By Rebecca Harris
With only two weeks to go until the 2009 Australian Liquor Industry Awards (ALIA), leading Australian bar operators are preparing for what will be the biggest Awards night the industry has seen this year.
Leading Sydney operator Hugos Group is up for seven Awards – the most of any group – including ‘Best Bar Team’ for Hugos Bar Pizza and ‘Best Bar New Venue’ for Hugos Manly, which opened late last year.
Justin Hemmes’ bar empire Merivale is up for a total of five Awards, including ‘Best Hotel’ for their multi-award winning venue ivy, and ‘Best Bar Manager’ for Sebastien Derbomez from Hemmesphere.
Group operators Keystone Hospitality and Solotel are up for four Awards each.
All four operators have been nominated in the coveted ‘Best Group Operator’ category, an Award that Keystone has won the past two years.
More than 800 members of the trade are expected to attend the fun-filled beach-themed gala event at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour on October 21.
The event will see a return of last year’s popular host Larry Emdur, along with food, fun and some surprise entertainment in what promises to be a night to remember.
To see the complete list of finalists, click here.
To book tickets to the big night, click here.