Excessive hopping is so 2004. The new thing in beergeekery is wild fermentation (bleeding edge). Barrel aging in oak, bourbon, and wine barrels is also pretty huge (though that's more cutting edge). Both of these, I should add, are really nothing "new" per se, just resurrections of old school techniques and practices.
I missed the actual event itself, but leftovers are currently being poured at RFD's. Russian River Harvest and Sierra Nevada Extra Special Pale ale were on tap, with Pizza Port's and SN Harvest up next in the queue. $7 a pint, but cheaper than airfare.
I can understand the disdain for RFD, and share in some of it, but CFresh left out what I think is a most glaring problem: Where's the local pride? Even in you take a liberal view of what constitutes "regional," something like less than 15% of the total beers available are from this area (I'm generous and consider NY to VA be "regional"). The selection of taps that are local beers is less than stellar.
Nit, now picked.
I will say that RFD's and the Brick rock during tastings, but I eat elsewhere beforehand. Otherwise, I'll pop in for a pint or two ever so often because there is occasionally something different on tap.