“drink technology India, PackTech India and FoodPex India have exceeded all expectations.” This was the consensus of the organizers following the event held December 15th - 17th 2016 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Mumbai. This joint effort, consisting of drink technology India, packTech India as well as FoodPex India, was organized by Messe München, Messe Düsseldorf and their branches based in Mumbai. More than 12 000 visitors, almost 300 exhibitors and 40 percent more exhibition space culminated in a successful event for all involved.

The commitments and efforts OCME invested to reach the highest safety standards were rewarded by the “Manufacturing Safety Excellence Award 2016” organized by Rockwell Automation, Cleveland, USA. This award is given to companies that have a holistic safety program based on three key pillars: a strong safety culture, well-executed compliance procedures as well as effective use of contemporary safeguarding and automation technology through capital investments.

For the first time in New Zealand, the GABS Hottest 100 Kiwi Craft Beers has been announced. Created by the team behind the hugely popular GABS Beer, Cider & Food Fest, and supported by Liquorland and craftypint.com, the poll started life nine years ago in Australia as a way for craft beer fans to celebrate their favourite Aussie beers on Australia Day.

With a spectacular closing act, BrauBeviale took its well-deserved break for two years after three successful exhibition days and will be back again with fresh ideas in 2018. Almost 38,000 trade visitors, including more than 16,000 international guests, went home with in-depth information from the most important capital goods exhibition for the beverage industry in 2016. The 1117 exhibitors included regulars and newcomers, world market leaders and medium-sized companies.

From September 18th - 20th, approximately 120 attendees met in Wroclaw, Poland – known as the city of a hundred bridges and one of two cities named as a European Capital of Culture in 2016 – for the EBC Symposium “Modern Brewhouse Technologies and Wort Production”. There, they had the opportunity to examine the latest findings, research and trends from the “hot side” of the brewing process as well as to exchange information and experience with other attendees.

The 2nd Ludwig Narziss Award was bestowed at BrauBeviale 2016 in Nuremberg on November 10th. The award, valued at 2500 EUR, went to Dr. Konrad Müller-Auffermann, Krones AG, Neutraubling, Germany, Prof. Fritz Jacob, Dr. Mathias Hutzler, TU Munich, Research Centre Weihenstephan for Brewing and Food Quality, Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany, and Alirio Caldera MSc, Polar Brewery C.A., Caracas, Venezuela, for research: “Characterization of Different Bottom Fermenting Saccharomyces pastorianus Brewing Yeast Strains“ (BrewingScience, vol. 68 (March/April 2015), pp.46-57).

This year’s World Brewing Congress (WBC) was held in Denver, Colorado, USA from August 13th to 17th. As in the past, it never fails to deliver an impressive program of events and educational opportunities. There was never a dull moment for the attendees during the two general sessions, twenty technical sessions, 70 lectures and nine workshops, along with 180+ posters, various technical excursions, pre-congress courses and sessions hosted by suppliers, not to mention the individual symposia held by the European Brewery Convention (EBC), Brewery Convention of Japan (BCoJ) and the Institute of Brewing and Distilling (IBD).

Every year it grows by leaps and bounds. The Brewers’ Association of Boulder, Colorado, USA sent out invitations to the Craft Brewers’ Conference & BrewExpo America and almost 13 000 answered the call. Also, the number of beers submitted for the 20th World Beer Cup, held immediately prior to the conference, defied all predictions – but more on that later.

The Brewers Association (BA) announced the results of one of the largest commercial beer competitions to date, the 2016 World Beer Cup. The awards were presented at the conclusion of Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America® in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The 2016 Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America (May 3-6, Philadelphia) saw more attendees (13,600) and exhibitors (835) than ever. Atop the Rocky steps, more than 6,000 conference-goers gathered at the Philadelphia Museum of Art to enjoy the fine arts while savoring the fruits of the craft community’s creative endeavors.