A year after Mexico City hosted the Annual Meeting of the World Brewing Alliance (WBA) for the first time, Cerveceros Latinoamericanos (CLA) once again brought the voice of Latin America and the Caribbean to the global beer conversation, this time in Brussels, from October 20 to 22, 2026.
The region on the global agenda
In 2025 we introduced the region through the idea of roots and horizon: a brewing industry with more than a century of tradition that keeps reinventing itself for new generations. This year we shared with brewers and associations from around the world the political and economic context of Latin America and the Caribbean, the outlook country by country, and the work we do with our members: more than 20 brewing companies and 8 national associations across 24 countries.
CLA presented the outlook for Latin America and the Caribbean to brewers and associations from around the world. Photo: Cerveceros Latinoamericanos.
Beer is part of the region's culture and everyday life, and it is also an economic engine: the brewing industry contributes USD 88.7 billion to regional GDP (1.3%), supports 3.9 million jobs and generates USD 58.8 billion in tax contributions, according to the Oxford Economics study published by CLA in 2025.
Learning and sharing
The meeting was a space for exchange and collaboration with associations and brewers from every continent, a collaboration CLA sustains throughout the year with the WBA and with associations from other regions. We come away with lessons for our network and the conviction that the sector's challenges and opportunities are best addressed together.
Tradition and innovation in Belgium
Meeting in Brussels was also a chance to experience up close one of the most celebrated brewing traditions in the world. Belgian beer culture is recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity: a craft handed down from generation to generation, with a remarkable diversity of styles, flavors and aromas, alongside brewers who keep innovating, including with lower-alcohol and alcohol-free options.
Belgian brewing tradition, a craft handed down from generation to generation. Photo: World Brewing Alliance.
Beyond three days of working sessions, the program took us through the country's brewing history at Belgian Beer World Experience, in Brussels' historic Stock Exchange building; to Affligem Abbey, founded in 1085 and home to a long Benedictine brewing heritage; and to the Brussels Oktoberfest, where we shared a table with colleagues from every continent. For CLA, it was a reminder of something we share with Belgium: in Latin America and the Caribbean, beer is also about gathering, craft and community, enjoyed in moderation by those who choose to drink.
The cloister of Affligem Abbey, founded in 1085. Photo: World Brewing Alliance.
The Brussels Oktoberfest was part of the meeting program. Photo: World Brewing Alliance.
The abbey visit was covered by The Brussels Times, which highlighted how tradition and technology are shaping the future of beer.
A new Chair for the WBA
The WBA welcomed its new Chair, Brian Crawford, President and CEO of the Beer Institute (United States), who succeeds Emma McClarkin OBE FIH of the British Beer & Pub Association. CLA thanks Emma for her leadership, which included the first WBA Annual Meeting held in Latin America, and looks forward to continuing to work with Brian and the Beer Institute to keep the region on the global beer agenda.
From left: Justin Kissinger, President and CEO of the WBA; Emma McClarkin, outgoing Chair; Tania Ramos, Executive Director of CLA; and Brian Crawford, the new WBA Chair. Photo: Cerveceros Latinoamericanos.
CLA thanks The Brewers of Europe and the Belgian Brewers Federation, hosts of the meeting, and the entire WBA team for welcoming us in Brussels.
There's nothing like a beer.
Cerveceros Latinoamericanos, the united voice of beer in Latin America and the Caribbean since 1945.