Being a GABS volunteer

I was really excited to find out that GABS (Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPular) was coming to Sydney, and I will post about the event next week. But as it happened, they were looking for volunteers for a session and I thought "why not?" - my logic was that I would hopefully meet a number of like minded beer enthusiasts, meet a few brewers and have a good time, so I "volunteered". 

I have to say, as the weeks counted down, I really thought to myself "why am I doing this" but looking back, I think it gave a really different angle to the event and I learned a bit more and chatted to likeminded beer enthusiasts. So I would say to other craft beer fans, give it a go - what do you really lose? A few hours, and what you can gain is so much more. 

I was at the front - handing glasses out to people as they wandered in, and stamping people who went outside to smoke etc so I didn't get to mingle with the brewers, or get too much of a feel of the event but I would say that during the break, I could work out "who's who in the zoo" and I talked to a number of people to work out which brewers were coming out on top, and what beers were to be missed. I would also say the day event was miles busier than the evening event (which was really strange!)

Certainly the biggest thing I learnt was about the punters, man people moaned over little things like branded glasses. Now it was poorly organised that they didn't have enough branded glasses for everyone, nor did they have enough "craft beer passports" (offering discounts to venues) but the alternative glasses they were offering were fine, and you go to a beer festival for the beer, not the glass the beer lives in... People were also stealing glasses from other people etc, and you just think "really?".

Looking back now, I knew about GABS, a bit through blogs, brewers emails etc and also by being in Melbourne, by chance, last year and we went to it! Now many punters knew of it from similar experiences to me, but the majority had no real understanding of what it was really about as the advertising wasn't great - for example many didn't know that the brewers brewed beers specifically for the event, so it was a spectacular in brewing as much as it was a spectacular in trying new breweries - I think the organisers must of thought that people knew about it from Melbourne so understood the concept... As I was chatting to people, I would inform them about this and many saw the event in a new light and enjoyed it a bit more, (saying that many others couldn't care less and were just there to have a good time!) but I reckon next year, the Sydneysiders need to be better informed - otherwise the point of the event will always be lost...

Volunteers learning their role at GABS Sydney 2015

The quiet before the storm! GABS 2015

So I just stand here? No, go over there and stuff glasses!! ;)

So while I thought the event could of been better organised and prepared for, I did enjoy it, and enjoyed being a volunteer and learning the other side of the event - and I could guide the friends I went with in the evening on the layout, must do talks, must do brewers to visit etc. There is also an element of luck on your role - if you get to support the 'Craft Beer Uni' you listen to the talks and learn more,  so maybe it could be good to rotate volunteers around in and around the event as they are volunteers opposed to cheap labour... but if you have an interest in craft beer, and a half day free, I reckon consider volunteering for a craft beer event - you do gain from it. 

Next week I will tell you how awesome the event was when you are actually a punter and can drink at the event!