Whisky festivals – the show must go on

Whisky festivals, shows, expos, even fairs. Call ‘em what you will, they’re everywhere. If you’re lucky enough to live in a city or country where there’s a big enough whisky scene, you’re probably also lucky to have a choice of whisky shows that you can attend. Over time, some of these have started to take on an international reputation.   They’re no longer just a whisky show, they become a whisky destination. People – that, is punters and consumers – will grab their passports and jump on a plane just to take part in the fun.

Some of the individual Whisky Live events around the globe have achieved this status. Other shows become their own highly successful brands that are “one day, I’ll get there” events for plenty of drinkers. Examples include the Victoria Whisky Festival in British Columbia, Canada; the Limburg Whisky Festival in Germany; both Maltstock and the WhiskyBase Gathering in the Netherlands; and in the southern hemisphere, there’s Dramfest in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Some whisky shows are birthed out of the passion and enthusiasm of whisky interest groups; others have more commercial motives and may be attached to or work in conjunction with a retail outlet.   Of course, for the purposes of this little piece, we’ll ignore the distillery-led pinnacles of Feis Ile or the Speyside Whisky Festival.

What is the benchmark for “success” for a whisky show? What makes a show “good”? Why are some perceived to be better than others? The list of KPI’s and measurables is many and varied…

  • The price to attend
  • The venue
  • The number of whiskies on offer to try
  • The brands represented and exhibiting
  • The industry luminaries and whisky “celebrities” that attend to present masterclasses and sessions
  • The food / catering
  • The peripheral events and activities that might supplement or surround the main event
  • The duration of the events or its tasting sessions

Different individuals will assign different values and levels of importance to each of the above. What makes one show good for Person A might make it a less desirable show for Person B. This writer’s observation is certainly that some shows set about the business better than others. For example, several Australian cities are blessed to have a number of different whisky shows on offer during the calendar year, and Australian readers will possibly already have decided why they prefer one of Whisky Fair, Whisky Show, Whisky Live, Whisky Freedom, etc.

An ongoing challenge for any whisky show is how to control the inevitable “over-indulgence” that occurs with some attendees. Security is now tight at many shows, and exhibitors are better trained at looking for the signs and refusing service when necessary. Many shows attempt to limit consumption with tokens or vouchers for a prescribed number of drams (e.g. you might only get 10 vouchers to redeem against 10 whiskies during your session) but such models are increasingly in the minority these days.

The crowd at the whisky show 2015

Whisky shows also adapt and evolve over time. In most cases, they’re ironing out wrinkles or tweaking and improving things to provide better value or more attractive and appealing features. One aspect that’s certainly gaining momentum is the increasing presence of other spirits at whisky shows. Rum, in particular, is a rapidly rising presence at many shows, while gin and brandy are also starting to make regular appearances. Some enjoy this diversity; others feel that attending a whisky show and finding a large contingent of stands serving non-whisky products is not what they signed up for.

A growing problem for some of the event organisers is finding space to work in. They’re not just competing for space on the calendar or for the “punter’s dollar”, but – most critically of all – they’re competing for the exhibitors. The reality is that, for many brands and distributors, there’s only so much time, staff, and stock you can devote to this form of marketing and promotion.   It costs money to take out a stand at a show; it costs money (in one form or another) to pay your rep to man that stand for two or three days; and it costs money to pour out bottles of precious stock to punters who aren’t always wearing their most appreciative hat. Accordingly, brands are becoming increasingly choosy over which shows they’ll be present at, and which ones they’ll give a miss.

For the brands and exhibitors, it simply becomes a value proposition: How much will it cost me to be there, and how much might my brand make back in positive exposure or sales? (If retail sales are part of the equation at the event). Is it a fun and pleasant show to be a part of, or is it a chore? Some exhibitors ask themselves, “Can I afford to be there?” whilst others are obliged to ask, “Can I afford not to be there?” As an exhibitor myself who’s directly represented a specific brand I work for at many different whisky shows, and who’s also represented other brands as a “gun for hire”, I can advise that it’s not always fun and pleasant on the other side of the serving table. (For more on that theme, you can read this article Whisky fairs – from the other side of the table).

As a result of some of the above, we’re seeing some shows attract and maintain a lot of support and engagement from industry (i.e. the brands and exhibitors), whilst other shows struggle.   One particular “success story” is the biennial Dramfest in New Zealand which has a remarkable and enviable record of attracting brands and luminaries to its stalls. Considering it’s perhaps the longest possible distance from Scotland for any whisky show, the calibre of the “talent” that flies out for it is testament that they’re doing something right. And looking after their exhibitors is nine-tenths of that equation.

Of course, new models are now emerging, particularly out of Asia. A rising trend is the “charge per dram” shows, where there’s a modest entry fee, but you then pay a dram price for each individual whisky you try. Not surprisingly, such models lend themselves to older, rarer whiskies, and attract a more “cashed-up” crowd. Whisky Exchange’s “Old & Rare” is one example, others include WhiskyNow Hong Kong, Whisky Fair Takao (in Taiwan), and Chichibu Whisky Matsuri.

If you’ve not been to a whisky show previously and you’re planning on attending one shortly, you would do well to read this survival guide first: Heading off to a whisky show? Read this first!

