Nine years ago, the drinks association launched drinks trade, Australia’s highest circulating liquor industry magazine. Written by the industry, for the industry - drinks trade has changed the way that news is distributed to both the on and off-premise. It’s now complimented by a website – drinksbulletin.com.au - bringing you daily news updates.
The drinks bulletin website provides its readers with the latest industry news, interviews and insights as they unfold. Users can also subscribe to the drinks bulletin EDM, which delivers a weekly industry wrap-up every Friday morning, as well as breaking industry news, straight to your inbox.
Both drinks trade and drinks bulletin are gifted to the industry by the drinks association and its members – there are no subscription or membership fees attached to either publication. This is to ensure that your business has fair and equal access to the highest quality news and information.
Who Are the drinks association and Its Members?
the drinks association traces its roots back to 1897, when it was known as the Wine and Spirits Association of NSW. Back then, it represented Sydney’s leading liquor merchants. The formation of the Wine and Spirits Association was largely due to the rapidly growing liquor scene in Sydney. With public houses appearing on almost every corner of the Central Business District, liquor merchants saw an opportunity to form a group in which the matter of self-regulation could be discussed and a sense of camaraderie forged.
In 1934, the association expanded and became the Federated Wine and Spirit Merchants Association of Australia. Initially, the Federated Association only included delegates from the states of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. However, realising the benefit of a united industry, Queensland and Tasmania joined in 1935. The Federated Association worked hard to lobby the Government for a reduction of excise on wine and spirits.
Fifty years later, in 1991, the group rebranded as the Liquor Merchants Association of Australia (LMAA). Ken Walker, who was treasurer from 1987-1991, reasoned that a changed association was more than necessary in the face of a changing industry. At the time, the association’s involvement in industrial relations had lessened, the wine sector had become increasingly important and the ownership of member companies was substantially different. In order for the future of both the association and industry to thrive, all this and more needed to be accounted for.
It wasn’t until 2012 that the association became known as the drinks association. Despite the changes over the years, its representation remains the same and so does the opportunity for the association to devise and develop additional services to fit the needs of new and existing members.
the drinks association is led by CEO, Sandra Przibilla, and represents a growing number of 27 Category One Members and 27 Associate Members. It strives to be the pre-eminent supplier of information and commonly required business services to the Australian drinks industry.
In the past 12 months, the drinks association has moved to align its Mission Statement with its objectives. Our four pillars are to “Promote”, “Connect”, “Inform” and “Strengthen” the drinks industry:
Promote – supporting high quality, credible industry events, alerting members to new products, updates and innovations through our publications and social media channels.
Connect – through events and workgroups.
Inform – at forums, network breakfasts and through our premium services.
Strengthen – providing relevant, timely, accurate data.
The launch of drinksbulletin.com.au is an important element in this strategy.
Read more about the drinks association and its member companies here.
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