Sustainability and other trends | The VLB International Brewing Web Conference is just around the corner now: It is about to take place online from 7 to 8 December 2022.

China | Given the current pandemic situation in Guangzhou, the organizers of China Brew & Beverage have decided to postpone the CBB 2022, which was originally scheduled to be held in the China Import and Export Fair Complex, Guangzhou from November 23 to 26, 2022. A new date is still to be announced.

Special competition | As from this year, the World Beer Cup, organised by the Brewers Association, is moving from annual to bi-annual and has appointed a new competition director, Chris Williams. Lotte Peplow, Brewers Association American craft beer ambassador for Europe, talks with Chris about his new role and about what makes the competition so special.

Onsite conference | After 4 years, the VLB Iberoamerican Symposium returns to Brazil, this time to Uberlandia (MG). Once again, the renowned presenters from the brewing industry, including raw material suppliers, will meet during three days to discuss with the participants current issues.

Save the date | After a two-year hiatus due to the Covid pandemic and the restrictions placed on large social gatherings, the Brewers of Europe recently announced the long-awaited return of #BeerServesEurope.

Virtual journey | From 6–8 December 2022, the 3rd VLB International Brewing Web Conference will take place online at the VLB Virtual Campus. The conference is aimed at sharing brewing knowledge, establishing new relationships and discussing best practices for the brewing industry. It addresses technical managers, brewers and leading technical staff from production, filling/packaging and quality assurance of breweries.

Distinctive profile | Following the prolonged pandemic-induced break, BrauBeviale, one of the leading capital goods fairs for the beverage industry, will present itself with a fresh look and new schedule: From 28 – 30 November 2023, the trade fair will get under way with a distinctive profile and new brand image. The slogan “We stand for variety.” points the way for the trade fair and its agenda.

Big turn-out expected | With a conference theme of “Finding Your Advantage Through Innovation”, the region’s largest international gathering of brewers, distributors and suppliers focuses on propelling the post-pandemic brewing industry to ever greater heights over the coming years. This year’s SEA Brew conference and trade fair, to be held in Bangkok from 27–28 October 2022, will be the first in-person gathering that many industry players have attended in over two years, and the organizers are expecting a big turn-out.

Varied program | Africa is very important for the beer sector. For this reason, VLB organizes a conference dedicated to the particularities of this continent, offering an extremely varied program. Since the possibilities of mobility in Africa are still limited, the 3rd VLB Africa Brewing Conference (ABC) will take place from 27–29 September 2022 as an online event at “VLB Virtual Campus”, the VLB’s exclusive platform for virtual conferences.

Lots of novelties | Premieres, tasting sessions, competitions and presentations: Everyone will get their money’s worth in the supporting program of this year’s drinktec, which will take place from September 12 to 16 on the Messe München exhibition grounds. The main feature is its unique combination of specialist presentations and discussions on the one side, and the live programs, competitions and championships on the other.