Despite restrictions being eased in stages across the country, the Independent Brewers Association says it is “too risky” to hold BrewCon this year in September.
The event is being moved to November, 9th-12th, the same time that BrauBeviale in Nuremberg, the IBA acknowledged, however with international travel restrictions not likely to lift before 2021, travel will hopefully not be an issue, they said.
In an email to members, the IBA said it would also be moving the event to the Sunshine Coast Convention Centre.
The Indies Awards Ceremony will also be happening, but more details will be released next month, the IBA said.
At the same time, the organisation announced that Indie Beer Day is being brought forward to July 25th.
“Indie Beer Day was a great success last year in raising the profile of indie beer so this will be another opportunity to kick-start sales and to share a universal ‘cheers’ to all the makers and consumers who have done it tough the last few months,” the IBA said.
“We have some great ideas on how to best make Indie Beer Day come alive that we’ll be sharing with you shortly but in the meantime put your thinking caps on as to how you’ll celebrate the day.”
Good Beer Week Virtual Festival launched on Monday, which includes a virtual Trade Hub.
In addition, the IBA has been in talks with Sendle and has secured a deal for better rates and are close to a deal with AusPost which it says could be a “game-changer”.
While excise relief is still on the cards, the IBA has said that pleas for a better deal for brewers are being heard and it is currently responding to queries from Senate and state government. It will be collating and sending the data from previous and upcoming surveys to give them a better idea of the impact of restrictions on the brewing industry.