In the current climate every brand needs to watch every penny, and make sure that every investment is bringing as much value as possible. One opportunity you cannot afford to miss is the Melbourne International Beverage Competition (MIBC).
This year in our 7th year running the MIBC and we are going VIRTUAL. We have already run Virtual competitions in New York and bringing that experience to Melbourne and the MIBC.
The MIBC is part of a global network of competitions of the International Beverage Competition Group (IBC), which incorporates Berlin, New York and Asia/Hong Kong. Each show includes a beer, wine and spirits competition which are judged by separately by top trade buyers
And it is those judges that set MIBC apart and which make it the competition that no brand can afford to miss, as founder Adam Levy explains.
“Our real point of difference is that this competition is judged by real trade buyers. We have sommeliers for big restaurant groups, importers, distributors, F&B managers for hotels across Australia and crucially beer, wine and spirit buyers for chain and independent retailers.
“If any brand wants to get its product into the hands and mouths of Australia’s leading trade buyers, there is no better way to do that than to enter the Melbourne International Beverage Competition.
“Our judges are people whose job it is to buy beer, wine and/or spirits for their independent stores, chains, restaurants and hotels. They are Australia’s professional alcohol buyers.
“This is an amazing opportunity for any company with a new SKU or line extension to get real trade buyers to blind taste their product. It also allows a trade buyer to reconnect with an existing brand in their portfolio in a blind taste test.”
What also makes MIBC unique and even more relevant to all brands is how the categories are broken down. Once again the emphasis is on making this about the trade and how the trade looks at all the different products available.
Take the Melbourne International Wine Competition for example, the wines are broken down into both varietal and LUC. This means that a wine that is $10 landed, is not being judged against one that is $100 landed.
Levy adds: “Trade buyers buy wine at price point and it was really important for us to make sure this competition is as relevant as possible to everyone across the trade. This is a competition that is about the trade and for the trade.”
In addition to being judged by trade buyers, what the MIBC also offers is strong after-show support for the competition’s winners.
While many shows leave it up to the brand’s themselves to promote their competition success, or put stickers on the relevant bottles, MIBC will be taking the results to the trade through a significant trade media campaign.
“We are determined to add as much value as we can to all our competition winners, so as well as having professional buyers as judges we will be supporting those who support us by telling the wider trade who the winners are through our media partners,” Levy said.
“This year’s competition will again be VIRTUAL and now taking place on 26-27 September. We will be delivering the samples to judge directly to the trade buyers business or home. The judges are eager to participate this year as many of our judges including Peter Nixon from Dan Murphys have been judging with us since our inception seven years ago.”
Whether it is your beer, wine or spirit if you want to get your product into the hands and mouths of major on- and off-premise buyers there is no better way than to enter the Melbourne International Beverage Competition.
Entries are open now, simply head to the Melbourne International Beverage Competition website to submit your beer, wine and spirit entry and to put your product in front of Australia’s professional trade buyers.
