UK’s biggest brewing trade show moves to Liverpool
As of March 2018, the UK’s biggest independent craft brewing trade show, SIBA’s BeerX UK, will be held in Liverpool.
The event has been held in Sheffield since its launch in 2013 and is now set to take place as a two-day event on 14 and 15 March at The Exhibition Centre, Liverpool.
Nick Stafford, SIBA operations director, said: “It was a tough decision to move the event as Sheffield has been BeerX’s home for five years, but we think the time is right for a change and look forward to hosting our key event at this very professional exhibition centre in Liverpool.”
BeerX 2017 saw an impressive turnout with delegate attendance up by 59% compared to 2016, SIBA members visiting up by 69% (Brewing and Supplier Associate members), and trade stand sales increasing by 19% with 148 exhibiting businesses present.
“In recent years SIBA BeerX has grown in size and numbers spectacularly, reaching attendance from over 2,000 visitors, and the Exhibition Centre Liverpool on the iconic docks by the River Mersey has all that is required for SIBA to host every activity under one roof, in one massive space,” Stafford added.
The consumer beer festival element of BeerX known as ‘BeerAlive!’, despite growing again in 2017, will not return for 2018, as the organisation seeks to focus their efforts on the trade and brewing elements of the event.