Cider exports and tourism will be the focus of this year’s Australian Cider Forum, with Cider Australia and Wine Australia joining forces to promote a future go-to-market strategy and tourism opportunities for cider producers.

The export and tourism opportunities signal an exciting new era for craft cider producers, who will celebrate the industry’s achievements at Cider Australia’s Annual Cider Awards in Melbourne on 8 November 2019.

The-go-to-market strategy – being developed with funding from the Australian Government’s $50 million Export and Regional Wine Support Package (the $50m Package) – will support craft cider producers looking to market their brands overseas and follows the launch of Cider Australia’s world-first ‘100% Australian Grown’ trust mark in 2018.

Key features of the go-to-market strategy include:

• in-market analysis of the China, Japan, UK and US markets
• Export Market Guides outlining the demographics, regulatory environment and import requirements for each of these markets, and:
• guidance on how to apply the brand proposition and trust mark in each of these markets.

Wine Australia Chief Executive Officer Andreas Clark said, ‘With the Australian Government’s $500,000 Cider Program nearing completion, Wine Australia will use the cider forum to update producers on the resources being developed to help them identify and break into key export markets.

‘The forum will also feature a one-hour cider tourism workshop, presented by Growing Wine Tourism facilitator Robin Shaw, founder of Wine Tourism Australia.

‘Tailored for a cider audience, the cider tourism workshop will draw from the Growing Wine Tourism workshops and webinars being rolled out across the country, as part of the $50m Package.

‘Pitched at both new and experienced business, the program’s core aim is to give people the tools, market insights and strategies to implement changes in their business that attract more visitors, increase their spend and length of stay and drive sales and profit growth’, he said.

Cider Australia President Sam Reid said, ‘The Cider Program has brought to life the vision of the Australian cider industry and united cider producers across the country under a consistent and meaningful brand.

‘The 100% Australian Grown trust mark is an important foundation that enables consumers to identify authentic ciders made from apples grown on Australian farms, and the export market analysis and guidance materials we have developed go far beyond anything previously available to smaller producers.

‘With cider becoming a global category, now is a great time for Australian cider makers to be pursuing this opportunity. Ten years ago, only 21 per cent of global cider consumption was outside of Western Europe and this has now moved to 45 per cent, according to GlobalData, reflecting the growth in new world cider markets and styles.

‘This puts us in good stead to achieve our goal of increasing the market share of Australian craft ciders from 10 to 30 per cent by 2023’, said Mr Reid.

For more information about Cider Australia’s brand proposition and trust mark, visit http://www.cideraustralia.org.au/backtoearth/

For information about the Australian Cider Forum and Australian Cider Awards 2019, visit http://www.cideraustralia.org.au/events/australian-cider-forum-and-general-meeting/