The 2015 Beer Bloggers and Writers Conference is only 3 days away! Good times, awesome education, and beer networking await your arrival in Asheville. We are really pumped about THE annual conference of all things beer + words and look forward to seeing each and every one of you, soon. This post serves as information about the Night of Many Beers and a general recap of the Participants Packet which you have already received via email. Have additional questions? The Facebook Group for Alumni & Registered Attendees is a great place to ask. Lots of conference chatter going on, there. The #BBC15 is off the hook, already…
NIGHT OF MANY BEERS
The Night of Many Beers on Friday, July 17 at 10:30 pm is the beer share event of the conference. This all-attendee assembly aims to bring everyone together from different beer-oriented parts of the country to share beers and swap stories from all over the beer-oriented U.S attendee demographic. This event has a homegrown feel – feel free to bring one, six-pack, growler or bomber of your favorite or hard to get or something you’ve been cellaring (or anything else, really).
PLEASE DROP OFF YOUR BEER for NIGHT OF MANY BEERS in ADVANCE:
- Attendees can drop off beer for the Night of Many Beers at the start of Registration (11 AM) on Friday, July 17 in the Foyer and until the Conference Start (at 12:50 PM).
- Please also include your name, blog/company, Twitter handle and the beer specs with your Night of Many Beers drop off.
- We recommend picking up your BBC15 registration badge, dropping off your brew and then grabbing a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants in downtown Asheville (the conference hotel is in the heart of downtown Asheville) before returning to hear Julia Herz from the Brewers Association kick off BBC15 at 12:50 pm in the Ballroom.
DINING at the CONFERENCE – WHAT’S PROVIDED
- Friday, July 17 DINNER sponsored by and at Sierra Nevada Brewing (transportation provided)
- Saturday, July 18 LUNCH provided by Craft Central in the Ballroom at the conference hotel
- IMPORTANT: Saturday, July 18 Dinner is ON YOUR OWN. Downtown Asheville is a hub of culinary deliciousness. The restaurants Rhubarb, Curate, Soltis, Buchon, Mela, and Farm Burger have all been highly recommended to us by the Asheville Brewers Alliance.
- These are all walkable from the hotel and, more importantly, en route to The Asheville Brewdown at The Millroom evening party hosted by Asheville Brewers Alliance and Explore Asheville. The evening party starts at 8:30 PM on Saturday and is a sensory-oriented evening of entertainment (live music!) and learning. There will be food + beer pairings at the party but we do recommend you eat a full dinner, beforehand.
- Please note! The evening party begins at 8:30 PM. The Millroom is only a mile from the host hotel. If you are walking to The Millroom after dinner on your own, please be on time – this is going to be an awesome event. There is a trolley that will be shuttling attendees from the Four Points Sheraton Asheville hotel to The Millroom for the Saturday evening party, as well. The first trolley leaves the hotel at 8:10 PM sharp. The trolley will also take guests back to the host hotel beginning at 10:30 PM and again at 11:00 PM, if needed. Otherwise you can walk back to your hotel or take a taxi after the event.
- If you’re walking….map to the Millroom from the Four Points Sheraton Asheville hotel:
- Sunday, July 19 LUNCH is provided for those on the post-conference excursion
GENERAL BBC15 FAQ
How do I get from the airport to the host hotel, the Four Points Sheraton Asheville ?
Address = 22 Woodfin St., Asheville, NC 28801
The hotel does not offer shuttle service. We recommend booking a taxi upon arrival or reserving a shuttle in advance. The Asheville Airport Shuttle and Asheville Airport Express both charge $40 one way and a taxi costs about $45. If you are staying at the overflow hotel, the Crown Plaza Tennis and Golf Resort, they do offer a shuttle service. Call them (828) 254-3211 at least a day in advance to reserve your pick up or drop off, which will cost $20 per trip when you mention you’re a part of BBC15.
Parking at the Four Points Sheraton Asheville
Just get a parking permit at the front desk upon check in and place it on the dash during your visit.
Conference Registration
Friday, July 17 11 AM – 12:50 PM in the hotel FOYER
Please remember: you must be wearing your conference badge to attend any parts of the conference. Because of limitations for seating and meals, we cannot accept walk-ins at any of the session or functions. We are so humbled…BBC15 is a SOLD OUT conference. Just bring yourself to the registration desk to get your conference badge – we’ll check you off the list and voilá! We will also staff the Registration Desk throughout the conference if you’re late to the party.
Where is the Agenda?
The Agenda is on the BBC website. There will also be Agenda boards at the Registration desk. Helpful hint: snap a picture of the Agenda board with your smarty phone and save it to your phone desktop. Handy reference for knowing what’s up, next!
What should I wear?
Dress as you feel comfortable! Just please be sure to wear clothes. For the excursion, dress for comfort and for walking around. A little depends on the weather…
Weather in Asheville
We all know weather can change on a dime (or at least as quick as you can finish a pint). Currently, NOAA forecasts clear, sunny skies Thursday and Friday with highs in the mid to upper 80’s and night time temps in the high 60’s. Partly cloudy with 30% chance of thunderstorms with similar temps the remainder of the conference.
Recycling
Everything that can will be recycled. The hotel will be assisting us, here. Please help us by using their recycling bins!
Internet Access
Bring your laptop, tablet, and/or smartphone to BBC15 so you can blog, Tweet, and FB live with your fellow participants. The Four Points offers complimentary wifi throughout the hotel. We will have instructions onsite for connecting to this network.
Get Social
This conference is about YOU and you are free to blog, tweet, and update about anything you like. There will be, literally, hundreds of beers at the conference and the chance to get to know the producers and principals behind North Carolina’s beer scene (and other conference partners!) is immense. You will not be at a loss for words at BBC15.
We have been known to trend worldwide on Twitter during our conferences. Make sure to tag all your tweets with the conference hashtag:
#BBC15
Conference Participants
Names, blog/company names, and URLs of all conference participants are found on the BBC website via this link
Personal Responsibility
Attendees are responsible for their own actions. We aren’t responsible for your behavior. You are in no way encourage to consume just because alcohol is provided – consume any alcohol responsible and be mindful of yourselves and those around you. There are other hotel guests staying at the Asheville Four Points curing the conference. Please keep noise to a minimum after 10 pm.