drinks news August edition

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the drinks association | August 2017

New drinks association CEO reveals plans

the drinks association has welcomed Georgia Lennon as its new CEO. She takes over from our retiring CEO Sandra Przibilla. Here’s what she has planned in her new role >>

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ll the latest drinks data on cider, spirits, wine and RTD on page 38.

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rinks board pays tribute to outgoing CEO Sandra Przibilla, page 4.

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omen in drinks launches South Australian chapter, page 22. Page 1


the drinks association | August 2017

5 QUESTIONS FOR THE NEW CEO Who are the leaders who have inspired you? I have had the opportunity to work with some amazing leaders, so it would be difficult to pinpoint one. I’ve been shaped by many experiences, both the positive and more challenging ones. They’ve taught me to pay attention and take learnings out of every situation. All of them – good and bad - have contributed to who I am as a leader today. What are your proudest accomplishments?

We sat down with the drinks association’s CEO Georgia Lennon to ask her about her career path and her plans for the organisation moving forward. Georgia is a senior executive with 23 years of experience and is a dynamic force in the Australian drinks industry. She was previously General Manager, People & Communications, at Accolade Wines, and a member of various councils and boards, including the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia Board, Women in drinks Council, Diversity & Inclusion @ Drinks Council; and the Alcohol Beverages Australia Working Group. Prior to joining the drinks industry, Georgia spent 12 years at Experian Asia Pacific, a leading global information services company that provides data, software and analytical expertise to enable organisations to make and execute informed decisions. Her positions included Head of Marketing, Asia Pacific, and Marketing Director, Australia/New Zealand. Page 2

It has been a great challege taking my career learnings and experiences and transfering them across new industries. I’ve successfully transitioned my skills across vastly different businesses, from sports management to data & software to the drinks industry. Personally, it has been rewarding to tackle the work/ family balance. Like any parent, I’m constantly trying to achieve the best outcomes in both areas. I’m a determined individual, when I put my mind to things I don’t give up until I’ve accomplished them. In my 20s, that tenacity resulted in getting my pilot’s licence. More recently, I decided to tackle longdistance running. I will participate in my first half-marathon in September. What are your thoughts on the future of the drinks association? It has made great strides with its Women in drinks and diversity&inclusion@drinks Councils. I think the industry has the opportunity to invest even more in talent. Not just in terms of diversity of gender, but also perspective and experience.


the drinks association | August 2017

I also look forward to working across our various associations and councils to build an even more cohesive industry.

that meet our members needs. I’m also eager to get to know the team at the drinks association.

What will be your main priorities in the new role?

What defines you as a good leader?

I am honoured and excited to be appointed CEO of the drinks association and have the opportunity to work with the very experienced Board, dedicated staff and committed industry members of the organisation.

I’m passionate about people and find it incredibly rewarding to work with a team or mentor individuals, seeing them flourish and grow in their careers. I also focus on enhancing the “people experience” in a workplace.

I look forward to working closely with all members and suppliers to create and deliver integral services

I love my work and being challenged by it and I want to inspire my team to feel the same way.

the drinks board looks to the future “The board and I are now looking forward to working with Georgia to further enhance the effectiveness of the association for all our members,” said Chairman Ralph Dunning. “We are at an exciting juncture with our association where our association has a robust and broad range of services, forums and reports that are utilised by all members”. “We now have an opportunity to build the information and service driven platform to serve our members even more fully into the coming years. Georgia will be central to this strategic development and her demonstrated track record of developing and implementing strategic initiatives across marketing, communications, public relations, and operational efficiency will assist us greatly in achieving our goals. “She has a well-developed understanding of the drinks association, its people and services and her previous experience in the IT sector with Experian will also ensure a strong contribution from day one.”

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the drinks association | August 2017

Board pays tribute to Sandra Przibilla During her 10 years in the role of CEO of the drinks association Sandra has had a huge impact on those working with her at an executive level. Chairman Ralph Dunning has thanked Sandra Przibilla for the contributions she has made to the drinks association during her tenure. “For the last 10 years Sandra Przibilla has been a steady hand on the tiller of the association,” he said. “She has focussed all our resources on building our promise to Promote, Connect, Inform and Strengthen by delivering commonly required information and services to all members collectively more efficiently and at a vastly lower cost than could be achieved individually. This Sandra has delivered on in spades and she will leave the association in a strong and commanding position in the industry.” Board member Mark Churi echoed Dunning’s sentiments, saying he had been mesmerised by Sandra’s energy since the moment he first met her in 1985. “Sandra epitomises integrity and has made a big difference to the industry through that,” he noted. “She’s also tenacious, passionate about what she does, generous in spirit and nature, focussed, commanding and a unique individual.” Fellow board member Brad Madigan added: “Roles often create character. Sandra’s character has defined her role. She doesn’t have an agenda other than leaving things in a better place when she goes. It’s a proud legacy that will be very hard to replicate.”

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the drinks association | August 2017

New! Digital promoted price service at Ad Watch Ebiquity has incorporated digital data into the drinks association’s Retail Ad Watch service. This new service is being provided at no additional cost to member companies, with digital advertising reported in the same way as newspaper ads. The image will be a large screenshot, showing product placement on the web page. It will export seamlessly with your print data. The same metadata as provided for the print service will be available to view and search. There is an option to choose only press or digital data by using the media filter. Otherwise, all data can be exported, allowing you to pivot the information as you do now. We will have digital data in the system by 3pm every Friday - 1 sweep per week. The sites covered are: First Choice; Vintage Cellars, Dan Murphy’s, BWS and Liquorland. Example of image capture below:

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the drinks association | August 2017

Celebrating at the WCA Sydney Royal Wine Show Trophy Winners’ Lunch Congratulations to The Wine Communicators of Australia on another fabulous Sydney Royal Wine Show Trophy Winners Lunch.

delicious and award-winning foods, they also heard from the Chair of Judges, Samantha Connew and International Guest Judge Mark Pygott MW.”

