The 105th friendship meeting of BierConvent International was also a complete success. Tuscan art and culture, excellent food and a lively exchange of ideas awaited the participants at the 105th BierConvent International e.V. friendship meeting in Florence.

Florence is always worth a visit. The 45 participants at this year’s friendship meeting of BierConvent International e.V. (BCI) can only confirm this. The varied supporting program of the meeting from 10 to 14 May contributed to this, but above all the opportunity to exchange ideas. The members of the BCI represent a wide range of industries and interests relating to beer as a cultural asset and most of them have been connected to each other through long-standing friendships since the association was founded in 1969.

The long weekend began on Thursday with the General Assembly, during which the issues and news in the chapters were discussed in detail. Among other things, Larson Lüngen was sworn in as the new state consul in NRW and Heinrich Auwärter, state consul for Liechtenstein & Switzerland, announced that he would be stepping down next year for reasons of age. The upcoming planned meetings were also discussed in this context.

Art, culture and an excursion into the world of wine

This was followed by a lively program for the participants – including a boat picnic on the Arno and dinner with craft beer and live music in a family-run brewery.

The next few days were full of variety: the program included visits to famous works of art by Michelangelo & Co, as well as a visit to the world-famous Marchesi Antinori winery, where the beer representatives enjoyed a glass of wine for a change. Definitely a highlight: the gala dinner on Saturday evening at Palazzo Gondi with the three tenors. Here, President Pia Kollmar gave a speech that put the female characteristics of beer into context and after which everyone agreed in the end: The BierConvent could do with even more strong women.

This year’s short autumn trip will take place from 5 to 8 October in Brno in the Czech Republic; the next friendship meeting with general assembly and enthronement will then take place in May 2024 in the Swiss canton of Appenzell.

Über den BierConvent International e.V.

Der 1969 gegründete BierConvent International e.V. (BCI) versteht sich als weltweite Bier-Bruderschaft mit dem gemeinnützigen Zweck, die gesellschaftliche Bewusstseinsbildung und damit die Volksbildung über das 7.000 Jahre alte Kulturgetränk Bier durch Erforschung, Pflege und Aufklärung zu fördern. Die mehr als 100 Mitglieder dieser Bruderschaft aus verschiedenen Ländern nennen sich Notable. Sie sind sich zu gegenseitiger Achtung und Hilfe verpflichtet. Ziele des BierConvent International sind:

• den verantwortungsvollen Genuss von Bier als edlem Getränk gepflegter Geselligkeit zu fördern, die ehrwürdige Tradition des Bieres zu pflegen und seine gesellschaftliche Wertschätzung zu fördern
• in Zusammenarbeit mit Forschern die Physiologie, Psychologie und das spezifische Umfeld des Bieres zu erkunden und die Ergebnisse dieser Forschung der Allgemeinheit zugänglich zu machen
• für den Kreis der Notablen, Angehörigen und Freunde exklusive Anlässe zu schaffen, die Freude am verantwortungsvollen Biergenuss vermitteln

Ehrenamtliche und erste weibliche Präsidentin des BCI ist seit Januar 2021 Pia Kollmar, Mehrheitsgesellschafterin der OeTTINGER Brauerei GmbH.