Background and event concept
The Bubbles Review is a multi-award-winning blog and website featuring information on the enjoyment of drinking Champagne and Sparkling Wine. Since launching in October 2016, the blog has continued to receive excellent engagement from a targeted audience. The social media reach averages between 20,000 and 30,000 per month, to more than 300,000 per month during promotions for The Bubbles Festival. Our year to date reach for 2024 is 1.5M. We have a very active and growing subscriber base of around 3000 and around 10,000 loyal followers on social media.
Our immensely popular blogs on Aussie Sparklings really struck a chord, and it brought about the concept of including The Bubbles Festival in our event calendar to feature Australian and international sparkling wines all in one boutique event. The inaugural Bubbles Festival was held in April 2017, and a follow-up event was held in October 2017. The positive feedback highlighted the success of the event, with patrons giving the event 5 stars for overall satisfaction, 5 stars for would recommend to friends and a 5 star rating for likelihood of attending a future event. Event audiences include patrons who come on their own, as a couple, and with groups of friends. It is a very social environment and has attracted repeat visitors from one festival to the next.
Our many positive comments include:
“Fun night out with friends who truly appreciate fine champagne and all things bubbly.” ~ Kate Cadet
“Very well organised & great selection.” ~ Ingrid Ostbye
“Fantastic night with great bubbles and canapes – learned a lot! Beautiful venue with views over the river and lights on the bridge added to the atmosphere.” ~ Debbie
“A great event showcasing local bubbles with comprehensive tasting notes and friendly producers. Well orchestrated- thank you.” ~ Sarah Vaile
“It was a great event and I highly recommend you catch the next one. The sooner the better!!” ~ Peter Robert Tuckey
“This is such a fantastic event; for those who truly love their bubbles and want to experience some that they wouldn’t ordinarily try. Natalie is so knowledgeable!” ~ Kelly
“A fun & educational event, can’t wait for the next one!” ~ Lesley Harris
“I am so glad I found out about this event. If you get a chance to come and join in the future, do it. Meet new people learn more about bubbles. What more can I say!” ~ Loretta Carmichael
“A fabulous night in an amazing venue. It was a wonderful opportunity to discover some new sparkling wines complemented perfectly by the selection of canapés. Would definitely go again!” ~ Rachel Hodgson
“What a fabulous afternoon filled with quality bubbles – looking forward to the next one and bringing more friends along 🥂🥂🥂 – thanks Natalie 🥂” ~ Julie Johnston
“Thank you for bringing to WA a unique experience for the bubbly lovers. Having a very knowledgeable and passionate presenter-founder made the experience that extra bit more enjoyable. I look forward to the next one.” ~ Brenda Fenerty
“Highly recommend The Bubbles festival. Went with 3 friends and had a ladies’ day out. Full of fun and met new people tasting many wines. Had a great day and can’t wait for the next one. “ ~ Sue Lushington
“A fabulous event! Natalie was a wonderful host, taking us through the art of tasting and finding our own ‘happy place’.” ~ Erin Noordeloos
“I thought I couldn’t love bubbles any more but I was wrong!! This experience was second to none! A classy yet relaxed vibe with access to all the best, new, interesting and popular bubbles, some of which were completely new to me. The VIP experience was to die for, a great privilege. Congratulations to Natalie and her team for putting this together in today’s climate. A true testament to her love of bubbles and a phenomenal way to share it with the country! I will definitely be on the lookout for the next event!!” ~ Jana Bartecki
- The Bubbles Festival is now national with successful events across the country in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.
In 2021 we delivered by managing around lockdowns. Read more on the blog Bubbly border hopping – delivering The Bubbles Festival during a pandemic
If you have been included in this invitation it is because we know that you produce a lovely sparkling wine (or sparkling related product). You may have also been referred to us by some of our followers who actively engage in recommending their favourite ‘bubbles’.
In response to the increasing demand for our Bubbles Festival, our venues are chosen to have the capacity and ambience to hold a boutique tasting event. With limited numbers our exhibitors get to meet and talk with attendees in a stylish setting.
- The Bubbles Festival is held in three sessions: one session on Friday night, and two sessions on Saturday. In some locations with larger venues it may be two larger sessions on Saturday only.
- The forecasted total number of visitors is 200–600 people, with around 50–200 people attending per session.
