Press Library
Mick Turners ( Organisers ) " Quotes "
Why did you create The Drink Show?
"The drinks market is evolving rapidly, but many producers still struggle to connect with new audiences beyond their own region. The Drink Show was created as a professionally curated tasting platform built around product discovery, meaningful conversations and genuine commercial opportunities for both exhibitors and visitors."
Why host The Drink Show in Newcastle?
"Newcastle sits at the gateway to the Hunter Valley—one of Australia's most recognised wine regions. It offers a strong regional identity, excellent accessibility and the ideal setting for a premium drinks discovery event that brings together producers, trade buyers and consumers."
Will The Drink Show remain in Newcastle?
"Absolutely. Newcastle is our flagship regional event and will continue as an annual showcase. Our focus is on building a sustainable event that delivers long-term value for producers, trade buyers, hospitality and consumers."
Why launch The Drink Show in Canberra?
"Canberra is a natural next step. Surrounded by outstanding cool-climate wine regions and supported by a sophisticated food and wine culture, it provides the perfect environment for a premium drinks discovery event. Our goal is to complement the local industry while introducing visitors to producers from across the ACT, New South Wales and beyond."
Why launch AusWineX?
"Australia produces some of the world's finest wines, yet there is still no truly national wine trade tasting dedicated to bringing Australian and international wineries together with importers, distributors, retailers, sommeliers, hospitality professionals and industry media. AusWineX has been developed to fill that gap through a professionally curated, commercially focused trade environment."
Why is AusWineX focused on wine?
"Wine is the foundation of Australia's premium drinks industry and deserves its own dedicated national trade platform. By focusing exclusively on wine, AusWineX creates a stronger buying environment, more relevant conversations and better commercial outcomes for wineries, buyers and the wider trade."
Will AusWineX include spirits, beer or RTDs?
"No. AusWineX is intentionally dedicated to wine. It has been designed as Australia's national wine trade tasting, allowing wineries and international wine producers to exhibit within an environment entirely focused on wine, buyers and commercial opportunity."
How is AusWineX different from The Drink Show?
"The Drink Show is a premium regional tasting event that combines trade and consumer audiences in a relaxed discovery-focused environment. AusWineX is a dedicated national wine trade exchange held in Melbourne, designed specifically for wineries to meet buyers, distributors, importers, retailers, sommeliers, hospitality professionals and industry media."
What is the event format?
"The Drink Show begins with a dedicated Trade Preview before opening to consumers, giving exhibitors valuable time to engage with buyers and hospitality professionals before welcoming the public. AusWineX is a trade-focused event built around structured wine tastings, buyer meetings and commercial networking."
Why deliberately limit exhibitor numbers?
"We intentionally cap exhibitor numbers to protect the experience for everyone involved. A carefully curated floor creates greater visibility, longer conversations and stronger commercial outcomes than simply filling a hall with as many exhibitors as possible."
What makes these events different from traditional drinks festivals?
"These events aren't built around crowd size or entertainment-first programming. They're designed to create meaningful interactions between producers and visitors, combining professional presentation with genuine product discovery and measurable commercial outcomes."
What kind of audience do the events attract?
"Our audiences are highly engaged and discovery-driven. Depending on the event, they include importers, distributors, retailers, sommeliers, venue operators, hospitality professionals, media and consumers who genuinely want to discover new products, meet producers and buy with intent."
Why focus on a small number of events?
"Quality will always take precedence over quantity. We'd rather establish a small portfolio of exceptional events that consistently deliver results than rapidly expand and dilute the experience for exhibitors, buyers and visitors."
What is the biggest challenge in running these events?
"The biggest responsibility is delivering genuine exhibitor value. Every producer invests significant time, stock and resources, so every decision is made with the objective of generating meaningful outcomes—whether that's sales, new customers, distribution opportunities or long-term business relationships."
Tell us about the founder.
"The Drink Show and AusWineX were created after recognising a gap in the Australian events landscape. Many festivals focus primarily on attendance, while many trade events remain highly specialised or fragmented. The vision was to develop professionally curated platforms that create meaningful commercial connections, encourage product discovery and provide measurable value for producers."
Where do you see the events evolving?
"Our immediate focus is establishing The Drink Show as a leading regional event series beginning with Newcastle and Canberra, while developing AusWineX into Australia's premier national wine trade tasting and exchange in Melbourne. Together, the two platforms create complementary opportunities—one connecting producers directly with consumers and regional trade, the other providing a dedicated national marketplace for the wine industry."
Closing Quote
"Everything we do is centred on creating better opportunities for producers. The Drink Show introduces great brands to engaged consumers and regional trade audiences through premium tasting experiences, while AusWineX provides Australia's wine industry with a dedicated national platform to build distribution, strengthen relationships and grow commercial opportunities. Together, they represent two distinct events with one shared purpose—helping great producers connect with the right people."
Say Hello to Matt - Our Poster Boy
Thanks to i98 fm Street Team at the Kiama Show - Click the Play Icon
