Nancy Johnson to direct 2001 GABF - Great American Beer Festival - Brief Article

Modern Brewery Age, Feb 5, 2001

The Association of Brewers has announced that Nancy Johnson has been named director of this year's Great American Beer Festival, scheduled for September 27-29, 2001.

'I'm honored to help lead the Great American Beer Festival into its 20th year," Johnson said. "We've got several improvements in store for attendees and breweries."

Johnson reported that the 2001 event will take place in Hall A of the Colorado Convention Center. "We felt it was important to keep the festival in downtown Denver," she said. "and the convention center is one of the few locations in Denver that offers the square footage and facilities to stage an event like the GABF."

The festival was held in Denver's Currigan Hall for seven years, and was held at the convention center for the first time in 2000.

As in past years, the festival's public tasting sessions will be held from 5:30 to 10:00 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. The professional blind tasting will take place prior to the public sessions on September 26 and 27, and medals will be announced September 29th.

Breweries will receive registrations packets in late April 2001, Johnson said. and registration information will be posted on the www.beertown.org site after April 20th.

Last year's GABF hosted 300 breweries and drew 22,000 beer lovers.