AHA (Vic)

📢 Announcing the 2025 Finalists 📢 The judging process for the 2025 AHA (Vic) State Awards for Excellence is now complete and we are pleased to announce the full list of 2025 finalists. https://lnkd.in/ddFxf3ch The winners will be unveiled at the 2025 State Awards for Excellence awards night, a gala event celebrating the very best in our industry. 🗓 Date: Monday, 19 May 2025 📍Location: Crown Palladium, Crown Melbourne Congratulations to all finalists, and thank you to everyone who took the time to submit a nomination!

Great Gippsland Pub Challenge… You know you’ve finally made it when your head appears on a beer coaster! And before you ask, yes I did pour that beer, but no I didn’t drink it because it was 10.30am. Terrific to catch up with local business owners at the Australian Hotels Association (AHA (Vic) industry event ‘Pubs, Pots and Profits’ in Sale, and thanks for the honourable mention on the coasters. I’ve been arguing successfully for a freeze on alcohol excise to take some pressure off customers because local pubs are important venues in the social and economic life of our communities. Running a hospitality business in these difficult economic times isn’t easy and the AHA brought together experts in the field to give our local publicans some extra tips on how to run a successful business. As I’ve visited more than 50 pubs across the electorate as part of my Great Gippsland Pub Challenge, I’ve been constantly impressed by the standard of food and drinks on offer at our local venues. The owners and staff are working hard to give us all an enjoyable experience and the extra training from the AHA will help them to remain financially viable for a long time into the future. Remember, if you visit 11 venues across Gippsland and enjoy a meal… email me the list, and I will give you a ‘100% Authentic Gippslander’ t-shirt. Just send the list to darren.chester.mp@aph.gov.au PS: And huge thanks to the bar, kitchen and front-of-house staff who have made all my pub visits an enjoyable experience! #lovegippsland #gippsland

What an incredible day at The Criterion Hotel in Sale for Pubs, Pots, and Profits! A huge thank you to all the pub owners, venue managers, and industry professionals who joined us for a day packed with insights, strategies, and networking. From effective food costing to beverage trends, sports broadcasting, and member-exclusive offers, attendees walked away with actionable strategies to enhance their businesses. A special shoutout to our expert speakers, including Darren Chester MP (Gippsland representative), AHA (Vic) and National President David Canny, Andrew Clark, Sally Gebert, Tim Powell, John Kelly, and Neil Grant, for sharing their invaluable knowledge. A big thank you to our hosts at The Criterion Hotel, our event partners Carlton & United Breweries, and key suppliers of the industry for making this event a success. We look forward to seeing you at the next Pubs, Pots, and Profits session! Stay tuned for details! #AHAVic #PubsPotsAndProfits #RegionalPubs #HospitalitySuccess #VicPubs

📈 You've been promoted to a Leadership role in Hospitality, but what's next? When you’ve been promoted into a new role in the Hospitality Industry, there are systems and business process that you need to learn and fast. But how do you lead a team? ➡️ Jackie Booth GAICD is back with her popular LEAD Program, exclusively designed for current and future leaders in the pub and hotel industry, where you can learn all this and more over a two-day course hosted at the AHA (Vic) Office. Learn management skills that are suitable for both new Duty Managers/Assistant Managers and experienced Supervisors, to further your growth and learning as leaders in the industry. Build the skills and confidence to lead authentically, drive strong teams and enhance operational performance of the business. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gWPq2q5V #LeadershipProgram #JackieBoothConsulting #FutureLeaders #HospitalityLeadership

➡️ If you're a duty manager, venue manager, senior staff member or an emerging leader in the hospitality industry, you don't want to miss this event! We’re excited to kick off our 'Drinks With' series, in partnership with Australian Liquor Marketers (Independent Brands Australia) with two incredible guests, Matthew O'Kane and Jason Pitt. Matthew O'Kane has worked with clients like the Melbourne Racing Club, BMW Australia, Great Northern and Pure Blonde, and is keen to share insights and lessons he’s gained over his impressive career with us. Jason Pitt is a true operations expert behind some of Melbourne’s most well-known pubs, including Mount Erica Hotel, The Royal Oak, and Union House, with his career expanding to working with brands like Red Bull, Neat Spirits, Tequila Tromba and more! Tickets are only $10pp but spots are limited, so get registering soon: https://lnkd.in/dNgyNyev Erica Ryan

