CHAIRMAN’S INTRODUCTION

Roy Allkin

The Chairman’s introduction

Welcome to Exhibition Centre Liverpool for BeerX UK 2022. For many of us BeerX UK 2020 was the last industry event we attended before we went into the first National lockdown, so it seems fitting that this will be our first event as the final restrictions begin to lift.

I would like to first of all thank all of the Supplier Associate Members who have invested in the show and taken out trade stands, and furthermore to our various event sponsors including Headline Sponsors Kegstar – without you BeerX UK simply couldn’t go ahead and your continued support is hugely appreciated. This year we will also have Stage partners for the very first time, with Breww, Charles Faram and Crisp Malt each working with SIBA to host our three seminar stages and Independent Beer Awards judging. So a further thankyou to you and all of our other sponsors and partners across the event. This will be my first BeerX as Chairman and I look forward to welcoming you into our National AGM, where I am sure we will enjoy some healthy and positive debate on the issues which matter most to you as members. The Resolutions from our AGM shape the direction of the organisation and we will not only be discussing the future, but also reporting back on what has been done to act on the motions passed in previous years. As an organisation we are here to work for you, and the SIBA Board which I Chair is made up of your Elected Directors–brewers from across the UK–who represent the interests of the 8 regions at a National level and ensure the SIBA Management Team and Chief Executive James Calder are delivering on the areas that matter most to you. Our Staff Team work incredibly hard on your behalf and I’m very proud to help shape the future of SIBA alongside them and the Elected SIBA Board. BeerX UK is also my first time presenting the SIBA Lifetime Achievement Award as part of Wednesday’s Chairman’s Reception, which is presented to an individual who has over the course of a number of years made an outstanding contribution to our industry and to SIBA Member breweries. I’m very proud to be presenting this award and hope you will join me in opening the evening’s awards proceedings with a beer, ahead of me handing over to this year’s awards host Pete Brown. Pete’s work in writing about and championing independent beer in the UK is second to none and I’d like to extend a warm welcome to him as we look forward to hearing the results in this year’s SIBA Business Awards 2022 (Wed) and Independent Beer Awards 2022 (Thurs).

To all of you in the running for an award I wish you good luck, and to those visiting BeerX UK for the first time a very warm welcome.

ROY ALLKIN