1st VLB Draft Beer Conference – Cleaning, Filling & Tapping from 31 August to 2 September 2026 in Bergamo, Italy.

The international conference will focus on key aspects of draft beer production and keg filling, including:

• Keg filling and cleaning technology
• HACCP and hygiene management
• Process monitoring and quality assurance
• Dispense systems and draft beer quality
• Handling of different beer types, including non-alcoholic beers

The programme will feature practical insights from BBT Consultancy / Carlsberg / Comac / Heineken Italy / Micro Matic / PolyKeg / Radeberger Gruppe / SaniBeer / VLB Berlin.

The conference will be held in English.

Three technical visits will complement the conference:

• Monday afternoon & evening:
  Technical Visit to Comac / Welcome evening
  The conference will begin with a visit to Comac, a leading supplier of keg filling solutions. Participants will tour the company’s manufacturing facilities and see a high-capacity keg filling line in its final stage of completion, ready for delivery and installation.
  The technical visit will be followed by a welcome evening hosted by Comac in a local beer garden.
• Tuesday afternoon: Technical Visit to Heineken Italy
  The technical visits will continue on Tuesday afternoon with a short bus transfer to the Heineken brewery in Comun Nuovo. The main focus will be a 600-keg-per-hour filling line in operation. The day will conclude with a standing reception hosted by the Heineken Italy team.
• Wednesday afternoon: Technical Visit to PolyKeg

  The conference will conclude on Wednesday with a visit to PolyKeg, a leading manufacturer of PET kegs. We will visit the production site in Grumello del Monte (close to Bergamo). At approx. 1:15–p.m., a bus transfer will depart from Starhotels Cristallo Palace to PolyKeg. The visit will include a guided tour of the production facility, followed by refreshments and networking. Return transfer to Bergamo at approx. 4:00 p.m

Important notice: Participants must bring and wear safety footwear during the technical visit. Please also note that taking photographs or recording videos anywhere on the production sites is strictly prohibited.