This year the lunch, which celebrated the wines that dazzled the judges at the 2017 Sydney Royal Wine Show - including Best Wine of Show, RieslingFreak No 3 Clare Valley Riesling and the drinks association Perennial Trophy for Best Shiraz winner St Hallett Mattschoss Single Vineyard Eden Valley Shiraz (2015) - moved to the gorgeous Doltone House Hyde Park.

This year’s Legend of the Vine for NSW was also announced at the event, with Clive Hartley taking out the 2017 title.

Always a favourite on the wine industry calendar, the event attracted a crowd in excess of 350 guests. “The lunch is always a great industry day and a chance to network with the wine industry,” said WCA Chair Angus Barnes. “Not only did guests enjoy a selection of this year’s Trophy and Gold medal winning wines accompanied by some

The award recognised Hartley’s 20 years in the Australian Wine Industry - as a wine educator, judge, sommelier and writer. Hartley helped develop the wine education program at the Northern Sydney Institute and established the Sydney Wine Academy at Ryde College. “His dedication to education – be that through his writing, the Sydney Wine Academy or his consultation work in the broader industry – has positioned him in high regard and Clive is seen as a mentor to many – from keen amateurs through to seasoned professionals,” said Barnes.

Above: Warwick Brook celebrates De Bortoli Noble One winning Best Sweet Wine; Sandra & Angus Barnes.

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the drinks association | August 2017

Clockwise from top left: Best Wine of Show; Rachel Wormald with Liebherr’s George Alikakos and Andrew O’Brien; Rob Hirst and Lyndey Milan; Alison Herring with AON Hewitt’s Bethany Jones and Jean Hanna; the drinks association Perennial Trophy Winner; WCA Executive Officer Lynda Schenk, Rachel & Alison; Sandra and drinks Chair Ralph Dunning; TIC’s Michael Campbell and Rhonda Bowen; our delicious main.

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the drinks association | August 2017

How the drinks association keeps you informed Here’s a handy guide to the ways the drinks association spreads the word about great achievements and initiatives in our industry. The drinks association’s mission is to connect, inform, promote and strengthen the drinks industry. We aim to keep you up to date with all the latest drinks news and developments, both in Australia and overseas.

We have a LinkedIn company page and three groups: the drinks association, drinks trade and Women in drinks.

Take a look at the many ways we keep you in touch. Connect with us on social media Get your news even faster by following us on social media. You can follow us on Instagram at the drinks association, where we have more than 1000 followers. We have a monthly newsletter - drinks news We have more than 4000 followers on our three Facebook pages: drinks trade, the drinks association and Women in drinks.

We have almost 3000 followers on Twitter at drinks trade, the drinks association and Women in drinks.

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Click here to become a subscriber.


the drinks association | August 2017

Visit our websites We feature the latest news updates at drinkscentral.com.au, diversity&inclusion@drinks. com.au and drinksbulletin.com.au drinks bulletin also sends out weekly newsletters that round-up the top stories. Click here to subscibe. Our websites reach almost 40,000 unique users every month, with almost 1 million page impressions. How you can feature in our digital and print publications Email our Social Media & Communications manager Alana House on alanah@drinks.asn.au and drinks trade’s associate editor Hannah Sparks on hannah@hip.com.au We have a bi-monthly magazine - drinks trade

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the drinks association | August 2017

The 2017 Australian drinks Awards are a sell-out! The 2017 Australian drinks Awards has sold out more than two months prior to the event. the drinks association is gearing up to make the fifth annual Australian drinks Awards the most exciting yet. Together with Veritas Events, the drinks team has been busy planning the new-look ceremony, to be held on Thursday, September 7. “We’re expecting more than 500 guests at the Awards,” said the drinks association CEO Sandra Przibilla. “We would like to thank our members for their continued support and participation in making our awards the most spectacular and respected event in the industry.” The event will have a black, red and gold theme this year and will kick off with a theatre-style presentation of the awards at the International Convention Centre (ICC), in Darling Harbour, hosted by MC Michael Walton. The presentation will be followed by cocktails and a sit-down dinner at the ICC, where Brand of the Year and Supplier of the Year will be awarded. When the formalities of the evening conclude, the fun will continue with an after-party featuring a big band, hosted by our Award Partner StayinFront. Bringing a modern twist back into the classy, sophisticated jazz band, 48 West will re-imagine forever-favourite radio hits into swinging jazz anthems. Thank you to our sponsors the drinks association would like to thank all the corporate sponsors who help make the evening such a success. This year, Brand of the Year is sponsored by Nielsen, while Supplier of the Year is sponsored by The Advantage Group. “We look forward to the big awards night in September and celebrating the achievements of the Australian liquor industry,” said Nielsen Pacific CEO Justin Sargent. Best Innovation is sponsored by NCI/AMA, Best Social Media is sponsored by Hip Media, Most Loved Brand is sponsored by Liebherr and Best Advertising/Marketing Campaign is sponsored by Skuvantage. “Each year, NCI and AMA look forward to sponsoring an award and attending the gala dinner,” said Kirk Cheeseman, Managing Director at NCI. “We are proud to sponsor the category of Best Innovation and look forward to presenting the award to a worthy winner on September 7.”

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the drinks association | August 2017

icc sydney

ARE YOU READY FOR AUSTRALIAN DRINKS AWARDS 2017? www.australiandrinksawards.com.au #drinksawards

AWARD PARTNERS

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MEDIA PARTNER

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the drinks association | August 2017

Have you tried drinks vacancies?

drinks vacancies is a free service offered to the Australian drinks industry by the drinks association. It’s the ideal way to share news of positions available in your business with highly qualified applications. Vacant positions appear on the drinks central website, which attracts almost 13,000 unique visitors every month. Listing a job on drinks vacancies is easy. Simply click here to add a vacant position to the page. We encourage you to use this free service.

