Love Me Bartender: Bar Convent Berlin sets new records
Next year’s BCB at Station Berlin to last three days.
The venue was filled to the brim. Not a single visitor ticket was left. Even days and weeks before the start of the Bar Convent Berlin (BCB), all you could hear was “sold out”. With that, Europe’s leading premium trade show for the bar and beverage industry set new benchmarks once again.
Bigger, more international and even more representative: featuring a total of 370 exhibitors from 32 countries – 17 per cent more than last year – the BCB for the first time occupied all the available space in the halls of Station Berlin and the neighbouring Kühlhaus. That means the number of companies has more than doubled since 2014, the year in which the partnership of the three BCB founders and Reed Exhibitions as the organiser was kicked off.
The BCB set new visitor records, as well: welcoming a total of 12,217 trade visitors, including 1,500 speakers and exhibitor-invited VIP guests, the BCB surpassed last year’s record by another ten per cent and bumped up against officially sanctioned crowd size limits. “A fantastic result”, as BCB director Petra Lassahn pointed out. “We can only say one thing: thank you. Thanks also for the composure and patience our customers – exhibitors and visitors alike – displayed while using our ticketing system ahead of the event. We regret not being able to accommodate all ticket requests.”
BCB 2018 to run for three days
She announced that the next BCB will be extended to three days, while Station Berlin will continue to serve as the location: “No other centrally located venue with more space and comparable charm is currently available in Berlin”, says Petra Lassahn. Hence, she adds, extending the duration is the right solution to satisfy the growing visitor interest.
370 exhibitors with 1,100 brands
Other good reasons to do so: the range of products and services is growing and growing, and international exhibitors and visitors travel to the BCB from farther and farther away. The 370 exhibiting companies showcased more than 1,100 brands, plus they hosted countless tastings in the Brew Berlin area and at the new Coffee Convent Berlin. Another record: nearly 200 exhibitors travelled from abroad – more international producers than ever before. A special focus this year was on France, the BCB’s Country of Honour. Italy will play that role at the next BCB.
To the BCB – from every corner of the world
The spirits spanned the globe: from Armagnac and aquavit to calvados and gin to rum and whisky. But they were not alone. Visitors, too, made their way from around the world: from Berlin to London to New York, from there to São Paulo and on to Tokyo, Shanghai and Singapore, and all the way to Sydney and Cape Town. Everyone’s journey had the same final destination: the BCB. Just under half of all trade visitors – the majority of them bartenders, bar managers or bar owners – now make the trek from outside Germany, many of them from overseas.
Concoctions and know-how
They come, in part, to be there when such international stars as Ian Burrell, Phil Duff, Alex Kratena, Salvatore Calabrese and Steve Schneider share insights into their concoctions and know-how. That’s because when the BCB says “Cocktail is King” it always also means “Content is King”, which in turn means a comprehensive programme of lectures, seminars, master classes and, of course, tastings.
“The mix of business and content is the DNA of the BCB. Both together are the foundation of our success”, says Petra Lassahn. Also contributing to this success is the Global Drinks Forum. Held the day before the BCB, the conference brought together about 100 international speakers and experts from the spirits industry.
Bar Convent Brooklyn
This recipe for success will be expanded on the international level next year. The first Bar Convent Brooklyn is scheduled to take place at the Brooklyn Expo Center on 12 and 13 June 2018.
Bar Convent Berlin 2018
The next Bar Convent Berlin will take place at Station Berlin as a three-day event from 8 to 10 October 2018.
Note: The BCB’s visitor, exhibitor and floor space figures are calculated and certified according to the uniform definitions published by FKM – German Society for Voluntary Control of Fair and Exhibition Statistics.
Exhibitor Testimonials
Bärbel Vaupel, Senior Customer Marketing Manager, DIAGEO RESERVE
“We’re satisfied in every way. We took a risk by moving our location to the Kühlhaus and were rewarded for doing so. The area turned out to be an excellent platform for quality, offering a generous space for our brand concept. We received terrific feedback here. It was extremely beautiful, extremely energetic and intense. The BCB has a very special character, which hopefully will remain in future.”
Rico Dynan, Global Brand Ambassador, Absolut Vodka
“It was great as always. The industry’s best people come here from all around the world. Everyone knows everyone, and everyone’s welcome. We were very successful. The BCB is the perfect platform for launching new products to the market.”
Paula Baute, Chef de Projet Marketing, Spirit France
“It was a success for us, because the BCB is a highly international event. We were looking in particular for initial contacts with bartenders. Our products are aimed at filling a niche in the cocktail industry, and to do that we need to know what everyone’s interests are. We met lots of awesome people here, especially from abroad.”
Garmt Haakma, Brewmaster and Managing Director, Brouwerij De 7 Deugden, Netherlands
“Our main goal for our first appearance at Brew Berlin was to gain a foothold in the German market. Of course we won’t be able to tell whether we succeeded until after the show. But one thing’s clear already: we collected lots of interesting contacts – not just for Germany but also for exciting markets such as Romania and China. Another positive effect: we now have a much better understanding of how the German market works. That, too, is a win for us.”
Nicole Battefeld, Head Barista, Röststätte Berlin, Germany
“At our Coffee Convent Berlin debut, we encountered an incredibly international, highly qualified and very easy-going audience. The trade show was an excellent opportunity to position ourselves as a roastery. We reached restaurant professionals from the UK, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and other European countries. We’ll definitely be back in 2018 – probably with a much bigger presence.”
Claudia Schröder, Brand Ambassador Brooklyn Brewery, Carlsberg Deutschland GmbH
“For us a global brand, Brew Berlin and the BCB serve as the perfect platform for getting in touch with the international bar scene. Trade visitors from Spain, Portugal, Turkey and many other European countries stopped by our stand. The new layout created more space, which meant we were able to engage in business talks with trade visitors in a much more relaxed setting.”
