July 2024

Diageo’s Katherine Smart Makes History as First Female Master Brewer

Katherine Smart has been elected as the Master of the Worshipful Company of Brewers for 2024 to 2025, becoming the first female master in 461 years.

The Worshipful Company of Brewers, also known as the Brewers’ Company, is one of the City of London’s livery companies and has records going back to 1563 when the practice of electing a master annually began.

“I’m thrilled to have been elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Brewers – an organisation playing a crucial role connecting brewers across the industry, and supporting valuable educational and research work,” Smart said.

“Brewing has historically been very male dominated, and when I started my career, I’d often be the only woman in the room at industry events. Today it is wonderful to see so many women entering the industry, building thriving careers and shaping the future of brewing.”

To mark the event, Diageo brewed a special Guinness which was served to guests. Arthur’s Last Ale was brewed to a recipe based on a brewing ledger from 1796 – one of the last batches of ale produced at St. James’s Gate in Dublin before the brewery focused on stout for the next 200 years.

Guiness has a relationship with the Worshipful Company of Brewers which dates back to the 1970s. Edward Guinness was the first member of the Guinness brewery to receive the honour in 1977, followed by Peter Lipscomb in 1990 and Stephen Wingfield Digby in 1997.

Smart meanwhile leads Diageo’s global technical team with responsibility for innovation, research & liquid development and packaging & governance. She is based at the Diageo Technical Centre in Menstrie, Scotland, and works closely with Diageo’s St. James’s Gate brewery in Dublin where Guinness is made (The centuries-old stout is now officially the best-selling draught beer in the UK).

The Worshipful Company of Brewers is one of London’s ancient livery companies and was once responsible for governing the beer trade in London. Today, the company remains closely connected to the brewing industry through its members.

Smart now paves the way for the next generation of female brewers around the world, having joined Diageo in 2019 from her role as a lecturer in Brewing and Distilling Sciences at Cambridge University. She was previously Global Chief Brewer & Vice President for supply chain integration at ABInBev, and also global chief brewer at SAB Miller.

Source: Diageo

Pre-screening of “Widow Clicquot”

🎬✨ Exciting news! I had the privilege of attending an exclusive pre-screening of “Widow Clicquot,” followed by a delightful post-screening champagne toast 🍾 with Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label. The Yellow Label is Veuve Clicquot’s emblematic cuvée, the House’s signature champagne – balancing four dimensions: freshness, strength, aromatic richness & silkiness.

The film chronicles the remarkable journey of Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin Clicquot, which commences with the untimely death of her husband, she boldly defies societal expectations by taking over the nascent wine business they had built together. Navigating through tumultuous political and financial challenges, Barbe-Nicole silences her critics and transforms the champagne industry, ultimately establishing herself as one of the world’s pioneering businesswomen. Don’t miss this inspiring tale of resilience and innovation!

Mark your calendars for the official release date: July 19, 2024

Spirits set to overtake wine as global drinking habits change

According to a report from the World Spirits Alliance released on Wednesday, global sales of spirits such as vodka and whisky are expected to surpass wine as drinking preferences have shifted.

The report from Oxford Economics and alcohol market research firm IWSR states 2.67 billion cases of spirits were sold in 2022, almost as many as the 2.8 billion cases of wine sold that year.

“Should current trends in both categories continue, spirits volumes will soon surpass those of wine,” the report states.

Trends, including a shift towards drinking fewer, more expensive drinks, notably a growing range of cocktails, have seen spirits displace wine.

The wine industry has faced a global supply glut, difficult weather and falling demand, which has hit a 27-year low. Beer companies are also grappling with a shift to spirits in some markets.

BY THE NUMBERS

Beer accounted for 75.2% of total beverage alcohol volumes in 2022, followed by wine at 10.4% and spirits at 9.9%;

In terms of the value of sales in 2022, spirits accounted for 40% of total beverage alcohol sales followed by beer at 38.1% and wine at 17.6%;

Indian whisky is set to be the fastest growing spirits category between 2022 and 2027, growing by 50 million cases, with tequila, rum and gin all expected to rise between 10 and 20 million cases. Cognac and Armagnac are set to grow the least in the spirits market.

The production and sale of spirits contributed some $730 billion to the global economy in 2022, when activity ranging from farming and manufacturing to shipping and sales in shops, bars and restaurants is included.

Source: Reuters/World Spirits Alliance

Liz Palmer Selected as “Final Round Judge” for the 2024 Canadian Marketing Association’s CMA Awards

“I’m thrilled to be selected as a multi-disciplinary “Final Round Judge” for the Canadian Marketing Association’s CMA Awards this year + excited to review the best in #CanadianMarketing!”

The 2024 Canadian Marketing Association’s CMA Awards celebrate the pinnacle of marketing excellence, innovation, and creativity in Canada. This event recognizes outstanding achievements across various sectors, highlighting the strategies, campaigns, and individuals that set new benchmarks in the marketing industry. Entrants are evaluated on their ability to drive engagement, deliver exceptional results, and demonstrate thought leadership. Winning a CMA Award not only confers industry recognition but also reinforces a brand’s reputation for cutting-edge marketing practices. This year’s awards promise to showcase groundbreaking work that has transformed the marketing landscape, reflecting the dynamic and ever-evolving nature of the field.

Below is a list of the criteria, as well as the definitions for the disciplines and categories, for the CMA Awards.
A category refers to the campaign’s business sector; the categories include:Automotive, Business, Consumer Products & Services, Financial, Food & Beverage, Healthcare, Retail/Consumer Business, and Social Causes.