Target market and sparkling wine niche
Our target market is aged 25–65+ who have an interest in sparkling wine and live in the greater metropolitan areas, however we do have visitors who travel from regional areas and plan a weekend in the city around our event. We have strong repeat visitation with attendees who come every year. The majority of our followers are female aged 35–65+ with discretionary income to spend, and are interested in experiences that include drinking bubbly. They enjoy trying new sparkling wine styles. Couples, groups of friends, and multi generations of family members make up the different attendees. For some, their budget for champagne may only be for special occasions, but they will consume sparkling wine regularly, at least once a week. They would potentially be a cellar door visitor who is interested in sampling new sparklings, become wine club members and/or purchase online. VIP ticket holders indicated they had a higher discretionary spend and invested in purchases of limited vintage and premium cuvees.
Now more than ever, it is important to have direct interaction with your target audience. Sparkling wine is no longer considered a drink just for a toast or special occasion or only as an aperitif, but a drink for everyday enjoyment and to complement a main meal. Sparkling is often perceived as a drink enjoyed mainly by women, however a growing trend has been identified as males are increasingly enjoying sparkling wine. Overall consumption of sparkling continues to increase, with Australians consuming approximately 62 million bottles of sparkling wine annually, of which about 22 million are imported. Australia continues to rank in the top 10 for importers of Champagne in the world by country and is around the 4th largest per capita. The spend on champagne is increasing with imports hitting an eight figure sum for the first time last year, increasing by more than 6% to more than 10.5 million bottles, with a value increase of 17% to more than 187m Euros. The largest amount of imports of sparkling wine to Australia in 2022 came from France (827k litres) and Italy (659k litres). Wine Intelligence has forecast that there will be continued strong growth sparkling wines over the next few years and that Australian wine consumers are increasingly looking for diversity in wine offerings and becoming familiar with alternative varieties.
The Bubbles Review showcases the enjoyment of drinking all sparkling wines, with the popularity of our sparkling blogs we have captured a particular opportunity to target this niche by connecting producers and importers with consumers as much as we can. This event is a perfect way to do that, without the visitor needing to travel to the region to experience the wine at cellar door, or to discover your sparkling as an unknown brand amongst the competition in a bottle shop. It’s the perfect way to interact, make sales, establish brand awareness, build your lists and create engagement in a fun, bubbly atmosphere.
The Bubbles Festival 2025 Exhibitors Invite Form
For the visitor
Tickets are available per session. Providing access to tastings to be provided by the producers all showcased at one stylish event. A tasting glass, tasting notes, a fun and informative introduction on how to taste, and canapés are included. The ticket price for visitors is $129 (TBC) + Booking Fee.
There is an option for a VIP upgrade at $75, which includes a special tasting and additional glassware. A $5 donation from each VIP ticket is donated to our chosen charity in each city.
For the exhibitor
The event provides exhibitors and sponsors with access to targeted visitors who have an interest in sparkling wine in one event. The exhibitors provide free tastings and/or other sample products for visitors creating an opportunity to engage one-on-one in this boutique setting to develop relationships, engage followers and make sales.
There is no other event in Australia that showcases a sparkling tasting list like this!
Exhibitor feedback from previous events:
“Brilliant – just where we need to be, sold out, targeted, engaged events, we are very keen for next time.”
“Glowing reviews from our team, well run, excellent event. We’ll definitely be involved next time.”
“I loved everything, thanks so much for everything.”
This was my third year as an exhibitor at The Bubbles Festival Adelaide. The event continues to exceed our expectations. I attend a lot of wine events and this is better than others I have attended. It’s well organised and the Punters that attend are truly interested in hearing about the products and brands. We made sales and created brand awareness for our sparkling wine, and beyond that our order form and promotion included our still wines and this created brand awareness in our other wines beyond the sparkling in our range. Thank you Natalie. A well organised event, as always!
It is a unique wine show that serves a different purpose than most other shows.
“Congratulations on creating such a niche targeted event!”
“The event exceeded our expectations. The organisation of the event and engagement of visitors was 5 out of 5 stars. The event provided targeted marketing to a select group of wine drinkers who are looking for wines that are not freely available to the everyday consumer. We expanded our database with new subscribers, made sales and created brand awareness for our sparkling wine. The tasting notes were excellent and a great resource for the customer.”
“I liked the education on tasting that Natalie did. I also liked the length of the session and that all the public came in at one time.”
“The Bubbles Festival is better than other events I have attended. The balance between the amount of people attending and amount of wine being exhibited is crucial, so that we have ample time and opportunity to engage with the consumers. The organisation of the event is 5 stars!”
The event exceeded our expectations. 5 stars!