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If you have any questions, please contact Rachel Wormald at rachelw@drinks.asn.au or (02) 9415 1199. Click here to place an ad.


the drinks association | August 2017

John McLoughlin to speak at network breakfast Advantage Australia’s John McLoughlin, Group Managing Director, Asia Pacific will present “Developing Effective Commercial Relationships – What are the key drivers of success in today’s trading environment?” at the drinks association’s next Network Breakfast. The presentation will offer an examination of the attributes that correlate with delivery of successful commercial relationships. It will cover an analysis of the key drivers of collaborative business relationships, the barriers to productive collaboration and where to focus when getting the organisation fit to collaborate. Advantage Australia, the industry leader in B2B performance benchmarking with its Advantage Report, is an associate member of the drinks association and a corporate partner of the Australian drinks Awards.

NETWORK BREAKFAST DATE: Tuesday, October 24, 2017 TIME: 7-9am LOCATION: Luna Park, Sydney Click here to book

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the drinks association | August 2017

Stephen Lovelock joins Hip Media as Wine Specialist

Industry stalwart Stephen Lovelock has joined the HIP Media sales team as its Wine Specialist.

Was your career sparked by a love of wine or did that develop over time?

Lovelock will be responsible for providing advertising and marketing solutions to HIP Media’s wine and broader client base across print and digital publications including Drinks World, explore DRINKS, drinks trade and drinks bulletin.

My love of wine started early in my employment while I was working in bars and restaurants.

He brings to the role more than 30 years of experience in sales, marketing and management of wine brands (Australian and imported), working for companies such as McWilliam’s Wines, Tyrrell’s, Tucker Seabrook and Inglewood Wine Merchants. Ashley Pini, owner and Director of HIP Media, welcomed Lovelock: “HIP Media has been established for more than 12 years and with the expansion of new titles such as explore DRINKS, there’s been a greater need to bring additional valuable experience to the business, focusing on the wine market in particular.” Here’s what Stephen had to say about his stellar career in the Australian drinks industry:

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What are some of your career highlights? I spent 10 years running Tucker Seabrook in Queensland for Rob Hirst, we built the business from a few hundred thousand dollars to $10 million p.a. I also enjoyed the three years I spent in a National Sales Role with Bruce Tyrell at Tyrells Wines, plus the three years with Kevin McLintock at McWilliams Wines in a senior marketing role. Working for two years in a National Sales & Marketing with Gary Steel at Domaine Wine Shippers gave me a chance to represent some of the best imported wines that came into Australia at that time. Spending 11 years with Inglewood Wine Merchants


the drinks association | August 2017

(Sales & Marketing Manager) was an opportunity to represent strong brands from Australia and New Zealand including d’ Arenberg Wines. I’ve also loved representing over the years some of Australia’s top wine brands, including Henschke, Petaluma, Cape Mentelle and Champagne houses). It was also a highlight to spend a year on the NSW board of WCA when it was chaired by Karen McAllister. Do you have any formal qualifications in wine? Mostly I’ve learnt on the job, but I did a two-year Roseworthy Wine Marketing Course as a senior student. This was only for my own satisfaction and fine tuning my wine knowledge. Do you have a favourite style of wine? I love complex/multi layered/well balanced quality Chardonnays (great cool climate Aussie ones and

classic Burgundies). I’m also a big fan of whites from Alsace and Italian DOCG wines (mainly Tuscan reds). Do you see trends emerging in wine? NZ Sauvignon Blanc is still very strong, but young drinkers are willing to experiment a bit more these days. Pinot Gris/Grigio is still a small base but growing. Chardonnay has moved away from buttery/ oaky style to a more elegant Burgundy style. Aussie Shiraz is still strong and Rose is seeing very strong growth (watch it go forward this coming spring). What are you hoping to bring to your new role? I’m looking forward to working with my long list of contacts and offering them a total advertising package - consumer, trade, online and social media - to help them grow their brands. How can people to contact you? Drop me a line at stephen@hipmedia.com.au

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the drinks association | August 2017

Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards 2017

Congratulations to Jonah’s, Whale Beach, NSW, on winning Australia’s Wine List of the Year 2017. Sommeliers Niels Sluiman and Christian Baeppler were presented with the award by the drinks association CEO Georgia Lennon and the editor of Gourmet Traveller WINE, Judy Sarris at a ceremony at Glass Brasserie on July 31. the drinks association is proud to be Trade Communications Partner for Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards via drinks trade magazine. “It has been rewarding to see AWLOTYA evolve and grow,” said CEO of the drinks association Georgia Lennon. “These prestigious awards not only pay tribute to the achievements of the drinks trade, but encourage them to continue developing their skills. “We believe the more educated and informed the trade is, the better quality service and experience

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they can provide to their customers.” ”Congratulations to all the winning venues, we look forward to celebrating and promoting their achievements in our digital and print publications.” Tucker Seabrook established Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards in 1994 to recognize and reward the enormous investment by owners in time, skill and resources that go into developing the best quality wine lists and to also recognize and reward the dedicated and talented sommeliers creating those lists. To maintain the integrity and independence of the Awards – plus add a global perspective, an outstanding panel of local and international expert judges has been assembled over the years. Headed by Chairman, leading wine writer and commentator Peter Forrestal, and Deputy Chairs Jeni Port and Toni Paterson MW, the AWLOYTA has a longterm panel of more than 30 judges. Click here for all the winners’ details from the night.


the drinks association | August 2017

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the drinks association | August 2017

Rob Hirst: the secret to a great wine list

We sat down with the founder of Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards, Rob Hirst, to discuss just how far wine lists have come in Australia during the 24 years he’s been running the awards. the drinks association is delighted to support these benchmark Awards as official Trade Communications Partner, via drinks trade magazine. The awards are a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the achievements of sommeliers and venues as they enhance appreciation among diners of the amazing wines our country produces. Grant Dickson, from fermentAsian, which took out the top award in 2016 (pictured above with Rob, Gourmet Traveller WINE’s Judy Sarris and Sandra Przibilla) has noted: “Winning the Wine List of the Year award has legitimised a less-than-conventional, narrative-based approach to listing and selling delicious wine. I’m sure other sommeliers with a

