“I began thinking seriously about conferences, alcohol consumption, and unintentional exclusion a few years ago when I organized an unofficial conference session in a brewery’s outdoor garden. The session was wonderful: It was a perfect night, a large crowd, a set of inventive presentations “fermenting” new ideas, and a shared sense of possibility. Yet I also found myself haunted by an email I had received shortly after we announced the session’s location. Its author pointed out that, by holding the gathering in a brewery, some people who would like to attend would not have access to this community — specifically, anyone who was trying to maintain sobriety and unwilling to put themselves in jeopardy by entering a space structured around drinking.” Read more here