Bar Convent Brooklyn 2023 Preview with Event Director Jackie Williams
Jackie Williams, Events Director, Bar Convent Brooklyn, photo credit BCB
Bar Convent Berlin's tagline has long been "Christmas for Bartenders," and Jackie Williams, Event Director for Bar Convent Brooklyn, describes the 2-day industry event similarly. Modeled after the Berlin event, which has been operational since 2007, Bar Convent has been stateside in sister Brooklyn since 2018, previously housed at the Brooklyn Expo Center. 2022 marked the second year back of BCB following a 1-year COVID hiatus, with an even shinier new home in Brooklyn’s über-cool Industry City.
Williams joined the BCB team through its parent event company RX in 2020, citing jealousy as one of the primary reasons she was keen to helm it. “Like many people, I spent a little time in the restaurant business during my college years, both serving and behind the bar, she says. “I always looked longingly at BCB from afar. The event that I used to run had the same dates as BCB, so I didn't get to attend the first few years but always had that serious FOMO.” You need not FMO, however. As its much-anticipated opening day arrives on June 13, 2023, I spoke with Williams about what to expect from the largest-and-in-chargest Bar Convent Brooklyn yet.
What is Bar Convent Brooklyn?
BCB audience photo credit BCB
As one of only a small number of conferences in the US dedicated to the beverage industry, BCB is responsible for helping to professionalize bartending and bartenders. “I think BCB is super important to the industry,” says Williams. “It has a fun and social element to it, where everyone gets to meet in one place, but you get such an opportunity to learn and sample from so many different brands,” she says. “There are new trends, new topics, key learnings, key performance objectives, and best practice sharing. That is what's so important about BCB, it’s an opportunity to share among the whole industry.” BCB 2022 saw over 4000 attendees from over 55 different countries.
“I am so excited to be back in Industry City,” says Williams, citing the “blank canvas” feel of the space that could really be shaped to support every aspect of BCB in a fun and functional way. “We did make the move to Industry City a little late before the 2022 conference,” she says, “so now that we've had a full year to plan, we were able to really maximize the layout for flow.”
Exhibitors
Bar Convent Brooklyn 2022 showcased over 160 exhibitors, and at least 50 new products to the market, and Williams expects this year’s conference to top those numbers. (As of this writing, recruitment was still in progress.) “We’re actually adding an additional hall and some more courtyard space,” says Williams. “So I'm confident this edition of BCB will be much larger than it was last year.” 172 brands have already signed on, and more are expected, including at least 20 brands identified as “diversity-owned,” a handful of no and low ABV options, and representing every imaginable spirit category, and ones that you probably cannot yet imagine. (Danish whiskey and agave wine, anyone?)
Educational Programming
One of the most anticipated aspects of BCB is its educational programming, curated by an education committee helmed by industry luminary Lynnette Marrero. Like all aspects of this year’s conference, the education schedule is also growing in scope this year. “Last year we had three stages. This year, we will have four,” says Williams, “So we've added about 15 additional sessions to our slate.” Sessions are free to conference attendees, with the only challenge being the Tetris required of one’s schedule to accommodate as many as possible given overlapping start times. (In related reading see our piece on “Why Frozen Drinks Deserve Your Respect,” informed by a panel during last year’s BCB.)
A few highlights from this year’s recently-published schedule include Intro to Cocktail & Bottle Photography by High-Proof Preacher’s Jordan Hughes, Aperitivo & Amaro: The Future of Italian Spirits in Modern Mixology by none other than Dale DeGroff and T.A. Breaux, and WTF is Singani: Bringing the Newest Spirit Category to the United States, presented by Ivy Mix, Stephen Soderbergh, (yes, that one,) and Luis Pablo Granier. Stay tuned for details on an Alcohol Professor session on June 13th at 4:00 pm.
Advanced pricing is available for registration to Bar Convent Brooklyn 2023 through June 10 at BCB’s website.