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song in their heart and a fierce yearning to tell stories will be heartened by our success.” Here’s what Rob Hirst has to say about the evolution of the awards and Aussie wine lists: Why did you launch the AWLOTYAs? Back in the early 1990’s Tucker Seabrook was working closely with the on-premise trade across Australia and started to see the development of some outstanding wine lists, but the great lists were few and far between and those who were crafting extraordinary lists were not being recognised. What is the purpose of the awards? In 1994 we established Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards to recognise and reward the enormous investment by establishment owners that goes into developing the best quality wine lists (and cellars)


the drinks association | August 2017

and to also recognise and reward the dedicated and talented sommeliers creating those lists for Australia’s restaurants, hotels, clubs, wine bars, pubs, cafes and brasseries – large and small. Perhaps the major beneficiaries of this ever increasing quality of Australia’s wine and beverage lists are the nation’s hospitality and tourism industries generally and the nation’s more discerning consumers, who demand a wine and beverage offer when dining out that matches the world class standard of Australia’s produce and chefs today. From a consumer perspective the purpose was to also draw attention to those establishments and sommeliers doing it well and constant feedback from the entrants confirms that these awards have also been influential in raising the public’s interest in fine wine generally, and have improved their appreciation of the participating establishments. How have the awards evolved over the years? The standard of Australia’s wine lists has risen dramatically, as has the level of talent, knowledge and experience of owners and sommeliers alike. This increased professionalism within the industry has encouraged an even greater commitment to and investment in the cellars and wine lists. Now regarded by many as the premier national awards for wine lists across Australia, it could be argued that the Awards have been assisted significantly in lifting the standard of Australia’s wine lists over the last two decades – to quote the Chairman of Judges for the first 10 years of the awards, Huon Hooke: “Standards have improved out of sight since the first awards.” And each year the bar keeps rising. This significant growth in the standard of Australia’s

wine lists is paralleled by the growth in interest in sommelier education in Australia – for example WSET and CMS, to name two global options, plus our local TAFE option. With this greater standard of education has come a much deeper understanding of wine, the world of wine and its place at the table. The wine list is the ultimate expression of the sommeliers true knowledge and skill – to quote a recent National Sommelier Champion in China – Ying Guo, “the wine list is the face of the sommelier!” What defines a great wine list? Quality is key to choice of wines - having an original and innovative choice, with some mature wines from good vintages, avoiding poor vintages. It’s also important to carefully match varieties and regions, have an appropriate variety of wines by the glass and offer adequate list of aperitifs, beers, spirits, liqueurs and waters/non-alcoholic. A wine list needs to offer balance of pricing relevant to an establishment, with a mix of domestic and imported wines, regions and wine styles. Consideration needs to be given to suitability to cuisine, style and image of establishment. We also need to see the right presentation - including vintages, offering accurate and consistent presentation of information, clear design for easy navigation, pricing, appropriateness and value. How has dining changed in Australia? Australia today offers world-class produce and chefs and establishments to match. This change has demanded wine lists and wine service to match and producers and the trade have risen to the task.

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the drinks association | August 2017

AdAs welcome On Tap Data as an Award Sponsor The Australian drinks Awards is thrilled to welcome OnTap Data as the sponsor of its Best Sales Achievement Award in 2017. “OnTap Data are delighted to present the Best Sales Achievement award at the Australian drinks Awards,” said OnTap Data director Leith McGregor. “Sales and data are both such an important part of our industry, and the two go hand in hand, which is why we felt this sponsorship opportunity was the perfect fit.” The team at OnTap Data provids data

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management solutions for your company needs. By collecting, managing and storing your data, the company can supply everything you need for all your reporting requirements. They create efficient, reliable and cost effective systems, provide the latest security and guarantee total confidentiality. We look forward to celebrating with OnTap Data at the Australian drinks Awards, to be held at the ICC on September 7. For more information on OnTap Data’s services, give them a call on (03) 9488 2000.


the drinks association | August 2017

news WID welcomes new councillor Women in drinks has welcomed a new councillor, Diageo’s Charmaine Glase. Charmaine joined Diageo in the role of Senior Communications Manager in its corporate relations team in June 2017. “I’m delighted to welcome Charmaine as a councillor and look forward to the strengths she will bring to the council in terms of communications,” said WID Chair Jennifer Collins. Charmaine has more than 10 years’ experience in communications and brings to the role extensive knowledge of the alcohol sector. Prior to joining Diageo she was the Senior Communications Manager in the Corporate Affairs team at Wine Australia, a role she held for three years. Between 2007 and 2013 Charmaine held a number of roles at communications agency Liquid Ideas. Clients Charmaine worked across during her tenure include Carlton and United Breweries, Pernod for business success, profitability and competitiveness. Ricard and Treasury Wine Estates. Women have a lot to offer and my focus as a council member will be on building the confidence of the women “I’m excited to be joining the Women in Drinks in our industry. council,” Charmaine said. “I think it’s an important initiative for supporting the talented women in our industry and encouraging them to step up and lead. “I think generally speaking, women are often still too modest about the value we add and we don’t back ourselves enough. It’s my hope that the Women in “Study after study demonstrates that diversity is not just the right thing to do, it’s also a critical factor Drinks council can help change that mindset.”

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the drinks association | August 2017

Women in drinks launches South Australia chapter

Women in drinks will officially launch its South Australian chapter at Cooper Brewery next month. The launch follows the success of the Victorian and NSW chapters of WID. Women in drinks South Australia’s inaugural event will be a discussion panel on “The Changing Face of the Drinks Industry.” “I’m thrilled to bring Women in drinks to South Australia,” said Women in drinks Councillor Melanie Cooper, Coopers’s Director of Finance and Corporate Affairs (pictured above). “The work the Women in drinks Council has been doing at a national level has been so inspiring and I know women in the drinks industry in South Australia will welcome a local platform to network, discuss ideas and learn more about the journeys of other amazing women.”

