WABA celebrates growth, learning and leadership

The one-day gathering brought together close to 350 of the state’s brewers, suppliers and hospitality leaders who engaged with an immersive program of speaker sessions, sensory experiences, and networking opportunities.

The exhibition hall hosted 38 individual stalls, connecting local and interstate suppliers, with an additional three rooms of talks from technical and taste to hospitality and the business of beer.

The event’s keynote address was delivered by internationally acclaimed author and beer writer Peter Brown.

Michael Morgan President of the WABA told Beer & Brewer this year’s event was loosely themed on growth, learning, education and leadership.

“I think Western Australia is in a positive place,” said Morgan.

“There’s a lot of doom and gloom talk out there which I do understand but WA has a heads down bum up attitude. There’s still plenty of work to be done, I think people are just finding the best way to make sure their product and quality is consistent. Plus they are learning and using different techniques, to get the best yields from their batches and so on.

“There’s definitely a focus on ‘how do we grow the pile?’, increase the amount of beer in WA, and bring everyone else along for the ride. So, whether it is hop growers, malt growers and so on, it’s about how we sustain and grow together.”

He said a standout session of the day was a discussion called ‘More than a medal: Pulling back the curtain on beer judging’, run by the Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia.

Alex Crisp hosted Steve Henderson (Hendo), Owner of Rockstar Brewer Academy, Mariska Grimbeek, Competitions Coordinator for the Royal Agricultural Society and Britt Aikman from the Pink Boots Society.

The panel discussed the mechanics of the judging program and how results can be used to market and improve products.

Morgan also noted the value of the ‘You can’t sell beer from the drip tray’ session.

“Run by the legends at Barons Beverage services, they talked through the importance of running and maintaining your draught system to ensure the quality of your beer and to get the best possible profit from your kegs,” he said.

Beyond sessions on the day, this year’s conference also highlighted the success of last year’s inaugural WABA and Ellerslie Education Scholarship.

“We had two recipients who went on a trip to the Ellerslie hop farms in Victoria in February. So, we had a session in the Ellerslie sensory room at the conference where our recipients and the team went through some slides and video of the trip,” he explained.

Applications for this year’s scholarship open in August.

A future-proof approach

Reflecting on the success of this year’s conference, Morgan said the best way to measure the result is feedback and the value people extract from the event.

“The team is very proud. It takes a village to do these things. We have such a great team of volunteers who put their hand up to help bring it altogether for the community.

“We just want the day to be fantastic, and for everyone to see value for the ticket price they pay and walk away with something – whether they learn something new or met someone and expanded their network. I love to watch everyone walking in and see the smiling faces. The fact that they’re walking in means they put their trust in us and we honour that.”

Overall, Morgan recognised the importance of industry gatherings where ideas and knowledge are shared and their role in securing the industry’s sustainable future.

“The true organic growth for us comes when everyone in the supply chain sees value in what we do and wants to be a part of the journey. I think we really will get more bums on seats over time. He added: “One of my personal goals while I’m with WABA is to see the conference take place in our Southwest one year. The region’s brewers prop up so much of our beer industry here in WA. They always travel to us in Perth metro, so why don’t we try and do something for them closer to home?”