Craft brewers will convene in Chicago Oct. 4 to 5, 2012, to learn about water quality, water conservation and alternative energy systems, with presentations by industry experts and speakers donating their time and expertise. The fifth Great Lakes Water Conservation Conference will be held at the Goose Island Wrigleyville Pub, 3535 N. Clark, Chicago, Ill., sponsored by Briggs of Burton Inc., The Goose Island Beer Co., The Louis Glunz Beer Co. and S. S. Steiner Inc.
Panels and presentations on Thursday, Oct. 4, will feature installations for conservation and water savings at brewpubs, distributors and breweries, onsite wastewater treatment, alternative energy systems, sustainability marketing and more. Tours on Friday, October 5, include a visit to the plant, a sustainable business incubator on the near west side of Chicago and the barrel-aging warehouse at Goose Island's Fulton Street Brewery.
Speakers and topics include Randy Barr, wastewater treatment, New Glarus Brewing Co., New Glarus, Wis.; Larry Bennett, water quality and wells in the Marcellus Shale, Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, N.Y.; Rene and Matt Greff, owners of Arbor Brewing Co., Ann Arbor, and the Corner Brewery, Ypsilanti, Mich., on sustainable energy and brewery retrofits; Ian Hughes, best practices for water savings, Goose Island Brewery; Mike Kallenberger, green marketing, Tropos Consulting, Hartland, Wis.; Matthias Neidhart, sustainable operations in importing and distribution, B. United Importers, Redding, Conn.; Katie Wallace, sustainability initiatives at New Belgium Brewing, Ft. Collins, Colo; and more to be announced.
Source: Great Lakes Water Conservation Conference