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Melanie will introduce the session and panellists, together with Helen Strachan and Courtney Ribbons from Pernod Ricard Winemakers, Kate Hicks and Gemma West from TWE, and Rachel Triggs from Wine Australia. Lucinda Hewitson CEO and founder of Diversity Inclusion will facilitate the panel discussion, which will feature Janie Zimmerman (Brewer at Coopers), Trina Smith (Winemaker at Pernod Ricard Winemakers), Shavaughn Wells (Winemaker at Saltram) and Cam Pearce (Sales and Marketing Director at Coopers). The panel members will give their perspectives on the changing landscape in the drinks industry and the challenges being faced. The purpose of Women in Drinks is to inspire, support and educate to create a diverse and inclusive drinks industry.


the drinks association | August 2017

EVENT DETAILS Location: Coopers Brewery, 461 South Rd, Regency Park, SA Date: Monday, August 21, 2017 Time: 4pm until 6pm (Optional tour of the brewery prior to event at 3pm) Cost: $35pp (includes cocktail food and drinks). $5 from each ticket will go ANZGOG – the Australian and New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group CLICK HERE TO BOOK

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the drinks association | August 2017

diversity&inclusion@drinks councillor Cathi Scarce talks resilience “My story shows that without risk there is no reward. That being resilient is key in any industry if you are in that industry for the long haul. That being bold in your decision making while scary is part of the journey. And say yes to opportunity ... you can work out the details when you get there!” Those were the inspiring words from Cathi Scarce, Coles Liquor GM Operations, at the launch event for the NSW Chapter of Women in drinks. Held at the headquarters of Brown Forman and attended by more than 50 women and men in the industry, the event offered fascinating insights into the Women in drinks journey and Cathi’s personal experiences in the grocery and liquor sectors.

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Cathi’s speech was equal parts hilarious and inspirational. She has spent more than 30 years in the industry, 25 of them with Coles. Her expertise, determination and passion has seen her rise through the ranks from Deli Counter Manager through Department Manager, Store Manager, State Manager and National Operations roles. Currently Cathi manages a team of approximately 6000 employees across Australia as the General Manager of National Operations for Coles Liquor, leading a diverse group of store support teams, State, Operations and Area Managers and Team Members. This is across a business that includes First Choice, Vintage Cellars and Liquorland stores. With her guidance they successfully motivate and


the drinks association | August 2017

lead 880 stores across Australia, serving more than 1.5million customers every week. Passionate about coaching and developing woman in leadership positions and driving gender balance, Cathi is also member of the Coles Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee, Chair of the Women in Leadership Working Group at Coles and a member of the Diversity and Inclusion council at the drinks association. Where it all began While Cathi says her story is a simple one, she admits there have been moments that rattled her. But she’s always been determined to fight back and follow her dreams. The first dream was to be a store manager at Coles. She spent four years doggedly introducing herself to every member of Coles management she could find, telling them how eager she was to pursue a senior position. She finally got a call from her boss to tell her she was being put on the store managers’ development program, only to be informed the next day - “after popping the Passion Pop to celebrate” - that he’d decided to go with someone else. “I was devastated but I decided not to slink away,” she recalls. “I resolved to hang around and be a reminder of the poor decision he had made. My strategy was to make myself absolutely invaluable. And I waited. Always positive, always pleasant.” Three months later, she was formally appointed as a store manager - without undertaking the development program. She moved to Newcastle and worked across six stores in three years. She >>

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the drinks association | August 2017

then moved into an IT change management role for a year before being offered another supermarket management role. Uncertain that she wanted to continue with supermarket management, Cathi turned the job down. A week later she was made Regional Manager for a $400million a year business. And her career has moved in leaps and bounds ever since. Tackling diversity Among Cathi’s achievements are being made State Manager for South East Queensland, Northern NSW and Western Australia for supermarkets.

notes, run the errands. And, desperately seeking acceptance, I did.” One day, Cathi decided she’d had enough of pretending to be someone else. “I woke up, put on my brightest red dress, my red lippy, took my hair out of the bun it was always in and decided to take back my power,” she said. “You should have seen their faces. I felt like me so I started to act like me.” Moving into liquor

“I’m so proud that I was the first female appointed to a State Manager operations role in Coles’ 100-year history,” she says.

Almost three years ago, Cathi was appointed to her current role at Coles Liquor. She said yes before considering the ramifications: another uproot, another house move, a completely new business.

“I was the only female sitting around that table for a couple of years.”

“I didn’t know anything about liquor,” she admits. “I was bananas and batteries. But it excited me.

At first, Cathi tried to imitate her male counterparts as a survival strategy.

“The transformation of Coles Liquor is doing well. It’s on track. We are in our third year of transaction growth and comp sales are looking good. We are trialling a new proposition in the liquor market and refurbishing our fleet. We won the Roy Morgan customer award for First Choice and our customer satisfaction scores are at an all-time high. We still have a lot to do but I’m proud of our trajectory.”

“They all wore black suits, so I did too,” she notes. “Even though it didn’t feel like me, I did it to fit in. Gradually I felt myself start to disappear. I had lost the joy. I was always asked to get the coffees, take the

Watch a few highlights from Cathi’s presentation Women in Drinks has created a short video of

the launch event for the NSW Chapter of Women in drinks. Click here to take a look. Would you like to become involved in NSW WID and attend events like the one featuring Cathi Scarce? Email info@drinkscentral.com.au for more info.

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the drinks association | August 2017

Irene Bell: why supply chain is a great career for women

We loved reading about XXXX Brewery ­director Irene Bell’s career journey in a recent Linked In article. Here are some of the highlights ...

goal was to become a site leader, to interact with people at all levels, to lead teams, and to determine the strategy and the direction the site would take.

