BrauBeviale 2018, this year’s most important capital goods exhibition for the beverage industry, has closed its doors after three successful days on a record high note. Over 40,000 trade visitors (2016: 37,923) – over 18,000 of them international – travelled to Nuremberg, Germany, to attend the event. However, the number of exhibitors decreased slightly from 1,115 in 2016 to 1,094 this year (-1.9%).
The truly international scope of the fair can be seen by the fact that more than half of all exhibitors (53%) were international. Products and solutions shown at the fair related to the entire beverage production process chain, with offerings ranging from raw materials to technologies and components all the way to packaging, as well as accessories and marketing ideas. A varied supporting program rounded out the three days.
“This BrauBeviale has exceeded our expectations,” says Andrea Kalrait, Show Director BrauBeviale. “We’ve been told that several contracts were signed right at the exhibition. It seems the beverage industry couldn’t wait to get back to Nuremberg. We are very proud of that.” Last year, Brau Beviale had to pause because Drinktec in Munich, which takes place every four years, had its turn.
Attendees of Brau Beviale travelled in from Germany and other countries, primarily Italy, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Austria, the UK, Russia, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. Some 98 percent of the surveyed trade visitors were satisfied with what they found at the exhibition. And 95 percent said they would also like to return to BrauBeviale next year.
The kick-off the day before the exhibition was also successful, with lively discussions and exchanges at all three symposiums – the Export Forum German Beverages, the European MicroBrew Symposium of VLB, Versuchs- und Lehranstalt für Brauerei in Berlin, and the Heirloom & Terroir Barley and Malt Symposium by RMI Analytics. Trade visitors gave high marks to the Craft Drinks Area with its eight different tasting bars and the BrauBeviale Forum with its numerous talks on a wide range of topics.
Before BrauBeviale, an international jury made up of 144 experts had already chosen the winners of the European Beer Star2018 from among 2,344 beers submitted in 65 categories. A total of 51 countries from every continent participated in this year’s edition of the most important international beer competition. On the first day of BrauBeviale, several thousand trade visitors then chose their favorite beer from among the gold medal winners to determine the Consumers’ Favourite 2018. (inside.beer, 14.11.2018)
