ANZ Sales Update
Q2 of FY25 saw the sales team focus heavily on contract completion. In this period, our Sales Reps help balance our brewing customers’ contracted positions in accordance with both parties needs, then ultimately invoice the remainder of the contract. For many brewers, this invoice can represent up to 50% of their annual hop spend in a single month. The sales team successfully hit our target invoiced value in November, ensuring crucial money in our pocket as the farms approach harvest 2025.
The new year has seen our Sales Reps pivot from contract completion to encouraging forward contracting of Aussie and imported hops. Our Sales Reps have hit the road for face-to-face brewery meetings in regional NSW, Tasmania and Victoria, leaning on technology like Teams to keep relationships strong with brewing customers we are unable to see in person.
In February, the sales and marketing team will execute a soft launch of Euphorics, with 20 hand selected brewing customers. Euphporics is highly concentrated, water-soluble combination of hops and other botanicals that allow brewer to create intense flavours while also helping increase yield in the brewhouse. By offering innovative hop products to our brewing customers, alongside great technical brewing advice, we hope to provide even more reasons for brewers to shop with HPA.
International sales update
The ramp up in activity to support international sales continues, with both European and American brewers scheduled to visit the farms this year. For the first time, HPA will have a representative present at trade shows in China and Japan, adding to the Korean trade show late last year. We know that getting in front of these brewers, showcasing our products, and telling our story is the best way to generate awareness and adoption of our Aussie hops. In April, Chris Swersey will once again be attending CBC in America to support our distribution partner John I. Haas. This will be followed by a 5-day road show in Canada to support our distribution partner Hops Connect. Canada has the second highest kilograms of HPA hops sold per person, behind Australia.
Hop Central
The marketing team has been working closely with the Victorian farm team to design signage for the Hop Central entrance that is scheduled to be installed in February. They will also be turning the training room into a brewer’s lounge for the month of March, where customers will be able to enjoy a beer and a snack after touring our farms and facilities.
Hop Harvest
Planning for the 38th Asia-Pacific IBD Convention is in full swing, including presentations from a number of our HPA hop experts as well as pre and post-event farm tours. In preparation for hosting our brewing customers in our growing regions, we updated the Discover Tasmania and See High Country Victoria webpages. We are also working with the breweries in our growing regions to identify which beers on their menu feature our Aussie hops. These will be highlighted on table talkers and coasters in their venues for the month of March. Whether they’re able to visit our farms or not, everyone will be able to celebrate Aussie hop harvest through the busy calendar of social media posts we have planned over the next few months.
Fresh Hop Festivals
Soon you’ll be able to enjoy some tasty fresh hop beers featuring our Aussie hops. HPA is once again Event Partner for the High Country Hop on March 22 in Beechworth, Victoria, and the Hobart Community Hop on March 29 in Hobart, Tasmania. We encourage you all the head along and enjoy these epic celebrations of fresh hops, fresh beers, fresh tunes and fresh air.
Liquid Hops Roadshow
Off the back of Hops Academy in August, we ran a Liquid Hops Roadshow in October. We took planes, trains and automobiles to promote our innovative hop products to brewers in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Auckland and Wellington. Kevin McCarry the Global Innovation Support Manager at BarthHaas led six half-day sessions with support from our Sales Reps, James Dittko of Bridge Road Brewers in Australia, and Pat Sharpe of Panhead in New Zealand. As you can see in this video, everyone came together for the purpose of better brewing efficiency, sustainability and profitability.
Haas Aussie Hop Bootcamp
Our US distribution partner John I. Haas has recently expanded their sales & marketing team to be able to service more breweries than ever before. To help their new hires get up to speed on all things HPA, we delivered an Aussie Hop Bootcamp that covered everything from our history, hop breeding program and proprietary hops, to current messaging, key sales tools and co-branding opportunities. It was so well received that we’ve been asked to deliver the same bootcamp to our Canadian distribution partner Hops Connect in February.