How her career journey started

How she got into brewing

My first role was as a Process Engineer working for Unilever in a factory that produced edible oils and margarine. I managed various site improvement projects over a couple of years and was then appointed as the NPD Manager for the site responsible for a small team of three people and a pilot plant. I loved working with people and teams, improving processes and seeing daily results. During this period I realised that my career

I moved to SAB after six years of working at Unilever, looking for more exposure in the operational environment. My first role at SAB was as a Process Engineer. Once I had learnt the science and art of brewing (I completed my Associate Diploma with the Institute of Brewing) I moved into an operational role at the Alrode Brewery in Johannesburg, SA. This really began my career in brewing and I have never really looked back. I moved through a number of production

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the drinks association | August 2017

roles with SAB, while also having two babies. How her Aussie brewing career kicked off I was appointed as the Brewing Manager at the Swan Brewery, Western Australia in 2004. After the closure of the Swan Brewery I left Lion and completed an MBA through the Melbourne Business School. Her experience being a woman and senior leader in supply chain From the time that I went to university I was always part of a minority, sometimes being the only women in a lecture hall full of men! At times it was daunting ... for instance I remember many maths lectures where I sat at the front of the lecture hall and dodged apple cores thrown from the back of the class. There were also times in my early career when I learnt the value of leaving functions before the witching hour. Much has changed since then, and our culture at Lion ensures that we are always treated as equal team members and if we are not comfortable there are many ways to provide feedback. I learnt early on in my career that I didn’t need to change who I am to fit in, that behaving like one of the boys wasn’t going to help me fit in, in fact probably the opposite. How Lion has helped shape her career At Lion, I have always had a personal development plan that has included formal training through functional or leadership development courses and also learning on the job. At times in my career I have also benefited from being mentored by more senior leaders in the business. Her advice to women looking to pursue a career in the supply chain field Be true to yourself, be courageous and have a voice on all issues that are important to you, be confident in the skills that you have and the value of your differences.

Jennifer Collins pays tribute to departing WID councillors Women in Drinks has welcomed two new Councillors in recent months - Brown-Forman’s Human Resources Manager, Judy Massoud, and Diageo’s new Senior Communications Manager Charmaine Glase. Massoud replaced Michelle Phipps, who resigned from the WID council to focus on her roles as a drinks association board member and her involvement in its HRD Forum. Michelle was a founding member of Women in drinks and has been instrumental in making it the thriving council it is today. Glase replaced Kylie Macpherson, who also faced extensive new work commitments following her appointment as Chair of Bundaberg Distillery. “I’d like to acknowledge contributions of Michelle and Kylie,” said WID Chair Jennifer Collins. “The new appointments and reasons their predecessors departed the council highlights the calibre of women we attract to this amazing team.”

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the drinks association | August 2017

Employee engagement tips from AON-Hewitt’s 2016 ‘Best of the Best’ employer Michelle Reynolds, a Partner and the Head of Talent, Rewards and Performance at Aon asks Cisco for its top tips on engagement. The Aon Best Employers program assesses the people practices of high performing organisations and recognises employers which have high levels of employee engagement, effective leadership, strong employer brand and high performance culture. These aspects are consistently seen to underpin an organisation’s ability to attract and retain quality employees while also maintaining strong business performance, even in challenging business conditions. In 2016, Cisco Australia took out the title of the ‘Best of the Best’ in recognition of their continued efforts to engage their employees and create a high performing workforce. We caught up with Adrian West, Head of HR Australia and New Zealand at Cisco Australia to learn about some of the strategies which help to make them a ‘Best of the Best’ employer. Create – and communicate – a strong employee value proposition Over the past two years, we have evolved our employee value proposition and engagement globally through a concept we call our ‘People Deal’, which is simply the understanding of what Cisco can do for our people and what we expect in return. Our journey began with a manifesto and leadership commitments, and we have in place an ongoing focus on communication to help connect employees to our purpose and keep them constantly up-to-date with company’s vision, performance and market trends.

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Engage employees through the ‘Moments that Matter’ to them Our employee value proposition filters down throughout the organisation with our focus on the ‘Moments that Matter’, which are those defining career and personal moments that are important to our staff. These include days off for birthdays, Bring your Kids to Work Day, Benefits Expos and Holiday Code Camps to promote work-life balance and wellbeing. Employees are also given time to work with a charity of their choice, in addition to our corporate volunteer days. These moments help to transform our employee’s experience by engaging them in meaningful work which makes a difference to our employees and their communities. Think local In Australia and New Zealand we have a program called Working@Cisco ANZ which supports us to engage employees locally. Employees volunteer as site leaders and ambassadors across our nine ANZ offices to create, develop and promote local initiatives. They focus on activities which align to Cisco’s industry thought leadership; giving back to the local community; inspiring our employees; and creating a working environment and culture that is inclusive, diverse and results driven. Embrace technology to create a culture of trust and flexibility We understand that flexibility can have the biggest impact on our employees, and hence it’s a key characteristic of the Cisco culture – it is ingrained in the way we work, and enabled by our innovative


the drinks association | August 2017

technology. By leveraging our leading-edge technology, our employees can juggle their out-ofwork commitments with their work schedule and in return they work harder, smarter and enjoy what they are doing because we trust them and give them the flexibility to work any place, anywhere, any time. This autonomy has helped to engender a culture of empowerment and trust. Focus on feedback We have changed the way we run our performance review system and are now moving to an online portal called ‘Team Space’. This system allows leaders to understand the strengths of their teams and have real-time check-ins uncovering what’s important and where they need support. Each quarter we also poll our employees using the Net Promoter Score (NPS) system, to understand how we can continually build and evolve our culture based on employee sentiment

and feedback. About Aon Best Employers Aon Best Employers is Australia and New Zealand’s leading accreditation and research program into the people practices of high performing organisations. Now in its fifteenth cycle, the program provides a unique opportunity for organisations to demonstrate an ongoing commitment to their people. It can benefit all participating organisations (regardless of where their engagement levels currently sit) by: >> Allowing benchmarking against the Best identifying strengths and weaknesses in people practices >> Providing action-oriented consultation to help improve engagement. or store management programs.

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3 easy ways to learn more about the drinks association’s services the drinks association has created a series of videos and infographics highlighting how we can help you. the drinks association Learn more about the drinks association and the services it offers. Click here to view the infographic.

drinks bulletin Keep your finger on the pulse of the whole industry with our weekly drinks bulletin. Click here to view the infographic.

drinks trade Want to know what drinks trade magazine can do for you and your business? Click here to view the infographic.

