Three years ago when I attended the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) for the first time as a member of the press I wrote of the event in hallowed terms:
There was a definite buzz in the air 30 minutes before the doors opened for Session 1 of the 2012 Great American Beer Festival. In the lobby on the Colorado Convention Center eager beer enthusiasts were lined up awaiting the dropping of the ropes for entry into the main exposition hall. While inside the hall, breweries, volunteers, and press were busily preparing for the onslaught. In a word, it was magical.
This year, three years older, three years wiser, I intend to cover the event again using a variety of media. With the advance of technology, I want to provide coverage through my blog, but also in more advanced ways like live Tweeting/Facebooking, Periscope — a live video streaming service accessed through Twitter — and targeted video interviews and coverage.
To that end, be sure to follow all of my social media accounts as I will be covering the GABF as well as the many satellite events that take place in and around Denver during that week. In case you do not already follow all of them, here is a list:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/springfield.brewcrew
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SPRBrewCrew
Instagram: https://instagram.com/mwisdom562/
You can also follow the times of events by going to the Events page of my website; www.JaxBeerGuy.com.
Keep an eye open over the next few weeks as I will add my itinerary for the festival and other events along with schedules for live streaming video via Periscope broadcast on Twitter. But, also watch for pop-up interviews via Periscope as I make connections with the movers and shakers at the event.
As of now, my schedule as only a few items on it, but as GABF draws closer, more events will be added to the list. Keep in mind that all times are presented in Mountain Daylight Time for Eastern Daylight Time add two hours.
Thursday, September 24
3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Deschutes-Harpoon Special Event
5:15 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The Great American Beer Festival, Session 1
Friday, September 25
8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Oskar Blues Ordeal – Tours and Tastings at Oskar Blues facilities throughout Colorado.
5:15 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The Great American Beer Festival, Session 2
Saturday, September 26
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The Great American Beer Festival Competition Awards
12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Great American Beer Festival, Session 3
Again, as I nail down interviews and other events during the festival, I will update the schedule.