A discipline reflects the type of campaign, the disciplines include: Brand Building, Business/Brand Impact, Customer Experience & Shopper Marketing, Engagement, Innovative Media, and Public Relations.

The Judging Process

First Round
The First Round is judged online by a panel of judges from across Canada. These judges evaluated the entries on Strategy, Creativity and Results, all equally weighted.

Second Round
In the Second Round, the Senior Judges and Multi Discipline Judges judge the top entries in the categories and disciplines. The scores from the two rounds are combined to determine gold, silver and bronze awards.

Best of the Best + Top Cause
The top entries from the Second Round are reviewed and the Best of the Best and Top Cause are awarded, making these awards truly representative of the best in Canadian marketing.

Interested in entering? Deadline to submit: July 19th: https://thecma.awardsplatform.com/

The 2024 World’s Best Airlines Revealed

Skytrax recently revealed its annual World Airlines Awards for 2024, which is also known as the “Oscars of the aviation industry” at a gala ceremony in London late June. The big winer this year went to Qatar Airways, the eighth-time winner has scooped the Airline of the Year title in the 25-year history of the awards.

In addition to being named the World’s Best Airline 2024, Qatar Airways also scooped the top awards for the World’s Best Business Class, the World’s Best Business Class Lounge and the Best Airline in the Middle East.

The 2023 Airline of the Year winner, Singapore Airlines, was ranked No 2 in the world for 2024, with Emirates in third place, ANA All Nippon Airways fourth, and Cathay Pacific in fifth position, out of more than 350 airlines included in the survey results.

Here is a list of the “World’s Top 20 Airlines for 2024”

Qatar Airways
Singapore Airlines
Emirates
ANA All Nippon Airways
Cathay Pacific Airways
Japan Airlines
Turkish Airlines
EVA Air
Air France
Swiss International Air Lines
Korean Air
Hainan Airlines
British Airways
Fiji Airways
Iberia
Vistara
Virgin Atlantic
Lufthansa
Etihad Airways
Saudi Arabian Airlines

Global Perspective

In North America, Delta Air Lines received awards as the Best Airline in North America, also collecting the top award for the Best Airline Staff Service for the region.
Singapore Airlines took top honours with the award for the World’s Best Cabin Staff and their First Class Suites continuing to dominate by winning the award as the World’s Best First Class. In one of the most competitive global regions for airline service standards, Singapore Airlines also scooped the accolade for the Best Airline in Asia.

ANA All Nippon Airways achieves the No 4 global ranking, repeating earlier success by winning the award for the World’s Best Airport Services. ANA also won the award for the Best Airline Staff Service in Asia.

Saudi Arabian Airlines wins the 2024 award as the World’s Most Improved Airline, ahead of STARLUX Airlines in 2nd place and PLAY in 3rd position. This award reflects an airline’s Quality improvement across the entire Awards programme, evaluating each airline’s change in the global rating, and their performance in different award categories.

AirAsia was the repeat winner of the World’s Best Low-Cost Airline award, a title it has won each year since 2010. Scoot received a top award as the World’s Best Long Haul Low-Cost Airline.

Spanish airline, Volotea, received the award as the Best Low-Cost Airline in Europe, a great achievement for such a competitive cost airline market. Transavia France was ranked No 2 in Europe, and Vueling in third place.

The award for the World’s Most Family Friendly Airline was won by British Airways. This award covers many aspects of the experience, including family seating policies, family check-in facilities, priority boarding, children’s meals, children’s amenities / toys / activity packs, child specific onboard entertainment, child luggage and policies for carrycot / pushchairs, and the standards of service assistance from ground staff and cabin crew during the family travel experience.

Plaza Premium received the award as the World’s Best Independent Airport Lounge operator, with its Plaza Premium Lounge at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport ranking top in 2024.

Cathay Pacific received the award for the World’s Best Economy Class, with Japan Airlines winning the award for the World’s Best Premium Economy Class.

The Best Regional Airline Awards are for full-service airlines that primarily operate domestic and/or International flights up to approx. 6 hours. Topping the global ratings as the World’s Best Regional Airline is the repeat winner Bangkok Airways, and for the eighth consecutive year has proven to be a true customer favourite.

In the India/South Asia region, Vistara reigns supreme and was again named winner of the Best Airline in India/South Asia award, in addition to Best Airline Staff Service for the region.
Fiji Airways secured the Best Airline in Australia/Pacific for the second time, and also won the award as the Best Airline Staff Service in Australia/Pacific.

Allegiant Air received the award as the Best Low-Cost Airline in North America for the first time, in what is a very competitive LCC market.

Ethiopian Airlines has won the Best Airline in Africa award for the sixth consecutive year, Turkish Airlines was the Best Airline in Europe, Hainan Airlines was named the Best Airline in China and airBaltic won the award as the Best Airline in Eastern Europe.

Turkish Airlines was also recognised for its very high catering standards with the Best Business Class Catering award.

Air France was a multiple winner in 2024, with three awards for the World’s Best First-Class Catering, the Best First-Class Lounge Dining (CDG) and the Best Airline in Western Europe.

Star Alliance collected the award as the World’s Best Airline Alliance and also won the Best Airline Alliance Lounge award for its new Paris CDG Airport lounge.

About the Awards

The World Airline Awards are wholly independent and impartial, introduced in 1999 to provide a customer satisfaction study that was truly global. Travellers across the world vote in the largest airline passenger satisfaction survey to determine the award winners.

Source: Skytrax