China Brew China Beverage (CBB) is on the grid: from October 23 to 26, the international trade fair for brewing and beverage technology will be held at the Shanghai New International Exhibition Centre.
As the leading trade fair for the brewery and beverage industry in Asia, CBB offers participants an overview of the latest technologies and solutions for the beverage and liquid food industry. Messe Munchen exhibition group director Petra Westphal shares a few highlights.
Quality before quantity – it’s a simple statement that covers the current beverage and food trends in Asia. With incomes increasing and people becoming more knowledgeable, they are not only consuming ‘more’ but consuming ‘better’ than ever before.
The shift to high quality in consumer behaviour is shaping all areas of the market, and more expensive added-value products or those conducive to health are in high demand. For the beer industry, for example, these trends offer opportunities. Beer variations, as illustrated by the craft beer scene, are growing in number and premium brands are often now preferred over cheap alternatives, Westphal says.
A good example is brewery group Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, which meets the health awareness trend head-on with a wide range of products offering more non-alcoholic beer as well as low-calorie and carbohydrate-reduced drinks. For the beer industry, there will be a large range of products at the fair. “At CBB, around 20,000sq metres of exhibition space are dedicated to the subject of beer,” Westphal says. “There will also be 50 craft beer brands that present their special beers to Asian and international audiences.”
Exhibitors such as Castle Malting, Doehler, Fermentis, Kalsec and Yakima will offer special raw materials and tailor-made solutions for the craft beer industry. But it won’t only be craft beer breweries that will find innovative products and equipment at CBB – national and international medium-sized and large breweries will also be exhibiting at the fair, accompanied by a huge range of other sector players such as raw materials suppliers, process technology, bottling and packaging technology. Among others will be Anton Paar, Barth Haas, KHS, Krones, Lehui, Ningbo Zhongru, Sidel and Ziemann. “In view of this abundance of offerings, every brewer visiting the CBB is likely to find something,” Westphal says.
On the subject of beer, the International Beer Smart Factory and Brewing Technology Forum will cater to the needs of the local industry. Held on the second day of the fair, forum visitors will receive practical tips and comprehensive information on beer trends, new technologies in process technology, and modern, smart breweries in China.
Another ‘hot’ topic is PET and packaging, Westphal says. “We are meeting this with the introduction of the PET talks, a new framework programme for this year’s CBB.” Industry experts will discuss important topics in the field of PET – a good example is Wahaha group.
The CBB International Forum will be about trends that are moving through the entire industry now and in the future.“Focus topics this year are digitalisation and sustainability,” Westphal says. “For example, Professor William Chen from the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore will present his research projects on sustainable production lines for foodstuffs and beverages. The Exhibitor New Technology seminar will offer exhibitors an exclusive platform to present new products or technologies to a selected audience. In the framework programme of CBB, there is something for everyone.
“As a leading industry platform, CBB is a seismograph for trends and market changes in Asia. It is the ‘place to be’ for exhibitors and visitors from the entire value chain of the beverage and liquid food industry – from processing, packaging, bottling to logistics and raw materials.”
The last CBB in 2016 moved from Beijing to Shanghai and set new standards with the first event in the Chinese metropolis. At 81,000 sq metres, around 800 national and international exhibitors presented their innovations and solutions to more than 53,000 participants. The fair has broken records for the international exhibition space and number of exhibitors, Westphal says.
Kiwis wanting to attend the CBB still have time to book, Messe Reps & Travel Robert Laing says. The company has been handling travel and accommodation planning for visitors to trade shows for 25 years, and can assist with airfares and accommodation recommendations and bookings. “Our knowledge of Shanghai – the hotels, the transport to the fairground for example, will help visitors to get the best value for their visit,” Laing says. “For example, the Chinese Consulate in New Zealand advises that trade show visitors to China should obtain a Business Visa (Type M). For this type of visa, you need a letter of introduction. As part of our package offer, we can arrange this for you. As New Zealand beverage markets hit new highs, now is the perfect time to leave our shores to see what the world has to offer.
For all information on CBB and assistance with travel, accommodation planning or advice, contact Robert Laing from Messe Reps & Travel on (09) 5219200, [email protected] or www.cbb.drinktec.com.
