The Australian Liquor Industry Awards 2021 (ALIA) will no longer be going ahead. Food and Beverage Media, the event organiser and also publisher of this title made the difficult, but not surprising decision to cancel the awards in light of the current COVID conditions.
Too much has been closed for too long and with lockdowns still place in large parts of Australia and no certainty of when travel will be possible or when we will be able to have over 600 people in a room again, so there was just no way ALIA could happen.
Paul Wootton, Managing Director of Food & Beverage Media, said: “The decision to cancel this year’s event won’t come as a great surprise, given what’s happening around the country right now. ALIA has always been a celebration of Australia’s brilliant drinks industry, including the venues, products, suppliers and people who make it world class.
“With so much of the country in lockdown, large parts of the hospitality sector shut down and so many people suffering individually, it doesn’t feel appropriate to be planning this year’s ALIA, even if we were able to run it safely in late October.
“Like everyone, we hope life starts to return to some semblance of normal soon, we look forward to venues reopening and drinking a cocktail or a fresh cold beer at the bar with our friends very soon. When venues start to reopen and normality begins to return, we will start planning to bring back ALIA and once again celebrate our incredible liquor and hospitality sectors. We’re all looking forward to that.”
The whole Food and Beverage Media team are disappointed ALIA 2021 will not be happening, but will make sure that when ALIA does return it will be the fantastic celebration of this industry that it always has been.
While ALIA will not go ahead, Food and Beverage Media is excited to reveal it will be running The Bloody Big Drinks Summit from 25 to 29 October and is currently seeking presentations to be part of the Summit.
