More details of the 2020 Pub Leaders Summit conference program have been revealed in the last week, with several exceptional operators added to the program.

Notable and respected figures from within the pub industry have joined the Pub Leaders Summit conference, including Chris Cheung, managing director of C!NC. He will be joining two panels on accommodation and retail offerings, where he will be discussing the recent overhaul of accommodation at Coogee Bay Hotel, and its two bottle shop prospects, respectively.

Two members of the Merivale team will be taking part in the conference, with ALIA-nominated bar manager Stephanie Haile taking part in the panel, The New F&B, to discuss how pubs are having to adapt their offerings to cater to changing consumption patterns. Joining her at the conference is colleague Jason Bush, group retail manager for Merivale, who will participate in the Retail Matters panel.

Joining the panels on accommodation and sustainability is Melissa Porter, a third-generation publican at Porters Plainland Hotel in Queensland’s Lockyer Valley. With a large motel offering, and a comprehensive sustainability strategy in place, the pub has won many awards in recent years. Porter is keen to share her insights, as well as learn from others.

“I’m a big believer in sharing knowledge within our industry. I’m super excited to share what we’ve learned about environmental practices and the accommodation space.

“And I’m equally excited to learn from the other speakers, and the summit’s attendees. There will be so much knowledge in the room.”

Additional voices from outside of the industry have also been added to the program, including Julie Ryan, CEO of Retail Drinks Australia, who will offer her significant knowledge of the retail liquor industry; as well as Councillor Jess Miller from the City of Sydney, who joins the panel on corporate sustainability strategy. The councillor has vast expertise in the area, having headed up several sustainability programs, including Greener Spaces, Better Places.

The Pub Leaders Summit will be held in Sydney on Monday 30 March at Doltone House Darling Island, Pyrmont. Tickets are available now, with early bird registration ending on 28 February. Operators and suppliers to the industry can both save $100 per ticket until then, so register now!

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