GBBF - What will it be like?

Talking to Anders and Lars (Half the Swedish Drinking Team) - they are not coming to do their usual sterling job behind the foreign bar this year. Reason being that the foreign bar will be much reduced.

This is exactly the thing I feared on hearing it was back at the old venue. The foreign bar has been spectacular the last few years at GBBF. But I guess it was never going to be prioritised over UK beer when venue space is reduced.

Anybody know anything more? Craig?

From all accounts iv been hearing I expect it to be a shambles. The amount of people going each year has increased and the smaller venue is going kill it. I’ll be there for the trade session and wont make my way back after that.

In saying this, we all knew that this was going to be the case and it’ll be back next year with the new manager of the forign bar who is appartly far more adventurous with the beer selection.

drunken

Every thing has been reduced this year not just BSF.
The Venue is smaller, there not much can be done.

Im not expecting it to be the Best year but im sure they will do the best they can with space available. I know a lot of work has gone into this already


As for new Manager. Andy stepped down last year, and i think each bar has been left with the same Bar manager, but im not whos been placed in overall control. But i dont expect that to have much change to the beer ordering.

Next year i know of no changes to BSF managers, but i think the OVERALL manager of GBBF has stepped down.

all told im more concerned where is it going to be next year.

Earls court always fitted with the rest of my Holiday plans. A new venue might well not :-(

I guess this years fest will be ’incredibly cramped’. I still can’t get my head around the fact that they are going to demolish Earls Court Exhibition Centre next year, the building is iconic and should be preserved, I love the place. As usual, the UK only thinks about ££££ greedy developers have screwed up so many things in this country. GBBF has been great the last few years but it’ll probably end up in the NEC in Brum or some grim place north of Watford.

Yeah - I thinks it’s criminal that the Exhibition Centre is being demolished. Perhaps justice will be done and the replacement homes will be unsold (as are many already are in the area) and will drive these greedy bastards in to liquidation.

On the space front I really hope that all the superflous Tombola, and various, games and shops/stands will be drastically cut in favour of beer.

I wonder if GBBF could be staged at the O2?

Originally posted by evergreen0199
I still can’t get my head around the fact that they are going to demolish Earls Court Exhibition Centre next year, the building is iconic and should be preserved

O2 is a fantastic suggestion. I think that venue is perfect. Always incredibly cool and a lot of entertainment to draw in younger drinkers. I think we should raise that.

I don’t think the O2 has the floor space, unfortunately. The concert venue isn’t big enough for all the stalls. While you could theoretically put stands out on the concourses around the venue, I doubt that the owners of the venue would ever allow it. Also, as GBBF is in the height of the summer concert season, I doubt that the O2 would rent out a full week for such an event.

I don’t think London needs any more events of national or international significance thrown its way. How about somewhere in the middle of the UK, like Birmingham or Manchester! London is grubby, overpriced and overcrowded. They could find a cheaper venue elsewhere, and as a result could lower the ticket prices.

Excel is the only other large venue in London that is likely to hold it. Excel has the space but won’t have the character. NEC Birmingham would appease the festival goers who travel down from the Midlands/North.