Craft Convention In Chicago Shows Sharp Upswing In Attendance

In a reflection of the growth within the craft category, the annual American Craft Spirits Association Distillers Convention held in Chicago last week reported sharply higher attendance compared with the 2015 event in Austin, Texas. There were more than 400 distillery representatives at this year’s event in Chicago, up 17% over the Austin turnout of 350, while 91 vendors staffed booths, an increase of 34% over the 68 total in 2015.

The keynote speech, inviting small distillers to consider partnering with select retailers to bottle direct-branded products for their customers, was delivered by Eli Aguilera, vice president of spirits at Total Wine & More. In all, there were 69 speakers and 26 educational programs spread over two and a half days at Chicago’s Palmer House Hotel.

Tagged : craft spirits, spirits

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