Bar Convent Brooklyn returned to New York City on June 11-12 following a successful debut in 2018. An extension of Bar Convent Berlin, one of the leading international 
trade fairs for the bar and beverage industry, Bar Convent Brooklyn saw an attendee increase of 30% from across the world come through the doors at the Brooklyn Expo Center.
With 144 exhibitors, 112 new products debuted, 62 panels and tasting demonstrations, Bar Convent Brooklyn expanded its presence for a resounding second year. This year’s event was bigger in size by 35 percent in square footage featuring new activations such as the Author’s Corner, Bacardi La Gran Familia Food Court, and more exhibitors and purveyors.
Education was very much at the forefront of this year’s show with panels and seminars lead by leading industry peers from Inclusion In Hospitality: How To Build A Longer Table by Jackie Summers, To Back To Basics: Re-examining The Role Of The Bartender with Franky Marshall and Eamon Rockey to an exploration of celebrity brands with Steven Soderbergh (Singani63), Jesse Bongiovi (Hampton Water), Rob Dietrich (Blackened), and Erica Duecy (SevenFiftyDaily). New this year, one session each morning was offered in Spanish. Sessions provided education for those looking to move into a bartending role as well as guidance and expand skill training for their current role. “Bar Convent Brooklyn 2019 was gratifying and a testament to the hard work of so many people. From the operations team to the Seminar Selection Panel to the 120 speakers and presenters to, of course, the attendees this was a pleasure to be involved with and I look forward to it’s continuing evolution. Bring on 2020,” Angus Winchester, Director of Education.
Another aspect of education and a focus of Bar Convent Brooklyn was sustainability. Committed to reducing BCB’s 2019 carbon footprint and single-use plastic wastage, their goal was to create a culture of dialogue focused on sustainability and green bar initiatives in the cocktail industry. A partnership with Llanllyr SOURCE provided all attendees with 100% recyclable aluminum still and sparkling water cans, Tin Roof Community co-founders, Claire Sprouse, and Chad Arnholt hosted a sustainability dedicated booth showcasing ways that bars and industry professionals can implement to have a low-waste food and beverage program and, lastly, working directly with a local waste management company to ensure waste treated through recycling and composting treatments.
The trade show saw over 350,000 samples and cocktails enjoyed by hospitality and trade attendees, showcased with Q Drinks, Thomas Henry, and Fever Tree’s portfolio of mixers. As a final celebration to the two days, Amaro Montenegro hosted the official closing party of Bar Convent Brooklyn. “Following the success of Amaro Montenegro’s 2018 House of Yes closing party for Bar Convent, we wanted to come back in an even bigger way for year two, with an Italian-inspired Sagra,” said Robert Cullins, Regional Director of the Americas, Gruppo Montenegro. “Amaro Montenegro is a brand that prides itself on creativity and exploration, it is at the root of everything we do, and that’s why with this year’s celebration we’ve brought it to a whole new level of sensory overload with secret bars, unique tasting experiences, and cocktail demos from some of the world’s best mixologists. We really wanted to give guests a whole new way to appreciate and experience Amaro Montenegro.”
Paula November, Event Vice President of Reed Exhibitions, says, “The second edition of Bar Convent Brooklyn was a huge success. Not only did we improve upon our exhibitor logistics and overall experience, but we also delivered a 30% increase in attendance. We relocated our registration area so attendees could immediately enter the Greenpoint Terminal Warehouse and start their BCB journey to see, taste and 
learn. In addition, the larger show footprint allowed us to incorporate additional exhibitors, and new experiential spaces and lounges. We appreciate the continued support of the bar and beverage community and look forward to the future growth of Bar Convent Brooklyn.”
Bookings for Bar Convent Brooklyn 2020 are currently underway, please reach out to secure your brands place before it sells out.
