New England Brewfest at Loon Mountain Resort Expects Record Attendance at 11th Annual Event to benefit The Life is good Playmakers

The New England Brewfest at Loon Mountain Resort is poised for its biggest year yet, with the 11th year of the festival to be held the weekend of June 26-28. With nearly 4,000 attendees expected, the event producers, local town businesses and the designated charity partner, The Life is good Playmakers, are ready to reap big rewards for all their hard work.

The final weekend schedule is set, featuring their signature event, Saturday Night: ON TAP at the New England Brewfest. This part of the weekend is what started it all 11 years ago along the river in North Woodstock, N.H. "This is the event that brings everyone here year after year. With 35 breweries serving up somewhere in the vicinity of 120 different beer varieties, three regionally recognized bands, and more food and mountains than one could consume in one evening, this is definitely the highlight of the weekend," comments the marketing director for the event, Mark LaClair.

Last year, on its 10th anniversary, the New England Brewfest introduced complementary social and education events to create a true one-of-a kind craft beer weekend. This year, the Ultimate Craft Beer Weekend theme continues with the lineup announcement for Brew U, the educational session that pairs craft beer knowledge with the palate. Announced earlier this week, the keynote speaker for Brew U is Lester Jones, chief economist for the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA), the national trade organization that represents the interests of America's 3,300 independent, licensed beer distributors that service every state. Jones has more than 20 years of experience in research, survey methodology and applied economics. Prior to joining NBWA, he served as chief economist at the Beer Institute, where he developed and executed significant research initiatives that helped shape America's beer industry.

Scott Schaier of the Beer Distributors of New Hampshire and Brew New Hampshire commented, "Brewers and distributors have a strong partnership in New Hampshire, and I'm pleased that Lester will be sharing his national perspective on the industry to help educate craft brewers and provide them with information and data that can help them succeed." Regarding the event, Schaier added, "The New England Brewfest is a great opportunity for all segments of the beer industry - brewers, distributors and retailers - to come together with fellow beer lovers and celebrate the region's thriving beer industry."

Event producer and Executive Director of the Lincoln Woodstock Chamber of Commerce, Alyssa Yolda notes, "We are very fortunate to have all of the right ingredients for successful events like this here in the Western White Mountains. We have great chamber members who support the growth years, and now get to reap the reward of a busy weekend, in an otherwise slow period." In the 10 years since its launch in 2004, the New England Brewfest attendance has grown an average of 40 percent each year. "Online ticket pre-sales and hotel reservations have been very strong thus far," adds Yolda, "and we cannot be more excited to work with our new venue partners at Loon Mountain Resort to have the best event yet."

The New England Brewfest is a fundraising event for the Lincoln Woodstock Chamber of Commerce that, among other business support services, executes the tourism marketing for the Western White Mountains region of New Hampshire. This year, the New England Brewfest is giving back by partnering with The Life is good Playmakers, to raise money for "the frontline professionals such as teachers, social workers and child life specialists who dedicate their lives to helping children overcome poverty, violence and illness," according to their website, http://content.lifeisgood.com/playmakers.

For more information on the weekend schedule, attending breweries, vendors and sponsors, visit http://www.nebrewfest.com.