Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: NHC 2014 - Lottery System for Registration?  (Read 43888 times)

Offline morticaixavier

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 7781
  • Underhill VT
    • The Best Artist in the WORLD!!!!!
Re: NHC 2014 - Lottery System for Registration?
« Reply #60 on: January 08, 2014, 04:49:39 pm »
A few words
The 2014 NHC will be held in the DeVos center in Grand Rapids.  We have the entire center as I currently understand it so we have a lot of space. 

The Lottery.  A lot of thought went into this for the competition and the conference.  I believe you will see all Brewers Association events moving this way.  Why?  First and foremost, most ticket agencies can handle 10,000 requests in an hour, in the first 30 seconds --- No.  There will be no advantage to entering your request in the first hour.  Take your time, but also don't enter your request in the last half hour.  IMHO it is unfair to favor members that can be entering data into 10+ computers and hitting them as often and as quick as you can.    My hope is that we will not have to actually enter the "lottery" phase of buying tickets for the NHC.  Good luck to all.  You can blame me as a member of the Governing committee for this.  After a lot of discussion and input from AHA members this is the direction we decided to take to be fair to all.  As usual we will evaluate how well this worked and evaluate changes (if needed) for future events.

New this year is that all guests MUST be AHA members.  This can be a household membership which is (I believe) currently $22.  My wife wants to come so I have purchased this membership for her.

Last year, despite all the early problems, everyone that had expressed an interest in attending was given the opportunity.  The AHA refused no one to the current largest conference to date, Philly.  Offering more admissions, it is our hope that everyone that applies can attend. 

Pro-Brewers.  The welcome reception you all know about.  We are trying to spread the Pro's out throughout the conference and details are not finalized.

Thursday night on-the-town.  We have our Local Committee Staff working on that to ensure you can enjoy Beer City's hospitality.

Pre-Events:  We have some awesome tours in the process of being scheduled.  Bell's, Founders, plus many others.  Oh, and does anyone out there like sour beers? . . . . . . . .

yes?

tease!

Thanks for the details Fred.
"Creativity is the residue of wasted time"
-A Einstein

"errors are [...] the portals of discovery"
- J Joyce

Offline dkfick

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1054
Re: NHC 2014 - Lottery System for Registration?
« Reply #61 on: January 08, 2014, 07:27:39 pm »
Thanks Fred.  I think these changes for the conference are all positive changes.... Well except the loss of pro brewers night... That was a great time.. but only time will tell if this is better or not.  I at least understand the reasoning behind cutting it.
BJCP A0936 National Beer Judge and Mead Judge
Cicerone Certified Beer Server
AHA Member
CRAFT Homebrew Club
Sons of Liberty Homebrew Club
HBT "mors"

Offline desertsoilguy

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 3
Re: NHC 2014 - Lottery System for Registration?
« Reply #62 on: January 08, 2014, 08:37:42 pm »
No Pro-Brewer's Night?  A sign things are going downhill!   Loved that event - a chance to mingle with regional brewers.  Time to have regional conferences I think.  By the way my previous comments seem to have disappeared from the forum.  Disappointed to be frank.

Offline bonjour

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1791
  • Troy, MI, 37mi, 60.9deg AR
Re: NHC 2014 - Lottery System for Registration?
« Reply #63 on: January 08, 2014, 09:40:34 pm »
The Pros will be there, hopefully (hey the format changed) in a manner that we can all interact with them and sample their wares
Fred Bonjour
Co-Chair Mashing in Michigan 2014 AHA Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan
AHA Governing Committee; AHA Conference, Club Support & Web Subcommittees



Everything under 1.100 is a 'session' beer ;)

Offline klickitat jim

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8604
Re: NHC 2014 - Lottery System for Registration?
« Reply #64 on: January 08, 2014, 11:12:50 pm »
I for one won't miss Pro night.

Never been to NHC. But I'm with Denny. (sarcastic comment coming, please don't read if easily offended)

Gosh, what's the point of going to a HOME brewers conference if there aren't any PROS there? Might as well just go to the GABF where it's mostly homebrewers who want to be pros....

Ok, I've never been to NHC. If and when I go, I'd expect the focus to be on HOME brewing.

Maybe I'm way off base. If so, you won't have to worry about seeing me at NHC.

Offline punatic

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4583
  • Puna District, Hawaii Island (UTC -10)
Re: NHC 2014 - Lottery System for Registration?
« Reply #65 on: January 09, 2014, 12:04:54 am »
They were fun back in the day.  Sounds like they're becoming Times Square on New Years Eve these days.
There is only one success: to be able to spend your life in your own way.


AHA Life Member #33907

Offline klickitat jim

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8604
Re: NHC 2014 - Lottery System for Registration?
« Reply #66 on: January 09, 2014, 12:10:31 am »
Could be. Emphasized, never been. So, I don't know. But, I've been around. I'll bet the NHC isn't the sole source of crazy partydom. A few biker rallies in my past come to mind. I'm now at a st-age where peaceful sleep is vital. Maybe the NHC is not my bag anymore. I'll stick with the Redwood Run and Run21. Something more calm.