We love showing off our breweries to local members of parliament!   We were delighted to be joined recently by the Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles who stopped by our Little Creatures Geelong brewery in his electorate of Corio.   Our Little Creatures Geelong Brewery Director Steve Levien and Lion’s Corporate Affairs Director Julian Luke took the Deputy Prime Minister on a tour of some major upgrades to the site – including a $19 million enhancement of brewing capabilities, including a state-of-the-art can filler and to allow production of ready-to-drink products, and a $1 million renovation to our incredible hospitality offering.   Nestled within the iconic Valley Worsted Mills precinct, the stunning Little Creatures brewery has been part of the Geelong community for the past decade, and it was great to show the Deputy Prime Minister the major investment we have made to underpin the next chapter of the site.   We were also pleased to be joined by AHA (Vic) General Manager of Corporate and Public Affairs, Matthew Dawson, and Vice President of the AHA Victoria (and Geelong hotelier) Andrew Clark.   No visit to Little Creatures Geelong would be complete without trying some of our wonderful brews! The Deputy PM loved the beer he tried – a special New World Pilsner brewed for International Women’s Day by two of our Geelong brewers, Hannah Fox and Susan Knight

📢 New partner announcement 📢 We are raising our glasses to welcome Suntory Oceania as our new partners at AHA (Vic)! Suntory Oceania offers a portfolio of globally recognised, high-quality spirits and beverages, including Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, and Canadian Club and RTD’s such as -196. With their full end-to-end control of manufacturing, sales, and distribution from July 1st 2025, Suntory Oceania is positioned to offer seamless, responsive support to our members. The team is committed to helping ourmembers grow their business through tailored solutions and insights. AHA (Vic) members can reach out to Marcus Welch for more information on our partnership. #NewPartnerships #SuntoryOceania #SuntoryGlobalSpirits

Yesterday, we were honoured to host Victoria Racing Club CEO Kylie Rogers at our Women in Hotels Brunch. In an engaging conversation with AHA (Vic) General Manager Kimberley Malcolm, Kylie shared many moments from her exciting career in sport, encouraging women to embrace challenges, take opportunities, and keep pushing forward. She spoke candidly about stepping into the CEO role after a personal loss, choosing to see it as a chance to grow and move ahead. Her powerful words resonated with the room as she said, “Keep doing things that are hard, because that's when you truly learn and feel alive.” The morning was filled with inspiration, connection, and of course, incredible hospitality from the team at CENTREPIECE at Melbourne Park, who delivered a fantastic experience with delicious food and warm service. A huge thank you to Kylie for sharing her insights and to everyone who joined us in celebrating the strength and resilience of women in hospitality. A big thank you to our partners Hostplus, Diageo, Fever-Tree, Bunnings Trade and Bega Group for supporting this event. #InternationalWomensDay #WomenInHotels #Leadership #Hospitality #AHAVic Michelle Meager Erica Ryan Alysa Witmitz Priyanka Shahdadpuri

AML/CTF Compliance is a must have for every venue at risk of money laundering. AHA (Vic) have partnered with Senet to provide expert guidance on the complex regulatory minefield that is ever-present for AHA (Vic) Gaming Members. We caught up with Alexandra to learn more about the expectations of the regulator and the tailored solutions that are available to support members. We strongly encourage all AHA (Vic) Gaming Members to contact Alex, have a coffee, and look at ways Senet can help you stay one step ahead.

🍻AHA WIN! 🍻 After years of advocacy from the AHA, the Prime Minister has announced that Labor will freeze the beer tax for two years. This is a common sense measure and a huge win for beer drinkers, brewers and local pubs. #BeerTaxzfreeze #EndTheBeerTax #AHAVIC