I penned the headline as last month's Brau Beviale exhibition was heaving with people and I really thought that confidence had returned to the European brewing sector with brewers turning out in droves to seek out new opportunities for investment. Hordes of visitors were wandering aimlessly with cell phones clamped to their ears making getting around a slow business. How surprising that the statistics showed a continuing slow decline in exhibitors to 1348 (from 1394 in 2008) and visitor numbers at 32,617 were down on the 34,164 who attended in 2008 -remember we had drinktec last year. On the positive side, visitor feedback suggested that a remarkable 97% said they were thoroughly satisfied with the event and a good deal of confidence was returning amongst the exhibitors with many telling me that they had seen those active in making investment decisions and the mighty Krones seemed to have sold most of the kit it had on display in Halle 7A.
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