Offline jeffy

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4222
  • Tampa, Fl
Re: NHC 2014 - Lottery System for Registration?
« Reply #67 on: January 09, 2014, 05:40:30 am »
I will say that the more NHC's you go to the more you want to go to NHC.  I've been to over a dozen and will try not to miss one no matter where it is.
Pro night last year reminded me of GABF with the incredibly loud venue and long lines for the "special" beers and breweries.  I didn't stay long.
Jeff Gladish, Tampa (989.3, 175.1 Apparent Rennarian)
Homebrewing since 1990
AHA member since 1991, now a lifetime member
BJCP judge since 1995

Offline hopfenundmalz

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 10678
  • Milford, MI
Re: NHC 2014 - Lottery System for Registration?
« Reply #68 on: January 09, 2014, 06:00:09 am »
I will say that the more NHC's you go to the more you want to go to NHC.  I've been to over a dozen and will try not to miss one no matter where it is.
Pro night last year reminded me of GABF with the incredibly loud venue and long lines for the "special" beers and breweries.  I didn't stay long.
This will be my ninth NHC, and the summer is planned around the NHC.

I agree on Pro Brewers night last year. I did get to chat with some of the pros that I know, which was nice.
Jeff Rankert
AHA Lifetime Member
BJCP National
Ann Arbor Brewers Guild
Home-brewing, not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle!

Offline theDarkSide

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3041
  • Derry, NH
Re: NHC 2014 - Lottery System for Registration?
« Reply #69 on: January 09, 2014, 06:59:17 am »
Gosh, what's the point of going to a HOME brewers conference if there aren't any PROS there? Might as well just go to the GABF where it's mostly homebrewers who want to be pros....
It is definitely homebrew focused but we are also craft beer lovers.  NHC for some of us is a chance to interact with pro brewers ( many of which are former/current homebrewers ) and try beer we can't get in our states.  Glad to see they'll be there but with only 2 hours for the reception, there's not a lot of time. 

Thanks Fred for the update.  I'm glad to see the local committee looking into something for the week.  Last year the DFH trip was great, as were the brewery tours in Seattle.

Question about the banquet.  Does the possibility exist for the banquet to serve everyone that gets to attend NHC, or will the banquet be capped at less the 4000?  I know a lot of people don't attend the banquet but I was wondering if there was a hard number.  If so, would it be conceivable that someone could get picked in the lottery for attendance, but not for the banquet?
Seacoast Homebrew Club - Portsmouth, NH
AHA Member
Stephen Mayo
------------------------------------------------

Offline Jimmy K

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3643
  • Delaware
Re: NHC 2014 - Lottery System for Registration?
« Reply #70 on: January 09, 2014, 07:26:11 am »
I will say that the more NHC's you go to the more you want to go to NHC.  I've been to over a dozen and will try not to miss one no matter where it is.
Pro night last year reminded me of GABF with the incredibly loud venue and long lines for the "special" beers and breweries.  I didn't stay long.
This will be my ninth NHC, and the summer is planned around the NHC.

I agree on Pro Brewers night last year. I did get to chat with some of the pros that I know, which was nice.
It was my first but I agree. The noise at pro night was oppressive and I left early. I think having pro involvement scattered through the conference will encourage more interaction and is a good move.

- Sent by my R2 unit

Delmarva United Homebrewers - President by inverse coup - former president ousted himself.
AHA Member since 2006
BJCP Certified: B0958

Offline dkfick

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1054
Re: NHC 2014 - Lottery System for Registration?
« Reply #71 on: January 09, 2014, 07:32:07 am »
Yeah I agree that location for pro night (the toast was lost) and even homebrew club night was just noise... couldn't hear yourself think.  Hard to walk around....  I did enjoy the keg shooting up to the ceiling though lol.
BJCP A0936 National Beer Judge and Mead Judge
Cicerone Certified Beer Server
AHA Member
CRAFT Homebrew Club
Sons of Liberty Homebrew Club
HBT "mors"

Offline Jimmy K

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3643
  • Delaware
Re: NHC 2014 - Lottery System for Registration?
« Reply #72 on: January 09, 2014, 07:36:59 am »
There was a toast? I had no idea.

- Sent by my R2 unit

Delmarva United Homebrewers - President by inverse coup - former president ousted himself.
AHA Member since 2006
BJCP Certified: B0958

Offline udubdawg

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1081
Re: NHC 2014 - Lottery System for Registration?
« Reply #73 on: January 09, 2014, 08:07:30 am »
I really enjoyed Pro Night last year (insane noise notwithstanding) but that was mostly due to not having access to many of those breweries.  Several things I was excited to try. 
but usually, yeah, it's way below Club Night on the enjoyment scale.

I'll echo that the more NHC's you go the more you want to go again.  By comparison I think the shine rubs off of an event like GABF after that initial awesomeness of walking into that enormous room.

so in regards to having to be AHA members, are there deadlines, and have any of them passed?  can you sign up for AHA membership when you buy?  Same with the competition entry AHA member requirements, must you be a member x days previous to registering entries?

Offline james

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 361
Re: NHC 2014 - Lottery System for Registration?
« Reply #74 on: January 09, 2014, 09:04:43 am »
I will say that the more NHC's you go to the more you want to go to NHC.  I've been to over a dozen and will try not to miss one no matter where it is.
Pro night last year reminded me of GABF with the incredibly loud venue and long lines for the "special" beers and breweries.  I didn't stay long.

Also left early last year.  The acoustics were terrible in there? The volume was much better at club night, but I'm not sure why.  More people spread out?

Springing for the carpet in the future would help with the noise