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the drinks association | August 2017

What our associate members can do for you ... A guide to the services provided by the drinks association’s associate members. AMA AMA Commercial Collections is an Australian owned and operated enterprise that has served credit managers since 1977. It provides a full range of services and products including debt recovery, trade bureaus, credit consulting, credit insurance and information services. Click here to learn more. BevChain BevChain provides national tailored supply chain solutions for the beverage industry across Australia with ‘best-in-class’ warehouse and distribution services. Click here to learn more. Brand Promotions Brand Promotions is the biggest, best and most cost-effective supplier of almost any promotional product you can think of. It also specialises in designing an entire campaign to help build your brand and dominate your market through gift with purchase, custom made products and high volume orders. Click here to learn more. Core Element Core Element is a specialist boutique FMCG recruitment and careers business that recruits sales, marketing and general management roles across the grocery, liquor, foodservice and pharmaceutical sectors. The company combines contemporary functional and organisational credentials and the ability to engage a rich, diverse network. Click here to learn more. Fix Corp Fix offers tailored solutions for system management, processes and efficiencies, category management, promotional program management, marketing programs & collateral management, retail support and merchandising, space planning, pricing, audit program management, data collection and analysis and reporting, product advice and product to market advice. Click here to learn more. Hip Media Hip Media is a specialist, mid-sized publisher dedicated to meeting your marketing and corporative objectives. Hip creates publications that communicate with customers, members or stakeholders in an informative, entertaining and inspirational voice; specialising in print and digital content in the B2C and B2B sectors. Click here to learn more.

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IRI IRI has the world’s largest set of consumer, purchase, media, social and mobile data, igniting growth for clients in the FMCG, retail and health sector. Whether it’s analyzing how to make your assortment, pricing and promotions more profitable, tailoring media strategies, or guiding you through new product or market planning, IRI helps grow your business. Click here to learn more. Kegstar Kegstar is an asset pooling business specialising in stainless steel kegs used to transport beverages. It collects empty kegs from venues and then redeploys them to other customers in the pool. Each keg is uniquely identified and tracked as it moves through the supply chain. Click here to learn more. Mondo Search Mondo Search provides executive search and recruitment services across a range of industries in Australia, including direct selling, digital/ direct marketing, drinks, FMCG, franchising/retail and hospitality. Mondo offers tailored recruitment services through its Sydney and Melbourne consultancies, and has national and international affiliates through The Worldwide Recruiting Network. Click here to learn more. Powerforce Powerforce is part of the Blueprint Group, which works with retailers and manufacturers to help unlock value for them through its integrated range of data, sales and marketing solutions. Powerforce and Blueprint’s CCS offer a full range of sales and marketing solutions through brand names such as Extravert, Retail facts! and Ausrep; and Retail Insight. Click here to learn more. The Advantage Group Advantage is the industry leader in B2B performance benchmarking. The success of its performance benchmarking program - Advantage Report - has expanded to over 39 countries. Clients look to Advantage for insights into strengthening their business relationships within channels including Ecommerce, grocery, pharmacy, food and healthcare. Click here to learn more. tic technologies tic technologies provides custom internet and CMS solutions. tic’s team is available at all times, providing ongoing complimentary support. Its powerful, yet easy to use CMS can be extended to multiple, independent web sites. When you need quality web technology, strategic marketing and support; think tic technologies. Click here to learn more.

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Veritas Events Established in 1992, Veritas Events is a Sydney-based group of event planners specialising in creative solutions for corporate functions, conferences, incentive programs, team building and special programs. Veritas Events’ constant innovation creates unique experiences that both your business and your clients will always remember. Click here to learn more. BARSCAN BARSCAN delivers insights into the on-premise liquor trade. BARSCAN for Venues takes the hassle out of retrieving data from your POS, delivering a simple way to understand and analyse sales, margins and profit performance. BARSCAN delivers insights into trends, trading dynamics, occasion dynamics and promotions in the on-premise liquor trade. Click here to learn more. Ebiquity Ebiquity helps brands exploit the evolving marketing landscape to achieve business success. The company provides customised data analytics, online tools and consultancy services. It recommends optimisation strategies to improve clients’ performance throughout the consumer path to purchase, drawing on its unique expertise and objective data insights. Click here to learn more. GS1 Australia GS1 is a leading global organisation dedicated to the design and implementation of global standards and solutions to improve the efficiency and visibility of supply and demand chains. The GS1 system of standards is the most widely used supply chain standards system in the world. The company’s specialties are barcodes, EPC, GDSN, eCom, MobileCom, AIDC, traceability and supply chain standards. Click here to learn more. JEM Computer Systems JEM provides Information Communication Technology (ICT) management and support for small to medium organisations. It offers 24-hour, 7-day-a-week remote support, ICT Project Management, software auditing and licensing compliance, regular system health reporting and proactive monitoring, disaster recovery planning and data back-up services, domain and DNS management, system integration, service and virtualisation, and hardware. Click here to learn more.

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Mainfreight As a global supply chain business with over 240 branches around the world, Mainfreight offers sophisticated logistics solutions in and out of the most dynamic economies. The company also offers specialised warehousing and distribution solutions. Click here to learn more. NCI Established in 1985 as a specialist trade credit insurance broker, NCI has grown to become the leading trade credit insurance broker throughout Australia, New Zealand and Asia. NCI focusses on protecting its client’s profitability - while credit insurance is the ultimate safeguard against bad debts, better business practices in trade credit management can also help to improve profitability on a day to day basis. Click here to learn more. StayinFront StayinFront provides complete, mobile, cloud-based sales force automation (SFA) and customer relationship management (CRM) solutions that empower its customers to work more efficiently, know more about their business and performance and sell more effectively. Click here to learn more. Nielsen Nielsen helps companies understand what consumers watch and buy. Nielsen’s Watch segment provides media and advertising clients with Total Audience measurement services across video, audio and text. The Buy segment offers consumer packaged goods manufacturers and retailers the industry’s only global view of retail performance measurement. Nielsen provides its clients with both world-class measurement as well as analytics that help improve performance. Click here to learn more. Blue Star Blue Star is Australia’s leading provider of integrated print, display, personalised communications, promotional products, warehousing and logistics services. The company partners with customers to deliver on their communication needs, ranging from a specific product or service through to a seamless integrated solution. Click here to learn more. Touchstone Executive Search Touchstone has been helping clients secure the best senior executive talent since 2003. The company advises major Australian and multinational companies on senior appointments across the Asia Pacific region. Through research and global

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network relationships Touchstone builds deep industry background and behavioural knowledge, which allows it to deliver high caliber shortlists quickly and efficiently. Click here to learn more.

