BeerX to leave Sheffield

The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) has annouced that next year’s BeerX trade show will take place in Liverpool rather than Sheffield. The exhibition, one of the largest of its kind in the UK, had been held here for the last five years. This year’s BeerX took place at iceSheffield from 16-19 March, hosting more than 2,000 industry delegates and featuring more than 400 beers. The BeerAlive! festival was held in a pop-up beer tent next door. SIBA’s operations director, Nick Stafford, said: “It was a tough decision to move the event as Sheffield has been BeerX’s home for five years, but we think the time is right for a change and look forward to hosting our key event […] in Liverpool.” One of the main reasons given for the move was the relative ease of getting to Liverpool by road, rail and air compared to Sheffield. Air travel has become increasingly important with SIBA looking to attract more international visitors. Next year’s event will take place over just two days instead of four, and will not feature the simultaneous beer festival.