Global conference on beer industry held in Qingdao WCNA

The 35th Qingdao International Beer Festival kicks off at Golden Beach Beer City in Qingdao West Coast New Area, Shandong province, on July 18. [Photo/Qingdao Daily]

The International Beer Festival Alliance Cooperative Mechanism 2025 Qingdao Meeting was held at the Golden Beach Beer City in Qingdao West Coast New Area on July 19. The event aimed to amplify the global influence of beer festivals and promote the exchange and integration of beer cultures from different countries and regions.

Representatives discussed topics such as "enhancing the economic and social benefits of beer festivals" and "effectively cultivating urban beer culture spirit", sharing their respective experiences and viewpoints on beer festival celebrations in their countries or regions.

Key highlights included Dr Christian Scharpf's detailed presentation on the rich history and grandeur of the Oktoberfest beer festival in Munich, emphasizing the importance of cultural heritage and public participation.

Zheng Ganghuan, president of the International Festivals & Events Association, explored feasible paths to enhance the economic and social benefits of the Qingdao International Beer Festival from the perspectives of boosting nighttime economy, increasing venue utilization rates, connecting with global markets, and balancing tradition with innovation.

During the event, representatives jointly signed the new version of the international beer festival alliance cooperation memorandum. Building upon the 2019 memorandum, the signatories reaffirmed their commitment to exchanging festival celebration experiences, promoting mutual learning and research on beer cultures, and engaging in multi-faceted cooperation in beer festival industries.

The conference also saw the unveiling of a cooperation initiative to create a cross-cultural tourism ecosystem by connecting renowned international beer festivals. The initiative seeks to facilitate cultural exchange, brand promotion, and cultural integration, transforming festival traffic into industrial growth.