US-headquartered event and marketing agency, Code Four, has acquired Crafted Beer Festival, the Gold Coast’s premier celebration of craft beer, as part of its Australian expansion strategy.
Code Four brought the highly successful Pacific Airshow, which is supported by beverage company Lion, to the Gold Coast last year for the first time, after it became well established in the US. Since then, the company has been aiming to secure a stronger foothold in the Australian market, to drive community engagement and economic growth through further development of unique event experiences.
Code Four CEO, Kevin Elliott, said joining forces with the team at Crafted Beer Festival grows the company’s Australian presence and reinforces its investment in the Gold Coast, fostering local job creation and skills development.
“The success of Pacific Airshow Gold Coast, which drew nearly 250,000 attendees last August, has been a highlight of Code Four’s international expansion strategy,” said Elliott.
“We are building a vertically integrated powerhouse agency here on the Gold Coast, designed to support our owned events and services on offer to our event partners in Asia Pacific.
“People think of Code Four and Pacific Airshow as American companies, but that’s not the real story. Our Australian team is influencing our growth and success across the globe and we’re doubling down on our commitment to Australia,” he said.
Crafted Beer Festival, held annually at Broadbeach’s Kurrawa Park and supported by Experience Gold Coast, has garnered a strong following since its inception in 2017. The festival is brewing up its next Gold Coast event on 14 September, with over 400 craft beers on offer at an event full of music, food and the best local beverages.
Crafted will then take the show on the road to Newcastle for the first time, staging an event in Newcastle Foreshore on 16 November.
Code Four chief operations officer, Sam Pearce, said the team aims to expand the beer festival to other Australian locations and the United States, bringing local craft beer to a worldwide audience.
“This merger amplifies everything we’re doing at Code Four, bringing opportunities for more cross-collaboration of our brands, starting with a Crafted Beer Festival Bar at the upcoming Pacific Airshow,” said Pearce.