“Thank you so much for the opportunity to showcase Champagne Royal Riviera at the Sydney Bubbles Festival. As you know, it was a real hit amongst the guests at the tasting. I’d just like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on a very successful event. I thought that from start to finish it was professionally organised, the venue was great and your guests were treated to a memorable experience. In addition, we were able to make sales in excess of 12 dozen wines over the two day event, which considering the $69 price tag is remarkable. Thank you again and congratulations and we’d love to be involved in future events.” ~ Mark Spiteri, Boutique Wine Merchants.
“Such a fantastic event with lovely guests! We really enjoyed our involvement and the opportunity to educate people more about Champagne & Champagne Collet. Cheers BJ”
Brenton Jull, QLD State Manager, Bacchus Wine Merchant
Expressions of Interest
Dates and locations
Melbourne – 3 May 2025
Brisbane – 9 & 10 May 2025
Sydney – 16 & 17 May 2025
Adelaide – 31 May 2025
Perth – 21 June 2025
*Session times
Session 1: Friday 6pm–8pm
Session 2: Saturday 12pm–2pm
Session 3: Saturday 3pm–5pm
*Please note: session times may vary across the different event locations. Larger venue locations may only have the Saturday sessions.
*Venues
Melbourne: TBA
Brisbane: TBA
Adelaide: National Wine Centre
Sydney: TBA
Perth: TBA
Set-up time: from 4pm on Friday of event Bump-out time: 5pm–5:30pm on Saturday. There is a 30–60 minute window between sessions on Saturday to take a break, refresh stands and venue.
*Please note: set-up and bump-out times vary across the different event locations.
Booking deadline: Until sold out
Exhibitors must attend all sessions of the event. If needed, staff can be provided to manage your tasting table (subject to availability and additional cost, and 14-day prior notice is required).
To include your wine on the tasting list, Exhibitors must provide the minimum recommended amount of stock for tastings. You will be advised of suggested amount of stock for each event, as an indicator between 1-2.5 dozen bottles of each wine per event will be required.
Choose a Half table, Full Table or Sponsor Option (Per event)
Please contact us if you would like to discuss customised sponsorship options for your business.
Half Table $590 (incl GST)
Inclusions:
- Use of half of 1 trestle table 1.8m (L) x 0.76m (W) (or similar)
- 1 tablecloth
- Ice bucket
- Ice
- Tasting glasses
- Listing and tasting notes inclusion on printed tasting sheet for visitors
Full Table $1180 (incl GST)
Inclusions:
- 1 trestle table 1.8m (L) x 0.76m (W) (or similar)
- 1 tablecloth
- Ice bucket
- Ice
- Tasting glasses
- Listing and tasting notes inclusion on printed tasting sheet for visitors
Multi Event Pricing
Half Table
- 3 x events $1475 (incl GST)
- 5 x events $2360 (incl GST)
Full Table
- 3 x events $2940 (incl GST)
- 5 x events $4720 (incl GST)
Early Bird offers also include access to these special bonuses:
- Giveaway partner promotion – schedule now for 2025 (value $550)
- Free upgrade for one size ad or feature in The Bubbles Review Magazine – (value from $150-$500)
Event Sponsorship options start from $3750 (incl GST) – limited number available.
VIP lounge/bar sponsor $3750 per event
Guest carry bag sponsor $3300 per event
Event sponsor $5500 per event
Please contact us for more details.
Note: This is a boutique event. Places are limited and offered on an invitation only basis.
The Bubbles Festival 2025 Exhibitors Invite form
Feel free to email us at [email protected]
Acceptance
Places are limited and are allocated on a first in first served basis. In the interest of creating a balance of exhibitors and sponsors, The Bubbles Festival reserves the right to accept or reject any expression of interest. The Bubbles Festival requires a copy of Exhibitor’s Professional Indemnity/Public Liability Insurance Certificate of Currency along with details of appropriate licensing to finalise your booking.
Payment
Please do not make payment until your attendance has been confirmed and approved. Upon acceptance, payment must be made within 7 days of invoice – or before the Early Bird booking deadline if applicable. The Bubbles Festival and The Bubbles Review is owned by Thickett Investments Pty Ltd ITF Thickett Family Trust. ABN 21 135 541 782. Payment is to be made by EFT to Thickett Investments bank details as provided on invoice. Payment by credit card can be arranged, subject to a 2.6% Paypal/Stripe transaction charge. Thickett Investments and The Bubbles Festival reserve the right to refuse access to the event due to any exhibitor with an unpaid account.