1546 beers | The 9th Brussels Beer Challenge was held in Brussels from 26 October to 6 November 2020 with all the necessary health and safety precautions in place. Due to travel restrictions, most jurors came from Belgium. 1546 beers were submitted this year, which is similar to last year. Considering the ongoing pandemic, the organizers consider this a sensational success.
Technical solutions | The virtual Brewers of Europe Sustainability Forum took place from 20 - 21 October 2020, and the two-day event was an unprecedented success, with over 700 participants joining for quality keynotes, outstanding panel events and insightful Q&A sessions.

World Brewing Congress | It could have been just wonderful: in point of fact, the World Brewing Congress 2020, co-hosted by the American Society of Brewing Scientists (ASBC) and the Master Brewers Association of the Americas (MBAA), had been planned for Minneapolis, USA, at the beginning of August.
BrauBeviale Special Edition | The starting signal for the BrauBeviale Special Edition has been given. The next three days are packed with exciting presentations, top-class discussions and important impulses for the future viability of the companies in the beverage industry. The new digital platform myBeviale.com now provides a virtual home for the regulars' table of the beverage industry on 365 days a year.
Successfully completed | The need for B2B networking and information was high – it was palpable at the world’s second-largest trade fair in the beverage and liquid food industry. China Brew China Beverage (CBB) took place from October 13 to 16, 2020 in Shanghai. Due to the coronavirus, the trade fair had a largely national focus, although 101 exhibitors were from other countries.
Virtual Ceremony | The Brewers Association (BA), Boulder, USA, awarded 272 medals to 240 breweries across the country during the 2020 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) competition awards ceremony. The best beers in 91 beer categories covering 170 different beer styles (including all subcategories) were awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals during a virtual ceremony hosted on The Brewing Network.

Successful event | Korea’s leading event of the beer industry, the Korea International Beer Expo (KIBEX) 2020, was successfully held from July 30th to August 1st at the aT Center in Seoul.
Brewers Association | Since 1987, the Brewers Association has been recognizing individuals who inspire, defend, and innovate within the craft brewing industry. The recipients of the 2020 Industry Awards were presented virtually this year.

One Glass or Two | During the 9th European Beer and Health Symposium which was held on the 24th of September 2019 at the Royal Academy of Sciences in Brussels, international scientists gathered to present the latest scientific findings in the field of moderate beer consumption and health. Topics varied from micronutrients to social aspects of beer. A lively discussion arose about methodological drawbacks in alcohol research and its translation by the media.
Successful solution | Actually you were meant to read a report on the Craft Brewers Conference 2020 in San Antonio on these pages. But as we all know, Covid-19 spiked our guns. Nevertheless, the Brewers Association didn’t want to simply skip the CBC, so they came up with a stopgap solution: they have simply moved the event online. BRAUWELT International talked with Ann Obenchain, BA Marketing Director, about this new format.