By Марго Бор 
Moscow Bar Show (MBS) – the largest professional bar industry show in Russia. In 2019 it took place for the 9th time. More than 5600 participants visited the venue of Street Art Museum in Saint-Petersburg during three days from the 3rd to the 5th of September. Plunging into profession, exploring new brands, making new connections – that was all about. Huge space of the Museum, graffiti and art-installations by famous local artists, inherent constructions, design and navigation, interesting educational program – all that reflected and highlighted the concept of this year – deconstruction.
Moscow Bar Show 2019
MBS is not only the largest bar show in Russia. It is also well-known for its global educational program that brings together brands, speakers and best specialists. In 2019 there were 83 lectures by 100 speakers, 20 foreign and 80 Russian. 5 educational venues from 150 to 300 seats were full for all three days. At MBS 2019 Mr. Bek Narzi, entrepreneur, restorator and HoReCa business-coach, set a world record – he has become the first speaker from bar industry to get 25 000 dollar for his lecture, after he gathered 250 visitors. It was the only lecture for fee during the show, but it had been fully booked in advance. Now it is obvious that native specialists make a great interest in the field, it has never been like that before. Moreover, foreign guests used to come to Russia as speakers and tutors, and now the come to find out new trends in Russian professional industry as well.
Deconstruction
“Basically deconstruction is aimed to demolish stereotypes and think matters over by bringing them into a new context. That is why for this year we rent untypical venue – the Museum, we made extremely saturated program, stressing the point of education and new direction of mindset. By today the importance of systematic education has become obvious. Getting some news here and there is not enough. The value of basic expertise level and broad-mindedness come to the center stage. We need not only professional knowledge. It is important to see a lot, to have enough of thrilling and inspiring visual content, that makes you sare new ideas in the community” – Arina Nikolskaya, Director of Moscow Bar Show project.
Read the interview: Arina Nikolskaya. MBS 2019, Russian culture ambassadors, localism and dead trends
Educational platform
Trend for education is typical in Russia as well as globally. The biggest players at alcohol market confirm this trend. Today they increase brand loyalty through educational projects, programs and content. They bring Global Ambassadors and curious speakers, they make their booths interactive. It is very well seen as “edutainment” notion comes into the bar industry. Educate by entertainment, entertain by education. Companies incorporated popular labels into the educational program, while new brands were presented at booths.
The show zone included over 260 brands at 86 booths.
Norwegian aquavit and a great number of artisanal gins was presented for the first time in Russia. Local independent brands tend to strength their positions too. If previously they presented mostly vodka products, now there were numerous fine quality gins, samogons, liqueurs and distillates produced in Russia (around 10% of the whole exhibited products). There was even first Russian aperol.
Learn more about Russian Tinctures and traditions of old Moscow
Show must go on
Organisation team thanks all guests and partners of the project and starts preparations for the next coming anniversary year.
Moscow Bar Show is project by PIR Expo company.