SKUVantage Specialising in helping clients drive sales, reduce costs and save time with a collaborative one-stop-shop approach to digital content management, SKUVantage brings a wealth of possibilities to member companies. The business already has a strong relationship with the drinks association through its digital content repository service www.drinkslibrary.com.au. Click here to learn more.

Staff farewell CEO Sandra at Banjo Patterson Cottage the drinks association staff gathered for an afternoon of good food, wine and company to farewell Sandra Przibilla on July 26. As one attendee noted: “People don’t work for you, you’ve lead them.” And what an amazing leader she has been during her 10-year tenure!

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the drinks association | August 2017

Below is an excerpt from our July monthly report; to access more information like this, contact us on 02 9415 1199.

RTD SALES FOR JUNE 2017 17 July 2017

MAT Sales in RTD Rise

MAT sales in the domestic RTD market were slightly higher in June 2017 than in June 2016 with 23,0471,626 cases sold for the former compared to 22,787,358 for the latter.

2016/17

25,500,000

2015/16

25,000,000 24,500,000 24,000,000 23,500,000 23,000,000 22,500,000 22,000,000 21,500,000 21,000,000 (9L cases)

July

August

Sept

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

June

Figure 1: Moving Annual Total ('MAT') sales of RTD in the domestic market

Bourbon Standard and Bourbon Premium continue to dominate domestic RTD sales with 23.97% and 25.27% of the market respectively. Bourbon Standard Bourbon Premium Rum Dark Vodka Other Distilled Scotch

Market Share 23.97% 25.27% 16.32% 15.66% 11.70% 4.65%

MAT Change % -3.40 4.50 2.40 1.90 18.80 -15.60

Liqueur Gin Rum Light Ouzo Brandy Tequila

Figure 2: MAT sales of RTD in the domestic market by market share and MAT change

02 9415 1199

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Market Share 1.32% 0.73% 0.35% 0.00% 0.00% 0.03%

MAT Change % -38.70 11.70 -9.00 0.00 0.00 -16.00


the drinks association | August 2017

Below is an excerpt from our July monthly report; to access more information like this, contact us on 02 9415 1199. SPIRITS SALES FOR JUNE 2017 17 JULY 2017

MAT Sales in Spirit Rise

MAT sales in the domestic Spirit market were significantly higher in June 2017 than in June 2016 with 7,080,488 cases sold for the former compared to 6,796,371 for the latter.

2016/17

7,900,000

2015/16

7,700,000 7,500,000 7,300,000 7,100,000 6,900,000 6,700,000 6,500,000 6,300,000 (9L cases)

July

August

Sept

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

June

Figure 1: Moving Annual Total ('MAT') sales of Spirits in the domestic market

Scotch, Bourbon and Vodka continue to dominate domestic Spirits sales with 21.57%, 19.25% and 17.24% control of the market respectively

Scotch Bourbon Vodka Rum Liqueurs Gin

Market Share 21.57% 19.25% 17.24% 14.06% 10.12% 5.30%

MAT Change %

0 3.70 3.80 6.70 -5.80 22.60

Whiskey Apertifs Tequila Cognac Sambuca Schnapps

Market Share 4.18% 2.73% 2.06% 0.89% 0.42% 0.35%

MAT Change % 9.90 38.20 17.30 12.00 0.80 -4.90

Figure 2: MAT sales of Spirits in the domestic market by market share and MAT change

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the drinks association | August 2017

Below is an excerpt from our July report; to access more information like this, contact us on 02 9415 1199. CIDER SALES FOR JUNE 2017 17 JULY 2017

MAT Sales in Cider Rise

MAT sales in the domestic Cider market are moderately higher in June 2017 than in June 2016 with 10,901,256 cases sold for the former compared to 10,734,071 for the latter. 2016/17

11,500,000

2015/16

11,000,000 10,500,000 10,000,000 9,500,000 9,000,000 8,500,000 8,000,000 7,500,000 7,000,000 6,500,000 6,000,000 5,500,000 5,000,000 (9L Cases)

July

August

Sept

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

June

Figure 1: Moving Annual Total ('MAT') sales of Cider in the domestic market

Victoria is the leader in the domestic Cider market with 31.36% of the market share compared to 21.61% and 21.00% for close contenders QLD and NSW/ACT respectively. NSW/ACT VIC QLD SA WA NT

VIC NSW/ACT QLD WA SA TAS NT

Market Share 31.36% 21.00% 21.61% 12.59% 9.86% 2.39% 1.20%

MAT Change % 9.30 -0.70 7.00 -10.80 -5.30 -9.40 -5.70

TAS Figure 3: Breakdown of Cider MAT market share and MAT change Figure 2: Breakdown of Cider MAT sales by State

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the drinks association | August 2017

Need information on liquor licences and banners fast? the drinks association can help. Providing access to the only centralised national liquor licence database in Australia, you’ll never miss out on all the latest licensing and banner group news.

Active liquor licences as at July 2017

Top 10 banner groups percentage share of outlets Australian liquor retail market - June 2017

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the drinks association | August 2017

Upcoming drinks events WID council meetings August 22, 2017 October 24, 2017 November 13, 2017

Supply chain logistics forum October 11, 2017

WID events

Credit forums August 16, 2017 September 20, 2017 October 18, 2017 November 15, 2017

drinks board meetings August 23, 2017 October 25, 2017

CFO forums September 19, 2017

AdWatch workgroup August 3, 2017

Gen/legal counsel

Trade survey WG October 18, 2017

August 23, 2017 September 20, 2017 October 25, 2017 November 29, 2017

Network breakfasts October 24, 2017

HRD forums October 11, 2017

drinks Awards September 7, 2017

Shopper tracker WG D&I@drinks meetings October 11, 2017

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Executive meetings

August 22, 2017 October 24, 2017


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