Now in it's 7th year, Beertopia is Hong Kong’s largest craft beer festival. Last year's festival took place at the Central Harbourfront with over 12,500 attendees trying over 500 different beers from around the world. The only event of its kind in Hong Kong, the goal of Beertopia is for people to discover and enjoy quality craft beers in a fun and lively environment that includes lots of food, live music with bands and DJs, and beer games. This year's event will once again be held in a new area of the Central Harbourfront. 

Friday, October 5: 6PM-11PM
Saturday, October 6: 12PM-11PM

Attendees will have a choice between Friday night, Saturday night, all day Saturday, or All Weekend tickets. The Saturday night ticket is back as a ticket option this year.

Conveniently located outside of IFC mall and next to the Central Piers, the Central Harbourfront is one of the most exciting venues in the city. Easily accessible by MTR, taxi, bus and ferry, the venue features over 15,000 square meters of waterfront space and unobstructed views of city skyline. 

This year the site will be moving from it's home on the east side of the Central Harbourfront to the west half (next to the ferris wheel), with a brand new, slightly larger festival layout. This is site A&B of the Central Harbourfront, where Art Central and Taste are held, rather than site C&D which was used the past three years.


NEW FEATURES THIS YEAR

Tickets prices are not finalized, but will likely start at around HKD $230 (early bird) and include a beer coupon, which can be redeemed for one beer, from a choice of around ten beer partners. The expensive ticket will include 10 tokens by default, which has been the more popular option in the past. 

Vendors will exchange beer for tokens.

The minimum price for a tasting (~4oz or 110mL) is one (1) token.

The minimum price for bottles, pints, full pours, sampler sets, or any sizes other than a tasting size is two (2) tokens. Two beers (~330ml x 2)  must cost at least 4 tokens, three beers (~330ml x 3) at least 6 tokens, etc.

Vendors are not permitted to give away beer free of charge.

Vendors will be reimbursed by the festival organizer HKD $10 per token collected.

Prices for additional tokens are not finalized, but can be purchased by attendees likely in bundles of 14 tokens for $200 or 6 for $100, similar to years past.

All drinks must be exchanged with vendors using the tokens. Cash transactions at the festival are strictly prohibited.

After the festival vendors are responsible for counting the tokens collected and submitting these to the festival organizer for reimbursement. Vendors will also have the option of weighing their tokens at the festival in lieu of counting the tokens.

All vendors will be reimbursed by cheque. Overseas vendors must ensure they are able to accept cheques. Reimbursements will not be made in cash, cheques made out to cash, or wire transfer.

Gender Male: 52% Female: 48%

Age 18-25: 25% 26-35: 43% 36-45: 22% 46-55: 9% 56+: 1%

Nationality Hong Kong & China: 60% US, UK, Canada, Australia: 25% Other Countries: 15%

Exhibitor stalls are available for breweries or companies that are the officially licensed distributor in Hong Kong. All breweries to be shown and sold must be listed in the vendor application.

There are a limited number of beer vendor stalls available. Stalls typically are filled up within a couple weeks so we encourage interested companies to apply as early as possible. Applications will be processed using the Vendor Application Details described in the section below.  

Our stall fees have not increased significantly in three years, but unfortunately the venue costs have been raised significantly this year, with site rental costs having gone up by more than 50% from last year. Large stall pricing has also been updated to better align with the past sales numbers, which were significantly higher for larger stalls than medium and small sized stalls. Thank you for your understanding.

New Exhibitors (Non-2017 Beertopia Vendors)	Returning Exhibitors (2017 Beertopia Vendors)
Small stall (~2x2m)............. HKD $13,500 Medium stall (~4x2m).......... HKD $19,500 Large stall (~6x2m)............. HKD $25,000	Small stall (~2x2m)............. HKD $11,500  Medium stall (~4x2m).......... HKD $16,500 Large stall (~6x2m)............. HKD $22,500

Optional Electricity: 

Small stall….…… HK $750 per stall (500W total, 1 x 13A socket)
Medium stall……. HK $1,500 per stall (1000W total, 2 x 13A sockets)
Large stall……..…HK $2,250 per stall (1500W total, 3 x 13A sockets)

Stall interior lighting will be included by default and electricity does not need to be purchased for this. Socket splitters are not included. Equipment using electricity beyond the above allocated amount for each stall size will not be permitted without express prior written permission.

For reference standard fridges, chillers and kegerators use around ~100W. See photo of 13A socket below.

Optional Mobile Beer Cart:
*Only available for large stalls.

Bring Your Own Mobile Beer Cart........... HK $3000

Beer carts are NOT included. Beer carts can be decorated, lit up, play music, etc. to sell bottles of beer around the festival site. They should be roughly the size of a dim sum cart, loaded with ice and beers. Carts cannot be parked directly in front of another vendor.

NOTES:

Stalls are non-transferable, non-shareable, and are valid for the invoiced vendor company only.

For stalls beyond than the listed sizes, please contact the festival organizer.

Stall decorations and structures cannot exceed 3m in height, as they will require a registered structural engineer's report, and inspection and approval by the Buildings Department. Which means the decorations run the risk of having to be taken down before festival open.

