Kibex 2024 concludes with great success

Seoul | The 6th Korea International Beer Expo (Kibex 2024) was held from 11–13 April 2024 at COEX Hall C in Samseong-dong, Seoul. Kibex is the only specialized beer industry exhibition in Korea where businesses across the entire value chain – from brewing materials and equipment to breweries, importers, wholesalers, franchises, services, education, and media companies – come together.

This year's Kibex featured international companies like global yeast company Fermentis from France; global malt company Castle Malting from Belgium; or VisionBiochem from Korea. The expo has firmly established itself as a global event with significant participation, including many American craft breweries that have not yet entered the Korean market.

This year's expo, which again grew by 20% over last year, featured 242 companies from 10 countries showcasing 1210 brands, demonstrating the diversity of the beverage industry. Forty breweries from the USA, 15 companies from the Korea Small Beer Importers Association in a shared pavilion, and about 30 Korean craft breweries introduced their beers to global buyers.

Outlook on Korea's beer industry

As a key part of Kibex 2024, the Korea International Beer Conference (Kibcon) covered various topics regarding the latest global trends and developments from the first to the third day of the expo. The conference featured 15 sessions including “Craft Beer Market & Challenge”; “Quality Beer & Liquor”; and “Beer & Liquor Business”. Fourteen companies and 15 speakers provided practical solutions tailored to the global trends and the Korean market. Steve Parr, Director of International Marketing at the Brewers Association (BA), discussed the latest trends and new developments in the American craft beer industry, sharing strategies for small independent craft breweries to overcome challenges in a changing market environment. Yuske Yamamoto, President of the Japan Craft Beer Association (JCBA), and Park Jin-ho, Director of the Korea Craft Brewers Association (KCBA), also spoke about trends and future strategies for craft beer.

The Korea International Beer Awards (Kiba) – for the first time held internationally, after the pandemic – grew significantly this year. To overcome challenges related to shipping and packaging for international competitions, Kiba featured 41 global judges who evaluated 347 beers from 76 breweries across 16 countries, awarding 36 golds, 44 silvers, and 50 bronzes.

Kibex 2025

Buoyed by the success of Kibex 2024, the organizers, GMEG, have already begun preparing for the next event. Kibex 2025 is scheduled to be held from 10–12 April 2025, at COEX Hall B in Seoul.