CiderCon 2027 and Craft Brewers Conference to co-locate in San Antonio

The biggest annual gathering points for two corners of beverage alcohol will land in the same city in 2027, and that is more than a scheduling convenience. The Brewers Association and the American Cider Association said CiderCon 2027 and the Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America will co-locate in San Antonio, Texas, from April 5-7, giving brewers, cider makers, suppliers and sponsors one larger industry footprint to work within.

For craft beer, the timing is hard to miss. The Brewers Association described CBC as America’s largest craft brewing industry gathering, and the 2026 conference in Philadelphia drew about 7,000 to 8,000 brewing professionals. For cider, the American Cider Association called CiderCon the premier, and in its own framing the largest, cider conference for industry professionals. Putting both events under the same roof in San Antonio will create shared traffic across the trade show floor while keeping each conference’s identity intact.

That balance is the point both groups emphasized. CBC will keep its beer-focused education, networking and BrewExpo America trade show, while CiderCon will preserve its cider-specific programming and community traditions. At the same time, the co-location will open the door to more cross-category business, especially for exhibitors and sponsors trying to reach buyers who already work across beer, cider and adjacent beverage-alcohol categories. The American Cider Association said the move should expand access to a much larger trade show, broader educational and business resources, and a wider network of buyers, distributors and industry partners.

The associations also cast the move as a practical answer to the economics of big conferences. Bart Watson, president and CEO of the Brewers Association, said independent beverage producers face many of the same pressures and opportunities, including shifting consumer preferences, operational strain and innovation across categories. Christine Walter of the American Cider Association made a similar case from the cider side, saying the co-location should broaden networking, education and trade-show access without flattening what makes CiderCon distinct.

The calendar is already taking shape. CBC 2027 attendee registration is set to open in December 2026, and the organizations said more details on programming, registration and special events will follow in the months ahead. CiderCon 2026 ran February 2-5 in Providence, Rhode Island, and the 2027 move to San Antonio marks a rare overlap between two of the industry’s biggest annual meeting places. For a business built on taprooms, orchards, suppliers and sales floors, that shared footprint could change how the year’s dealmaking begins.