The Independent Brewers Association has announced both BrewCon and The Indies won't be taking place in 2025, citing the ongoing economic challenges faced by the beer industry.
In an email to members, the IBA said that, due to difficulties around sponsorship and a decline in entries to recent awards, neither event would take place in 2025.
"It goes without saying that the industry is struggling to maintain the level of sponsorship required to deliver the plethora of industry and consumer events," CEO Kylie Lethbridge said in the message.
"We all go cap in hand to the same stakeholders and so we feel that it is important to take a leadership role in this space and to conserve as many resources as possible while still delivering maximum benefit."
Next year will be the second year in a row without a BrewCon; earlier in 2024, the IBA instead worked with the West Australian Brewers Association to deliver their conference in Perth, which led into The Indies (pictured at the top of this article). Last year's BrewCon on the Gold Coast is the only one to run since COVID, while The Indies has run every year since 2014 in either person or via streaming. It was created by what was then called the Craft Brewers Industry Association as the Craft Beer Awards.
Kylie added that, as a small organisation with just 2.6 team members, they needed to focus on their advocacy efforts for independent beer, providing resources to members, promoting the Indie Seal, and running smaller events to bring the industry together. Regarding The Indies, the IBA said they had plans to rework the awards in the background to reinvent the program, while avoiding duplication with other beer competitions across the country.
"The 2024 Indies ran at a loss as entries, entrants and sponsorship income were significantly down from previous years and with the current economic environment, we simply can’t take the risk so we’ve had to make the super difficult decision to shelve the Indies Awards in 2025."
Indie beer will still be given a chance to shine at awards in 2025, with the IBA partnering with one of the world's largest competitions, the Australian International Beer Awards, to launch to two new trophies: Champion Independent Brewery and Champion Independent Beer.
The IBA also highlighted several events they'll be running across 2025, including The High Country Hop Technical Symposium and a number of MashUps across the year. You can find their calendar of events here.
You can hear more about the ongoing challenges faced by the IBA and their focus in this episode of The Crafty Pint Podcast featuring Kylie and IBA head of industry development Sabrina Kunz.
Details of the new AIBA trophies can be found below.
Media Release: Independent Brewers to be celebrated at the Melbourne Royal Australian International Beer Awards in 2025
The Independent Brewers Association (IBA) and Melbourne Royal will celebrate independent breweries on the world stage for the first time at the 2025 Melbourne Royal Australian International Beer Awards.
Two new trophies will be presented at the 2025 Melbourne Royal Australian International Beer Awards in 2025 to recognise and celebrate independent breweries - Champion Australian Independent Beer and Champion Australian Independent Brewery.
The Independent Beer Awards were first held in 2014 to raise awareness of quality independent beer and has evolved over the last decade to be considered a professional national competition that provides valued recognition and feedback for entrants and judges alike.
Due to the challenging economic climate experienced by independent brewers over the last year, the IBA has had to make the very difficult decision to put the Independent Beer Awards on hold in 2025.
“Even though the situation is not ideal, this hiatus gives us the opportunity to work with our stakeholders to reinvent ‘The Indies’ – to realise our commitment to pursue a more consumer-friendly program and to avoid duplication with other awards.
And when considering our alternate options, partnering with the Melbourne Royal AIBA’s made sense.
The Australian International Beer Awards are well respected as the largest annual beer competition in the world, where independent brewers are already acknowledged with medals and champion trophies.
So while we shelve the Independent Beer Awards for a year – these two new trophies will ensure that quality independent beer is still celebrated in 2025 and gives us an opportunity to come together at the presentation dinner to cheer our pals on.
It has historically been a week where the beer industry gets together so we look forward to seeing as many of our members as possible at these consumer and industry events.” says Kylie Lethbridge, Chief Executive Officer of the Independent Brewers Association.
Since being established in 1993, the Melbourne Royal Australian International Beer Awards have grown and evolved into the world’s largest annual beer competition that assesses both draught and packaged beer, as well as design and media. In 2025, Cider and Perry will also be included, recognising the synergy between beer and cider production.
The awards bring the beer, cider and brewing communities together to celebrate excellence, share knowledge, improve quality and inspire innovation.
“Melbourne Royal are proud supporters of the Australian independent brewing industry and we are excited to judge the indies and present two trophies for the first time in 2025 as part of the Australian International Beer Awards,” says Kirrily Waldhorn, Senior Manager F&B Awards at Melbourne Royal.
The 2025 Melbourne Royal Australian International Beer Awards will offer 14 major trophies, including the coveted Champion Australian Beer and Champion International Beer trophies, as well as 25 category trophies.
Entries to the 2025 Melbourne Royal Australian International Beer Awards formally open on 21 January 2025. The 2025 Melbourne Royal Australian International Beer Awards trophy presentation dinner will be held on Thursday, 15 May 2025 at the Victoria Pavilion, Melbourne Showgrounds. Details can be found here: For more information, visit melbourneroyal.com.au/beer.
Will Ziebell is a history graduate who knows more about The Wire than he does about beer. He was awarded the AIBA Best Media trophy in 2018 and in 2024; HBO have told him to please send his fan mail elsewhere. He can be found on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.
The beer(s) or moment(s) that turned you on to good beer:
Spending time living in the UK (and backpacking across Europe) when I was 21 certainly gave me a better understanding of the beer and different styles of the world. But I'd say it was a holiday to the High Country a little while later when lunch and a tasting paddle at Bridge Road Brewers created an obsession with Australian breweries and locally made beer.
You've got three beers to turn someone else on to good beer; what are they and why?
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Boatrocker's Miss Pinky: It's a raspberry-packed Berliner Weisse that neither looks or tastes the way many people conceive of beer.
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Bad Shepherd Hazelnut Brown: A luscious mix of chocolate and hazelnut that can appeal to the sweet tooth within us all.
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Stone & Wood Pacific Ale: As the father of my oldest friend once said to me: "It's the perfect refreshing pint that smells like they've loaded it with the God's herb."
The last beer you enjoyed:
Garage Project's DFA while sitting at the bar at Miss Moses as the sounds of The Rolling Stone drifting in the background.
Three things that represent you:
- Bruce Springsteen
- Ken Burns
- The State Library of Victoria
