The Institute of Brewing and Distilling (IBD) Asia Pacific Section Has rescheduled the 36th Biennial Convention for 23rd-24th February 2021.

The organisation was forced to postpone the convention, set to be held in Perth in March 2020, as the COVID-19 situation escalated and caused nationwide lockdowns.

It was initially postponed as a live event to 22nd-25th February 2021, but the IBD has now announced that next year’s event will be a fully virtual experience with an enhanced programme of brewing and distilling content.

The IBD Convention Organising Committee said it has been working hard behind the scenes for the past few months to develop the online event.

Convention chair Sean Symons, said that the new virtual format will deliver a lineup of speakers, with presentations, as well as access to the sponsors’ expo and a delegate lounge, which the IBD describe as an “online world”.

“The new virtual format delivers an impressive line up of speakers, in a virtual environment that is much more than a traditional online presentation. There’s no doubt it will be different, but it will also be educational, exciting and a lot of fun, with a flavour of Perth to honour the original convention location,” Symons said.

“When we made the decision to create a virtual convention, we knew it had to be awesome and be able to engage our delegates and sponsors in a way that was as good as a physical event.

“It will be a rich experience for delegates and we’re looking forward to welcoming the brewing and distilling community to join us online in February.”

The event focusing on ‘The Power of Connectivity’ will feature informative sessions with 50 presenters from around the world, a mixture of live, semi-live and on-demand sessions including updates from the IBD, a keynote speaker, panel discussions, interactive Q&A and direct contact with exhibitors and sponsors.

The IBD said it would be assessing convention registration fees for delegates in due course, and delegates who have already registered will be advised further by the end of November.

For more information and an idea of what the virtual convention will look like, head to http://www.ibd.org.uk/latest-news/apac-convention-2021