Focus Sessions

Stay ahead of what’s next with sessions focused on real-world solutions and emerging trends.

Global Insights on Flavor and Stability in Beer and Beyond

Understand how flavor stability is developed—and preserved—across the full beverage production lifecycle. This session links the chemistry of flavor formation with practical brewing and operational decisions, showing how variables such as oxidation control, hop intensity, and process conditions shape shelf life and sensory performance. It also examines how packaging choices and post-production environments influence product integrity. A hands-on guided tasting of “fresh” and “aged/oxidized” samples sharpens your ability to detect key stability markers and connect them to underlying causes. Expect practical takeaways to help extend shelf life, improve consistency, and protect flavor across a range of beverage styles.

Real-World Applications of Molecular Methods Used to Detect and Identify Microorganisms

Enhance your approach to microbiological quality control with a closer look at how molecular identification methods are being applied in brewing and distilling environments. Hear how industry experts are applying the use of rapid, DNA-based tools to improve detection speed, accuracy, and overall decision-making. Learn how these methods fit into routine monitoring programs—from early-stage detection to root-cause investigation—and how they compare with traditional techniques. You'll have the opportunity to engage directly with panelists during an interactive roundtable, offering practical insight into implementation challenges, emerging technologies, and effective strategies to strengthen microbial control programs.

Yeast Strain Development: Behind the Scenes

Take a deeper look at how innovative yeast strains are created to support process efficiency and drive new flavor development. This interactive session pairs expert-led discussion with hands-on examination of live cultures for a practical introduction to techniques such as CRISPR genome editing, experimental evolution, and strain breeding. Complex genetic concepts are translated into applied knowledge, helping you better understand how these methods influence yeast performance and product outcomes. Whether you’re troubleshooting challenges or exploring new opportunities, you’ll gain the insight needed to collaborate more effectively with yeast developers and contribute to strain innovation.

Grain and Malt Quality: A Deeper Dive

Broaden your perspective on grain and malt quality by exploring factors that extend beyond traditional specifications. Discover new research and analytical approaches that deepen understanding of how raw material characteristics influence malting performance and finished product quality. Expert-led discussions will address current limitations in testing, uncover emerging insights into variability and functionality, and consider how quality evaluation can evolve to better support production decisions. You'll leave with a more informed approach to interpreting data, aligning with suppliers, and optimizing outcomes across the value chain.

Authenticity Testing in Alcoholic Beverages

Strengthen product integrity and consumer trust by exploring advanced strategies for beverage authentication. This session examines how high-resolution laboratory techniques, including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), complement rapid, field-deployable technologies such as electrochemical fingerprinting. Learn how these tools are used to identify and prevent counterfeiting, from building and interpreting reference databases to deploying portable solutions that deliver fast, data-driven results. By connecting laboratory precision with real-time screening capabilities, you'll gain a practical framework for implementing effective authenticity programs that support quality assurance, regulatory compliance, and global brand protection.

Navigating Emerging Issues in the Global Brewing and Distilling Industries

Examine the key forces shaping the future of brewing and distilling through a global, expert-led perspective. Gain perspective from industry leaders as they address topics such as supply chain disruption, sustainability pressures, and the adoption of new technologies. Panelists will share insights drawn from research, industry experience, and innovation initiatives, highlighting both risks and opportunities facing the sector. The session concludes with an interactive discussion, giving you a chance to exchange ideas, ask targeted questions, and gain practical guidance for adapting to an evolving industry landscape.