A 13A plug, for reference:

The same process will be used as for the 2017 festival. Note that the organizers reserve the right to shift a vendor's location slightly within their selected row in order to efficiently fit all the stalls into the spaces to fill that row.

Vendors will be assigned a priority to select their stall on a first-come, first-served basis, based on when their stall rental has been confirmed and stall rental fees have been settled. The process is as follows:

1. Applications are submitted via online form.
2. First wave of invoices will be emailed to accepted vendors (at the same time).
3. As the rental fee payment confirmations come in, the vendor will be assigned a priority number to select their stall. Ex. First payment received gets to pick first, second confirmation received gets second pick, and so on.
4. The next wave of invoices to multiple accepted vendors will then be sent (roughly a new group of invoices each week), and as payment confirmations are received, vendors will continue to be assigned a priority to make their selection. And so on for the third group of invoices, fourth group of invoices, etc.

In order to bring the very best craft beer to festival attendees, applications are evaluated based on the Vendor Criteria as described below, with priority given to previous Beertopia vendors, visiting microbreweries, etc.

Once all the priorities for picking stalls have been assigned amongst the vendors, the number of stalls and their sizes will be confirmed and the venue layout will be finalised. Vendors will be told their selection priority and be provided with a venue map to pick their stall locations closer to the festival date.

- Absolutely no changes to the stall position can be made once chosen.
- Stall locations cannot be swapped, exchanged, re-sold, transferred, or otherwise changed.
- Changes to the stall size, or additional stall purchases, will need to be selected separately based on when the rental fee for the additional stall has been received. Ex. You cannot rent a small stall, be assigned the first priority to select a location, later upgrade the small stall to a large stall, and then use the first pick for a large stall. The small stall will need to be picked with the first selection, and the additional "medium" stall (large = medium + small) will need to be selected separately during its own turn, which may result in the stall being located separately from the first stall.
- Stalls cannot be shared amongst vendors.
- During the stall selection process, vendors will be shown a map, with all the stalls areas laid out, and the occupied and unoccupied stalls marked. The occupied stalls will not be labeled with vendor names, nor will vendors be told where which locations other vendors have chosen until after all the stalls have been assigned.

Beertopia is focused on bringing the best selection of craft beer to its attendees. Last year featured over 500 different beers from around the world, along with visiting breweries. Applications for beer vendor stalls are processed using the following criteria:

- Priority will be given to returning Beertopia vendors who sold well in previous years. 
- Priority will be given to microbreweries based in and around Asia. 
- The size of the stall being applied for, the selection of beers, their uniqueness, current availability in Hong Kong, and how well they have been reviewed will also be considered. 
 

BEER PARTNERS:

 

BEER SAMPLES:

Upon request, each beer vendor is required to provide up to six (6) sample bottles of beer they will be showcasing at the festival. These will be used as a part of the marketing campaign leading up to the festival, including the press conference, media interviews, photography, tastings, and promotions.

2x2m folding tent (small stall), 4x2m tent (medium stall), or 6x2m (large stall)

Listing on the venue map. Each stall is limited to one name only. Ex. Large stalls cannot list two or three different names on the venue map.

Roughly 2-3m in front of the stall, for an optional, decorated "hang-out area." Details below.

Five (5) exhibitor passes for small stalls, ten (10) passes for medium stall, fifteen (15) passes for large stall.

Complimentary storage area for additional beer, up to a maximum of ten cases of 24 330mL bottles (or equivalent volume) per booth (twenty for medium booth, thirty for large booth). Or the equivalent area in kegs, which must be stacked.

Items can be stored in the refrigerated shipping containers, which will be locked overnight.

Shipping containers are refrigerated at around 4 degrees Celsius. These are not freezers.

Vendors can also sell their own brand related merchandise, such a t-shirts or beer mugs, at the stall, up to a limit of three different products for a small stall (six and nine different products for medium and large stalls, respectively). Merchandise can be sold using cash, rather than tokens.

Space for a banners and roll up stands at the stall

Tables and chairs

Listing of beers on the event website

Shared garbage and recycling bins.

Ice will be provided at cost (approx. HKD20 per 10kg bag). Vendors will put in their ice order prior to the festival and be provided with a set number of ice tickets to collect the ice on the day.

Attendees will be given plastic tasting glasses only. Vendors who serve draught beer will need to provide their own plastic pint glasses or pitchers for attendees looking for to buy amounts larger than the standard tasting.

NOT INCLUDED WITH THE STALL:

Mobile beer carts (for the large stalls)

Pint glasses or pitchers for vendors who serve draught beer

Coolers

Trolleys or push carts for moving cases of beer, equipment or furniture.

Display cases

Table cloths or other decorations

Towels for wiping down bottles or condensation

Bottle openers

Runners to pick up beer or ice from the storage area

Electricity, unless it has been purchased

Extension cords, socket splitters, or other equipment

There is no parking on site. The venue management is very strict about this, and unauthorized cars will towed. After festival start, only delivery trucks and vans will be allowed on site, cars will not be permitted to enter the delivery entrance.

