It was great to get together again for our May Member Mingle, kindly hosted by the incredible team at Providore Margaret River.
Despite inclement weather and disruptions due to rising COVID cases, over 60 MRBTA members and staff came along for the May Member Mingle, enjoying the opportunity to catchup and connect with other operators. As Sunil from Bootleg Brewery, our beer sponsor for the evening, noted “we’re all in this together”.
The outstanding offerings at Providore, Margaret River Chocolate Company and Coward & Black Vineyard were on display with their teams spoiling the crowd throughout the night. Guests would have gone home very satisfied being able to partake in the gorgeous grazing table, comforting rolls & curries, the award-winning Lady Margo Rosé, liqueur tastings and finishing off the night with delightful, handcrafted chocolates (if you missed out, you must visit and try the gin & tonic truffle!). Guests also got to enjoy a range of Bootleg Brewery‘s flavoursome brews and cider.
We were lucky to have Martin Black, co-founder of Providore, the Chocolate Company and Coward & Black, along on the evening to regale the crowd with a captivating story of the genesis of the businesses. There were moments of mirth and inspiration throughout as Martin spoke about the group’s purchase of the property in the mid-90s, the development of the business from Chocolate to spices, oils and sauces and now to building experiences that allows visitors to see how their produce is made and speak with the people making it. Keep an eye out for more information on the recently launched Margaret River Coffee Company, an offering 23 years in the making! Their team are keen to connect with other MRBTA members to help their visitors get a taste of Margaret River. Either by guiding tour groups at the property or the provision of welcoming items in the region’s accommodation. If you are interested in working with them, get in touch.
Sharna Kearney, Joint CEO and Marketing Manager, spoke of operators across the region seeing early green shoots of interstate and international visitation returning. She also updated the group that our product and experience development work continues, particularly with the recent launch of the Drive Your Story campaign.
Thank you to all that attended and a huge thank you to the event’s hosts & sponsors:
Margaret River Chocolate Company
Margaret River Coffee Company
We have a lot of member training & networking opportunities coming up over the next few months including speed networking, more member famils, cultural awareness and welcoming travel workshops and our Tourism Update mid June. Keep an eye on our newsletters for more information.
