Raising the Bar (show)
June 15, 2010 - 11:57pm | by Daniel Priseman
But despite all these positives there are still some issues I have with this show. There are frankly not enough spirits on show, and it seemed to me in wandering through the venue that very few were new products launched in the last year. This to me is the biggest stumbling block for Bar10 to address, and in talking to people over the course of the day many had the same gripe.
You’ve probably noticed by now that we have recently blogged about Bar10 and The London Cocktail Summit. Well day one of the two-day event is over and I’ve definitely got a few thoughts about it.
This is the first year in which Bar10 has taken the decision to charge, which as the organisers have stated, was a move to try to put off the blaggers who have previously treated the show as little more than an excuse to get drunk. To my mind they definitely went some way towards achieving this goal. Unfortunately the flip side of that coin is that it seems to have put off a lot of the bartenders and bar managers too as attendance felt lower than previous years. That being said it was good to see a crowd of ‘the right’ people at the show.
Also the move back to its original venue, the Business Design Centre in Islington, was a smart move. The venue has so much more character than Earl’s Court, and creates a good vibe for those attending. It somehow made the show seem more personal and intimate by creating small spaces where you could interact with individual brands.
The London Cocktail Summit is also a great addition to Bar10, with some industry leading guest speakers exploring topics that are both interesting and relevant to bartenders working at the cutting edge of the drinks industry. I particularly enjoyed sitting in on a session with Dave Broom about flavour pairings within spirits and cocktails that made me think about matching ingredients in a whole new light.
But despite all these positives there are still some issues I have with this show. There are frankly not enough spirits on show, and it seemed to me in wandering through the venue that very few were new products launched in the last year. This to me is the biggest stumbling block for Bar10 to address, and in talking to people over the course of the day many had the same gripe.Bar Show has the potential to be the great industry event that London so desperately needs and deserves. All the elements are within reach, but despite all the improvements I was still left feeling that it is not quite there yet. If Bar is to reach it’s potential then it needs to have a focus, and from talking to bartenders, managers, consultants etc. they want it to be about spirits. If Andy and his team can find a way to get the brands back on board and get them excited about exhibiting then Bar11 could be the start of a new era for drinks industry trade shows.
As it stands I would have felt that £85 for tickets to the show and The London Cocktail Summit would have been a bit steep for what I got in return. But if Bar11 can maximise the potential I saw today then maybe next year I would be happier to dig into my wallet and fork over my hard-earned cash to attend… I look forward to seeing where this show is going in the future!
Comments
Bar 10
£85 is quite steep, I realise they are trying to cut down on the ‘undesirables’ from previous years and raise the quality of the show to what it once was, but there is another cost of course for people like myself and many others who don’t live or work in London. Being stuck in the middle of the Midlands requires a good £35 return train ticket plus of course a Tube pass, meaning a whole day out at the show can cost upwards of £100. I didn’t visit Bar ‘10, maybe next year, we’ll see what the admission fees are saying.
On a side note, this is definitely one of my more favourite drinks-related blogs, keep up the good work Mr. Priseman!
check out Imbibe next year
Hey Steve,
the Imbibe bar show has run over the last couple of days and for their first attempt at a drinks show I have to say it was spot on! Free entry, only spirits, wines and beers on display, no energy drinks or chair builders… and most importantly it was attended by serious bar proffessionals who are interested in furthering our industry. Considering the fact that the organisers of Bar10 have been saying for years that it is difficult to keep out the ‘undesireable elements’, Imbibe managed to do it on their first attempt!
Thanks for your kind words about the blog mate!
BAR10 & 11
I’m yet to visit Bar10. That joy is reserved for tomorrow morning! However, I do want to chuck my few quid in the ring.
There are 6 bar shows in London this year. This is plainly ridiculous and unsustainable.
My wish is that the organisers of these shows get together round a boardroom table, combine their collective experience, knowledge, flair, creativity, know-how, clout etc etc etc and put it all in to an EVENT that will make the LONDON BAR SHOW the finest event for BARS AND BARTENDERS the world over.
London deserves to host the finest drinks industry event in the world, but the saturation of the bar show market with insipid, uninspiring events will only serve to knock London of it’s perch.
A healthy combination of the best of the world’s shows would be wonderful. The good bits from Tales of the Cocktail, Paris, Berlin and Sydney would be amazing!
There…..I said it! ;-)
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