And if you’re an “old hand” at such events, you may even have started to feel they’re getting passè.  For the sake and health of the industry – at all levels from production to retail – can I encourage you to keep lending your support.  As this article goes to print, whisky shows and tastings all around the globe are being cancelled in the context of the COVID-19 virus pandemic.   Whisky festivals will obviously be “on hold” for the next while.  If and when they come back on stream, let’s get behind them.

Cheers,
AD

Got any comments to add?  What makes a whisky festival good for you?  What do you look for, and what do you aim most to get out of them?  Scroll down below to add your thoughts….

The Whisky Show, Sydney, 2015

Sydney is spoiled for choice with a number of whisky expo-style shows running through town each year and May 15-16 saw The Whisky Show return to the Stamford Plaza hotel at Mascot to strut its stuff.

The Whisky Show offered three sessions; one on the Friday evening, and then 12noon-4.00pm and 5.00pm-9.00pm on the Saturday.  Of course, the Saturday sessions coincided with World Whisky Day, so it was a fine opportunity to celebrate the occasion.

Continue reading “The Whisky Show, Sydney, 2015”

Heading off to a whisky show? Read this first!

With whisky shows and expos like Whisky Live now up and running in many countries, whisky lovers all over the world now have the opportunity to attend amazing tasting events where there is much to sample and experience in a short session.

(Note this article has been amended for European/US readers. If you’re reading in Australia, click here for the original, more localised version).

I recently reflected on how many different articles I’d written over the years that shared a theme or objective that could loosely be summarised as “How to get the most out of your dram”.  But something that hadn’t been addressed in any detail is how best to plan your attack when attending an expo-style tasting event, i.e. a whisky show.  Playing it right, or otherwise, can mean the difference between having an outstanding sensory and culinary experience, or having a dull, confusing session.

As someone who regularly attends whisky shows as both a regular punter and as an exhibitor behind the table, I’m only too aware that attendees need to plan their session or employ wise strategy if they are to get the best out of what is on offer.  Play it wrong, and you truly rob yourself of a rewarding, positive opportunity.

Continue reading “Heading off to a whisky show? Read this first!”

Heading off to a whisky show? Read this first! (Aussie version)

Wondering what to do at a whisky tasting event or how to plan for it?  Read on…

{But first: There are two versions of this article – one specifically for Australian readers, and one for international readers.  This is the Australian version – if you’d like to read the international version, click here}

Heading off to a whisky show soon?  Good for you! For too many years, Australians were starved of the opportunity to attend whisky expo events.  We’d all hear and read about the amazing Whisky Live events overseas, or even the epic DramFest in New Zealand, but it’s only relatively recently in Australia that these events are becoming regular attractions in most of the capital cities.

(For those who like a bit of history, the first true expo event in Australia was in Canberra in 2003 as part of the Australian Malt Whisky Convention, organised by the MWSoA.  That was a biennial event that was then repeated in Sydney in 2005 and Melbourne in 2007.  After a hiatus, it returned in Adelaide in 2013.   Whisky Live arrived on the scene in Sydney in 2009, where it was joined a year or two later by The Whisky Fair, followed by The Whisky Show in 2012.  Other local organisations have joined the party, such as the QMWS hosting their expo in Brisbane since 2011.  More recently, The Whisky Show spread its wings to Melbourne, and of course, Whisky Live has now been a nationwide roadshow in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane for the last few years.  And, whilst their scale is much, much smaller and limited to their own label, let’s not forget the “Steps to Heaven” or “Extravaganza” tastings put on by The Scotch Malt Whisky Society around the country since 2009).  More recently, independent events such as Whisky Freedom (Perth) and Whisky & Dreams (Melbourne) have added to the scene.)

The point is, most Aussie whisky enthusiasts can now attend an expo-style event in their capital city.  I recently reflected on how many different articles I’d written over the years (mostly for SMWS publications) that shared a theme or objective that could loosely be summarised as “How to get the most out of your dram”.  But something that hadn’t been addressed in any detail is how best to plan your attack when attending an expo tasting event.  Playing it right, or otherwise, can mean the difference between having an outstanding sensory and culinary experience, or having a dull, confusing session.

As someone who regularly attends these events as both a regular punter and as an exhibitor behind the table, I’m only too aware that attendees need to plan their session or employ wise strategy if they are to get the best out of what is on offer.  Play it wrong, and you truly rob yourself of a rewarding, positive opportunity.

Continue reading “Heading off to a whisky show? Read this first! (Aussie version)”

Whisky fairs – from the other side of the table

Whisky enthusiasts in Australia (and the rest of the world!)  will no doubt be aware of the rise of various whisk(e)y fairs, expos, and shows being put on in various capital cities around the country.  From the original MWSoA Convention Expo in Canberra in 2003 (and its subsequent incarnations in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide in 2005, 2007, and 2013 respectively) to the emergence of Whisky Live in 2009 in Sydney and it subsequently becoming a capital city road show in more recent years; there are more shows around than ever before.  Sydney this year actually has three big shows – The Whisky Show, Whisky Live, and The Whisky Fair, in that order, respectively.

To those not familiar with the set up, such fairs & expos offer punters a tremendous opportunity to taste and experience a huge range of different whiskies.  Typically held in halls or function centre venues, local exhibitors and distributors all set up their own tables/stands and showcase their portfolio and range of whiskies for all and sundry to taste.   Imagine walking into a huge room and being confronted with anywhere between 50 and 200 different whiskies to taste at your own pace and discretion!  The phrase “kid in a lolly shop” is an apt comparison!

Continue reading “Whisky fairs – from the other side of the table”