity of the convention, attendees are encouraged to book their hotel rooms as soon as possible. Alternative hotels are within walking distance of the conference and can be found here. If you have any questions, please contact Rachel Becker, Event Coordinator, rbecker@wahops.org. 

Attendees will be in for a special treat- a night at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, where attendees will have dinner and full access to all exhibits. Convention registration details can be found here. For a preliminary schedule of events visit the USA Hops Convention page. As a reminder, USA HOPS archives past conference presentations. The 2018 conference presentations can be found here.

In addition to all the educational opportunities, the winner of the 2018 Cascade Cup will be revealed at the Convention (Figure 3). Stay tuned for more information on submitting hop samples for the most revered trophy in hop growing.

Figure 3. Jeff Steinman (left) and Nunzino Pizza (right) of Hop Head Farms in Hickory Corners, MI celebrate their 4th place finish in the 2018 cascade cup. 

The convention coincides with the Hop Research Council (HRC) Winter Meeting. In addition to the annual reporting session, the HRC will be hosting a poster session for researchers involved in hop production, processing, and brewing. For information on submitting a poster, please contact HRC Co-Technical Director, Judith Thoet (Judith@bjagriculturalconsulting.com).  The HRC directs and funds hop research for the benefit of the U.S. hop industry.

Save the Date!

Join us in Traverse City Michigan for the 2019 Great Lakes Hop and Barley Conference on Mar. 1-2, 2019 at the Park Place Hotel right downtown. This year will include a special focus on nutrient and water management, weed control and pruning and training in hops. If you are interested in sponsorship or vendor opportunities, contact Betsy Braid at braidbet@msu.edu.    

Please continue to visit Michigan State University Extension’s hop webpage or the MSU Hops News Facebook site for up to date information.