The figures of attendance from this year’s Great American Beer Festival are now in, and it’s a pretty impressive number. A record 41,000 people attended the festival. Last year only 29,500 came, which means an incredible 39% increase over last year! The hall was slightly larger this year, 188,000 sq. ft. vs. 144,000 last year, which is 30% larger, but it did not keep pace with the increase in attendance. It certainly feels like our industry is coming into another golden period where much more — and hopefully better — attention is paid by the mainstream media and consumers alike.