SIBA export drive continues at BrauBeviale
A team from SIBA is heading to leading beverage industry exhibition BrauBeviale in Nürnberg, Germany, this November, as part of the association’s ongoing campaign to help its member brewers develop their export business.
The export session at SIBA’s BeerX in March 2014 with (centre left) John Healey MP and (centre right) SIBA commercial director Nick Stafford
BrauBeviale is established as one of the most important events on the international drinks trade calendar. Over three days, some 33,000 visitors will visit the exhibition – among them beer buyers, distributors and other influencers from a number of markets, who hold the key to the export ambitions of many SIBA brewers.
The SIBA stand will feature a selection of beers from member brewers, specially chosen to highlight the diversity of styles and flavours of the thriving British craft brewing sector. The stand is sited close to the Craft Beer Lounge – a new feature at this year’s BrauBeviale, which will host presentations, debates and tastings led by beer sommeliers of a variety of craft beers.
SIBA commercial director Nick Stafford said, “We’re looking forward to experiencing BrauBeviale. In theory, it should be the ideal forum for creating connections between SIBA brewers wanting to export and the buyers looking to import British craft beers. This first year is a ‘toe in the water’ exercise for us to gauge the value of a presence at Brau and consider what we might do at the show in future.”
Export has been moving up SIBA’s agenda for a number of years. In a survey of its members last year, 58% said they thought SIBA could play an important role in helping to develop export opportunities. SIBA responded by working with UK Trade & Investment to incorporate a sizeable export element into its BeerX event in March, including a session with buyers from a dozen export markets and a number of seminars giving export advice.
Beer has always been a core element of BrauBeviale, and it is making its ‘trend theme’ for this year’s show the ‘Culture of Craft Brewing’. In addition to the Craft Beer Lounge, organisers are staging a Microbrew Symposium, looking at developments in craft brewing.