Similar to last year, upon request, vendors can be allocated space in front of their stalls (roughly 2-3m), to create a fun and cool, decorated "hang out" area for attendees. This is optional and designs, along with the request for additional space, needs to be submitted in advance, within two weeks of an accepted stall application.

Some ideas would be lights, music and speakers, bean bag chairs, cocktail tables, games, etc. However, this should be designed in such a way that it doesn't block traffic, with crowds that obstruct the view of the stall or prevent people from actually getting to the stall itself to try the beers.

Anything that adversely affects other vendors is prohibited. Vendors are required to submit their hang-out area design for approval prior to setup, otherwise they run the risk of the area being shut down after setup. Anything deemed unsafe or unscrupulous will be shut down. Any decorations or structures over 3m are prohibited.

Beer vendors cannot sell food, or provide free food beyond light snacks, such as chips, nuts, chocolates. Vendors cannot use the area to engage in activity that involve cash transactions. Token payments for games or contests is permitted. Beer pong is not permitted.


Cash transactions are strictly prohibited and all transactions must be done using beer tokens. Beer pricing must adhere to the one token minimum for tastings, and two tokens minimum for all other sizes, such as bottles, pints, sampler platters, etc. Two beers (~330ml x 2) must cost at least 4 tokens, three beers (~330m x 3) must cost at least 6 tokens, etc. Any vendor found to be violating these conditions will result in immediate expulsion from the event, forfeiture of their stall rental fees, and exclusion from all future events. 

Setup: Vendors can start moving in, setting up, delivering goods, etc. during the afternoon of Thursday, October 4. The locked, refrigerated overnight storage will be turned on starting Thursday afternoon, and kept on continuously until the morning of Sunday, October 7. Vendors are recommended to move out their goods on Saturday night or Sunday morning. 

Storage: The refrigerated overnight storage will be locked each night at 12PM, so everything that needs to be stored must be moved in before this. The storage will be unlocked each morning around 10AM, Friday through Sunday morning at 10AM.  

Take Down:  Most vendors move out right after the festival the night of October 6. This is strongly recommended, to minimize the change of loss or damages to good or equipment, rather than waiting until Sunday or Monday. Vendors must have all their goods and equipment moved out of the site by 10AM on Monday, October 8. This is a requirement of the venue management that the organizers unfortunately do not have control over. Vendors that are not out by the deadline will be responsible for any fines levied by the venue management.

If vendors cannot move out on Saturday night, vendors must move all their goods and equipment (left over beer, tshirts, condiments, draught dispensing equipment, etc) into the storage containers that night. 

There will be no electricity on site after 10AM on Sunday morning. Individual stall tents and tables will start to be taken down on Sunday, so vendors are strongly encouraged to move out on Sunday if possible, and if not, to once again move all their goods to the storage containers, rather than risk having their goods and equipment left out in the open once the tents and tables have been taken down.

There will be a huge number of third-party logistics staff on-site working to take down and move the lights, stages, tables, toilets, electric cables, signage, etc. immediately after the Saturday night session. Moving goods into the containers will reduce, but not entirely eliminate, the risk of items getting lost.

Recycling: Vendors are responsible for putting all their empty bottles in the large recycling bins that will be spread throughout the venue. Empty bottles can first be collected in garbage bags, rather than in empty beer cases (which can get soggy and then fall apart) and then periodically emptied into the recycling bins.

Garbage: Vendors are responsible for emptying all their garbage into the large garbage skip, which will then be picked up and cleared by a garbage truck periodically throughout the sessions. Vendors are required to leave their stall rental area clean and free of garbage or left over goods and equipment after moving out.


There will once again be overnight security at the site, as well as refrigerated shipping containers, which will be locked at 12AM every night and opened 10AM each morning. Vendors are encouraged to use the shipping containers each night. Valuables should not be left in the site overnight, at the stall or in the shipping containers, as other vendors and their staff will have shared access.

The organisers cannot be responsible or liable for any goods, materials, or equipment lost or damaged at any point in time while at the site. This includes anything lost, left behind, accidentally (or otherwise) taken, accidentally (or otherwise) damaged by anyone related or unrelated to the festival, any damages due to weather, wind, rain, loss of electricity, natural disasters, or any other reason.

Valuables should not be kept in the shipping containers. On top of the risk of third-party delivery and pick-up staff taking the wrong things (or leaving things behind), there will also be the risk of outright theft from all the different people going in and out of the storage containers. There is no way for security to know exactly who everything belongs to in each container, or what each third-party logistics or pick-up person is actually there to pick up.

If the shared shipping containers are not adequate, vendors can move their goods off site, or lock them in their own van or vehicle that can be parked overnight on-site.

Vendors are recommended to put their names on their equipment, such as trolly and push carts, to avoid mix-ups with other vendors, as these things can look very similar.

Once complete, the application screen will read "Your application for Beertopia 2018 has been successfully submitted." If this screen does not appear, the application has not been received.

2. Accepted vendors will receive an email with additional details and an invoice for the stall rental fee within approximately one week from the application date. 

3. The stall rental will only be confirmed once the invoice has been settled. Due to demand, applications will be automatically cancelled if the invoice has not been settled within seven working days.