Extreme Beer Fest: Boston (2020)

Blog Discussion in 'BeerAdvocate Talk' started by Todd, Jul 14, 2019.

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  1. Todd

    Todd Founder (13,254) Aug 23, 1996 Finland
    Staff Super Mod Pooh-Bah Society Trader

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    Prepare thyselves! The 17th annual Extreme Beer Fest® cometh back to Boston on January 31 and February 1, 2020! Join us for the ultimate throwdown of creative brewing, as we celebrate brewers who push the boundaries of brewing and raise a fist at the norm. Hosted by BeerAdvocate, presented by Dogfish Head, sponsored by the Brewers Association, Hop Head Farms, and Eastern Standard Provisions, and held at The Cyclorama.

    Fest Info + Beers:
    https://www.beeradvocate.com/extreme/

    Official Pre-Party at Cornwall's (Thursday, January 30): https://www.facebook.com/events/1435144326645009/

    Map (PNG):
    https://drive.google.com/open?id=1cY35_2iu9Jw_s8YMb8tzusleBIidsLZo

    Guide (PDF):
    https://drive.google.com/open?id=1h1b26kTH_UC4KymLQKLIgvW85QfEKCmZ

    (Pick one up at the fest! Available in printed format at the fest while supplies last.)

    Event listing on Facebook:
    https://www.facebook.com/events/2365061037105768/

    Weather:
    Current forecast says it’s going to be a high of 45°F (low in the 30s) and partly cloudy. No coat check. And dress accordingly if you plan on queuing up to get in early.

    Early Access Tickets Holders:
    Don't queue in the main line. Listen for our line staff or identify yourself as we'll be scanning you early and letting you in 30 mins before doors.

    Follow Us:
    We'll be dropping updates on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. And make sure to tag our account and use #ExtremeBeerFest.

    Looking forward to seeing many of you there.

    Cheers! :fire::beer::heavymetal:

    Todd
     
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  2. EnronCFO

    EnronCFO Pooh-Bah (1,969) Mar 29, 2007 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Why move it back?
     
  3. Todd

    Todd Founder (13,254) Aug 23, 1996 Finland
    Staff Super Mod Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    We want to get back to hosting more intimate fests, with more control over the lineups, and have the flexibility to take them on the road. Hosting fests with upwards of 125 brewers and 12,000 attendees doesn't allow for this.

    (The Seaport World Trade Center is also preparing to close for a massive renovation that won't be wrapped up until at least 2024.)
     
    mikeallred, jhavs and Sheppard like this.
  4. onezendad

    onezendad Aspirant (255) Apr 16, 2018 Canada (ON)

    If I jump on with the Society today (or by the time someone answers tomorrow) will it be active in time to get the early sale?
     
    mdfostachild likes this.
  5. Todd

    Todd Founder (13,254) Aug 23, 1996 Finland
    Staff Super Mod Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Yes.
     
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  6. mbizup

    mbizup Initiate (164) Jun 26, 2015 New Jersey

    Does it work the same as last year where one person can buy the tickets for a group? I am not going to be around on Saturday but definitely planning on going so was looking to have one of my friends who's also attending pick up my ticket when he gets his.
     
  7. Todd

    Todd Founder (13,254) Aug 23, 1996 Finland
    Staff Super Mod Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    You'll be able to buy up to four tickets per session, per order.
     
    mbizup likes this.
  8. fossage78

    fossage78 Savant (1,115) Sep 9, 2012 Massachusetts

    What is the target number of brewers you are shooting for with this new format?
     
  9. Todd

    Todd Founder (13,254) Aug 23, 1996 Finland
    Staff Super Mod Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    We've found that upwards of 36 brewers (as noted on the fest page) works well with the venue.
     
  10. MarcSteinhagen

    MarcSteinhagen Initiate (0) Feb 6, 2013 Massachusetts

    I see Early Entry tickets as an option, are you going to be offering a VIP package again or is this considered that?
     
  11. Todd

    Todd Founder (13,254) Aug 23, 1996 Finland
    Staff Super Mod Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    See "What's new in 2020?" on the fest page.
     
  12. gclaw4444

    gclaw4444 Zealot (566) Jul 30, 2015 Massachusetts
    Trader

    I definitely have mixed feelings about this. It's $10 more than last year (for operational costs even though everything is smaller?), no earlybird discount, a smaller venue, and a lot fewer brewers. On the other hand all the fests Ive been to at Cyclorama have been great, and at smaller fests i dont feel the rush to drink as much as possible because there are 100 different beers i gotta try. I find i often have a lot more time to wander around and try beers that werent on my must-have list.

    I'm also curious about how they're going to choose which breweries to have. As much as i like the local breweries around here, i'd much rather have some extreme brewers that dont distribute over here.
     
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  13. Todd

    Todd Founder (13,254) Aug 23, 1996 Finland
    Staff Super Mod Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Despite costs increasing every year, we held off on raising ticket prices the last two years or so. And hosting a smaller fest doesn't necessarily mean that it's less expensive to operate. In many cases, your profit margin will be considerably less as you can't scale the event due to capacity and other logistical restrictions.

    And Respect Beer Society members get first dibs at tickets and a discount.
    It's not easy, but we're using the same criteria that we use for all of our fests.
     
  14. PakkyT

    PakkyT Initiate (93) Jan 22, 2019 Massachusetts

    Above it states "The lineup of confirmed brewers will be posted before tickets go on sale."
    On the info page it says "We're still wrangling brewers and the beer lineup will be posted closer to the fest. Check back often for updates."
    Can we assume this means you will publish a list of who ever has confirmed before tickets go on sale but isn't the final list?
     
  15. Todd

    Todd Founder (13,254) Aug 23, 1996 Finland
    Staff Super Mod Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Yes. We'll be posting a list of brewers who've confirmed so far before tickets go on sale.
     
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  16. j44thor

    j44thor Initiate (0) Feb 24, 2010 Massachusetts
    Trader

    While I love the idea of a smaller event and think cyclorama is a great venue, why no coat check in the dead of winter? I went to a fest there last Oct that had coat check plus 30+ brewer's no problem. Place got quite hot once people arrived so carrying a coat will suck but so will standing outside in below freezing temps.
     
    onezendad likes this.
  17. BG718

    BG718 Initiate (0) Nov 19, 2012 Massachusetts

    Is it too late to join the Respect Beer Society to gain access to EBF early ticket sales tomorrow?
     
  18. Todd

    Todd Founder (13,254) Aug 23, 1996 Finland
    Staff Super Mod Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    It's not too late.
     
  19. Todd

    Todd Founder (13,254) Aug 23, 1996 Finland
    Staff Super Mod Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Honestly, a coat check for 800+ people at a small venue is a logistical nightmare (plus a liability) that we don't want to deal with. We could check with the venue to see if they'd like to man one and assume all liability, but we've hosted nearly 50 events at The Cyclorama without one and they worked out just fine and I'd prefer to not deal with the bottlenecks that they typically cause.
     
    csniezek and 9percenthurdle like this.
  20. PakkyT

    PakkyT Initiate (93) Jan 22, 2019 Massachusetts

    Where will the "society" only sale happen today? Here on Beer Advocate or on Event Bright? Checking Event Bright they are only mentioning tomorrow's general public time.
     
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