A Confederation of drinks manufacturers and brand owners here is to be set up in order to ‘radically reform’ the way they are represented following the completion of a consultancy review commissioned by a number of major manufacturers late last year.
The review of trade association ‘effectiveness and efficiency’ followed widespread engagement with key manufacturers and other groups, stakeholders and trade representatives. The review, which was delivered to the Chief Executives of a number of major suppliers last month, recommends that such a Confederation would improve the “efficiency and effectiveness of the industry as it relates to regulation, reputation, communications and public policy” according Michael Patten, Group Corporate Relations Director for Diageo Ireland, one of the suppliers that commissioned the study.
This Confederation would bring together the beer, wine, spirits and cider sectors. While each sector would continue to be represented individually, it’s envisaged that under such a Confederation all four sectors would have a common Confederative Council which would manage the wider pan-industry issues, he explained. (more…)
