This year, Bar Convent Berlin will run for the first time on three days, from 8 to 10 October 2018. The extension of the trade show gives visitors the opportunity not only to meet more exhibitors, but also to be able to attend more lectures.
Another new feature is that the BCB programme features focal themes on the different days to give the different target groups the best possible, tailor-made input. On the first day of the show, the programme will focus on bar operators, on the second on bartenders and on the third on distributors. In addition, eight stages offer numerous lectures, seminars and tastings for all target groups.
The World’s most successful bars – highlights for bar operators and managers
On the first day of the trade show, Bobby Heugel and Sean Finter will share the habits of really successful bar operators on the main stage on Hall 5 of the BCB.
Creativity, operational know-how and respect for the trade is what distinguishes Bobby Heugel. This American opened his first bar in 2009 together with Kevin Floyd in Houston. The Anvil Bar and Refuge won numerous awards, including Bon Appétit magazine’s “Top Ten New Cocktail Bars”. Heugel himself received the “StarChefs Rising Stars Award” in 2011. Other bars and restaurants such as Underbelly, Hay Merchant and The O.K.R.A. Charity Saloon, a non-profit bar that has donated over $1 million to charity in just five years, followed. At Bar Convent Berlin, he will share his extensive best practice experience with BCB visitors.
Sean Finter is the founder and president of Barmetrix, a food service provider and coaching company. In business for almost 20 years, Barmetrix has advised and trained over 6,000 gastronomic teams internationally. Its services range from pricing models and the evaluation of customer experiences to management workshops.
Bartenders who keep re-inventing themselves
Vanilla and Hickory Smoked Manhattan, The Transformation, Mayan Hot Cocoa or Chilled Ontario Strawberry are the brainchild of Frankie Solarik, keynote speaker on the second day of the trade show. Together with Micah Melton from NYC, he will be talking about creativity around drinks. The pair come from two of the most creative bars in the world.
Frankie Solarik is the author of “The Bar Chef” and co-owner of Toronto’s famous BarChef listed among the “top seven new and innovative bars in the world” by the Food and Wine magazine. Solarik is a pioneer in cocktail matters. With his progressive approach, he changes the way cocktails are perceived in general. For their creation, he uses the same loving attention to detail and passion a chef has for haute cuisine. ” It’s the idea of presenting a drink as a dish, I strive to compose cocktails with the same visual, visceral and taste appeal and complexity that is possible within a dish, the general goal for me artistically is to challenge the conventional thought as to what’s possible within the medium of a glass”, says Solarik explaining his philosophy.
Micah Melton stands for the success formula of the Aviary NYC, which combines the philosophy of the first Aviary in Chicago with traditional New York cocktail culture. The concept is an innovative mix of restaurant and cocktail bar, where cocktails receive the same attention as in a four-star restaurant, where bartenders are trained to become chefs, and where products and herbs are carefully purchased and freshly procured every day.
But creativity is not the only topic in the lecture programme at Bar Convent Berlin. The physical health of the bartenders is also taken into account. Pilates coach Marcia Pollas talks about biomechanics and “why your job shouldn’t hurt you”.
Selling brands
On the third day of the trade show focusing on distributors and wholesalers the programme will also include high-calibre speaker David Gluckman. In the beverage business for over 40 years now Gluckman will be talking about his book “That Sh*t Will Never Sell” and the nature of brand innovations. Gluckman is one of the most successful brand innovators to have created such well-known brands as Baileys Irish Cream, Le Piat d’Or, Purdey’s, Aqua Libra, Tanqueray Ten, Cîroc and Coole Swan. His book recounting the stories behind the brands contains 47 ideas, successes and failures. Visitors to Bar Convent Berlin can expect a wealth of experience.
New BCB Education Director
Always on the lookout for new trends and creative minds on behalf of BCB is Angus Winchester. This renowned drinks expert has been active in the bar business for around 30 years and is a passionate bartender, trainer and consultant. As the new BCB Education Director, he is already in discussion with many other heads of the industry in order to offer visitors even more highlights.
Advance ticket sale
Visitors can already secure their tickets for the event. In order to better plan and distribute the flow of visitors, only day tickets are available. Those wanting to visit the trade show on two or three days will profit from reduced ticket prices. A 1-day ticket for trade visitors costs EUR 40, an upgrade ticket for a second or third day costs EUR 30 each. www.barconvent.com/tickets
About Bar Convent Berlin
Since its founding in 2007, Bar Convent Berlin has emerged as one of the leading international trade shows for the bar and beverage industry. Every October, the who is who of the German and European bar and beverage industry gathers in Berlin to establish new contacts, catch up on the latest product innovations and attend educational seminars. Launched in 2013, Brew Berlin adds a beer-in-bars platform to Bar Convent Berlin. Coffee Convent Berlin, which made its debut in 2017, puts the focus on coffee in bars. In 2018, the trade show will be held from 8 to 10 October at Station Berlin. About 14,000 trade visitors are expected to attend.
