GBBF & Beer Festivals 'The US Way'!

Check your facts, it' not a larger venue. The floor space used at Earl's Court is not larger than the floor space that was available at Olympia. Only shaped differently, with many huge concrete columns getting in the way. The one thing that was really larger was the staff perimeter, but that's of rather little use to attract punters, isn't it ? The main difference for them is Earl's Court's a lot easier to get to using the underground.

As to "desperate to attract custom" : I really did not get this feeling from the organisers this year. Figures had gone up pretty steadily (plus

Cheers !

Laurent

And grateful thanks must go to all those volunteers who gave up their spare time so taht those of us who don't work there can attend and enjoy such a superb event.

Well done to all.

John B

In message , John B writes

I worked at GBBF, The line on the third pint glass was not white as in the other glasses & therefore not easy to see, if the writer of the publican article can suggest a better venue than Earls court at a reasonable price Then I am sure CAMRA would look at it.

As you probably discovered it was possible to get hold of the naff stuff, but the vast majority of the 66,000 plus audience never went near enough to their counters to buy any such item.

The food offerings from the stands brought in by CAMRA were so popular that people were well fed while Dash had a setup where a dust devil and tumbleweed wouldn't have been out of place. Best amusement was the day Dash decided to try buy one, get one free on their sandwiches and still didn't move into double figure sales.

The suggestion in the Publican that altering things might bring in MORE customers is an interesting view. The question is if the Great British Beer Festival had more customers where would they fit in the building?

Which was done - and they proved so popular they seemed to vaporise at the glasses stand.

I believe the view of the Working Party, is that they were far more popular than the industry clap-trap[1] would have anyone believe.

Because the 12 you like will be different from the 12 I like and those will be different to the 12 that others will like?

Actually the reason for the move was totally different, but I won't go into detail. Suffice to say it had nothing to do with size of venue or indeed access to more Tube services.

As you say the article is ill informed.

I have a better phrase, but there may be ladies present. :-)

Me. Especially when raining and you are sinking in the grass. Naff.

It has only been really wet and soggy the past couple of years. We have had some good weather in previous years.

Being an American I used to attended many "shot of beer" festivals here. I don't bother any more. A 1 or 2 ounce sample does not tell me if I will like a beer over the long haule. At these festivals I found my self constantly on my feet going from line to line (or as you all would say que to que) drinking my beer from the previous line while waiting for my next "shot of beer". All the "shot of beer" festivals I attended (save one which I will explain in the next paragraph) this was the only choice you had. There was no option to order any other size measure (some festivals provided a six ounce glass with a line at 2 ounces which came in handy if you had a friend behind the bar filling it up to the brim 8>)).

In 1999 I attended the worst beer festival ever in my opinion. That was the Great American Beer Festival held in Denver, Colorado each Fall. The hall were it was held was way oversold. I was constantly standing on long lines for a shot of beer (except when I cashed in my special coupon for a full pint which was in a separate less crowded area, however each patron was entitled to only one full pint and could not purchase more). Having been to the GBBF for the first time in 1998 I saw first hand that your national festival was much superior to mine. In fact this was the next to last "shot of beer" festival I ever attended (the last one being the 2001 Chicago Real Ale Festival, which fortunately I knew someone at the bar and he kept pouring me full 6oz glasses instead of stopping at the 2oz line).

I was glad to hear from reading this thread that the GBBF was going to 1/3 pint glasses this year. This will allow for sampling of more ales than before with the half as the smallest measure. A 6-7 ounce sample to me is sufficient to getting a feel for a beer but not the "shot of beer" method used predominately here in the USA.

Cheers, Bruce CAMRA member from New Jersey

P.S. I forgot to mention that Denver is a great beer town. Many excellent brew pubs. I just wouldn't waste my time going there during the GABF when many hotels are fully booked. Better to go there at another time.

It can't have been good in all the past previous years, though, can it! Outdoor festivals are not my cup of tea. Give me a good indoor one any day.

True there has been rain in some of the previous years (high winds and lightning as well) but it hasn't been enough to result in the mud of the past two. The past two years suffered from heavy rain before and during the festival. Me, I like it because it is a 10 minute walk from my house.

Hype? That was the largest part of the conversations of many of the P'boro stalwarts over the last few years. As I recall counting kiddies to make the numbers come close to the then figures of the national festival was one item.

It isn't actually a competition. As far as I'm aware the only P'boro bods that have also worked the Great British Beer Festival are on the Games & Collectibles and they are (quite rightly) more concerned with making the festival fun than bigger or better.

Do note that the Great British Beer Festival has had an outdoor instance...

... and the mud came off peoples clothes eventually.

BTW. Is anyone dipping to find how much beer is actually sold?

Christine a écrit :

Think we'll have to drag you kicking and sreaming to Lausanne Beer Fest, then. :o)

In message , Steven Pampling writes [snip]

Who could possibly forget the gentlemen's convenience at the festival after the Old Dun^h^h^h^h^h^h^h Ally Pally caught fire...

While on the subject, who could forget the equivalent facility at the very first festival in the old Covent Garden* - or the festival generally? A truly wonderful occasion. It was absolutely heaving, to the point where there was no room to walk between the 'bars'. An abiding memory is of one particularly tired and emotional drinker finding the floor rising up to meet him. His collapse triggered the well known 'domino effect' along the length of the gangway because it just wasn't possible to fall down with out bumping into the person in front of/behind you. Despite the mayhem caused, and the general state of everybody, good humour prevailed, everyone got back on their feet and all agreed it was most amusing. Is anybody else here geriatric enough to remember the Covent Garden festival, I wonder.

Dave

The ladies were nipping round the other side of a hedge. The wife of a recuperating heart patient said the sight at the bottom of the garden (it was their hedge) wasn't doing him any good...

Before my time, I'm far too young (you do believe me of course)

In message , Steven Pampling writes

Peterborough refuse to hire the CAMRA Cooling systems so I am told the Only day for good beer is the first day.

In article , martyn dawe writes

Why should they have to *hire* it? They are a part of CAMRA, after all.

Roy.

Peterborough is still really big and that's what puts me off going.