The 2024 Pub Leaders Summit, brought to you by McCain Foods and Australian Hotelier was an exemplary event which ran 9-10 September in Sydney. It kicked off on Monday with a Study Tour, where 45 publicans got to tour three venues across Sydney: the award-winning Log Cabin, Penrith by Laundy Hotels; the under-construction Oran Park Hotel by Momento Hospitality; and Flight Club Sydney by NightOwl Entertainment, where the group ended an eye-opening day with a round of darts, canapes and drinks.
On Tuesday, 250 publicans and industry stakeholders gathered at the Waterview in Bicentennial Park for the Pub Leaders Summit conference and showcase. The day featured a packed program of panels and presentations on pressing topics like cybersecurity, modern marketing strategies and leadership. The day was punctuated with a fun round of trivia by Entain Venues, jokes by emcee Nick Bartlett, and the announcement of the first Australian Hotelier Future Leaders Scholarship winners. The day was capped off with Networking Drinks by platinum sponsor Coca-Cola Europacific Partners.
The day was full of valuable insights for the attendees, as stated by Ben Stephens, COO of Solotel.
“It was really valuable for our team who attended to be able to get out of their venues and think a bit bigger picture!”
A more in-depth review of the Pub Leaders Summit will be published in the October issue of Australian Hotelier. Check out the photo gallery below for a snapshot of the proceedings.
Study Tour attendees had an exclusive viewing of Oran Park Hotel by Momento Hospitality. 
Taking in the sights of the Nepean River at the Log Cabin by Laundy Hotels. 
A final stop at Flight Club Sydney gave an insight into the trend towards social competitive experiences. 
Opening the full-day conference, Craig Woolford, MST Marquee, shared valuable insights about the outlook for consumer spending and the pub market. His keynote was brought to the Summit by Coca-Cola Europacific Partners. 
Vanessa Cavasinni, managing editor of Australian Hotelier and Club Management (centre), was joined by (l-r) Alexandra Barron, Applejack Hospitality; Jodie Tiernan, Public House Albury; George Redmond, Stanley House Studios; and Andy El-Bayeh, Example to discuss modern marketing. 
Platinum sponsor Coca-Cola Europacific Partners shared a taste of the current portfolio with attendees. 
Stephen Ferguson, CEO of AHA, discussed the AHA’s national priorities, in particular migration. 
It wasn’t all serious – attendees were entertained by jokes from emcee Nick Bartlett. 
Getting Stuck In: The Dining Experience panel with Eleanor Knight, McCain; (l-r) Joshua Hillary, Solotel; Paul Wootton, Food & Beverage Media; Jamie Gannon, Laundy Hotels and Alex Derrick, The Rose & Crown. 
Emcee Nick Bartlett breaking the ice with delegates. 
Gold sponsors JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group have supported the Pub Leaders Summit every year since its inception in 2016. 
As consumer expectations evolve, Eleanor Knight, head of future growth at McCain, explained how pubs can rise to the occasion. 
Entain Venues hosted a round of pub trivia with prize packs for the lucky winners from South Australia. 
Some of the Future Leaders Scholarship finalists. 
The final panel explored the development of the next generation of leaders with insights from Bianca Dawson, AVC; Jacqui Corbett, Momento Hospitality; (l-r) Ben Stephens, Solotel and Craig Shearer, Kickon Group. 
Finalists for the inaugural Future Leaders Scholarship took the stage. 
Aydan Marshall and Courtney Bull became the first winners of the Scolarship, joined on stage by Vanessa Cavasinni.