Almost three years after launching, the Pride in Drinks workstream team members came together in October for their annual strategy day. It was an opportunity to reflect on the significant progress made in 2025 and to discuss their bold plans for the future.
Hosted at Lion’s Sydney offices, this year’s Strategy Day was facilitated by Co-Leads Ruben Da Silva from Coca-Cola Europacific Partners and Jamila Diamonon from Diageo. They described the day as an important opportunity to consolidate 2025 achievements and ensure the group continues to build momentum for the future.
Each Pride in Drinks workstream (comms, events, training, DA) shared updates on their goals, initiatives and learnings, demonstrating how far the wider group has come in fostering inclusion across the industry. The day also featured guest speaker Dan Holland from Endeavour Group, who reflected on his career journey and the evolution of the drinks industry for the Pride community. His insights highlighted how cultural change takes time, but that progress is built through authenticity, visibility and consistent allyship.
“This year was about growth and connection,” said Ruben. “We’ve seen more engagement across the industry and stronger collaboration between our member companies. Pride in Drinks continues to be a powerful platform for change.”
Highlights from 2025
The progress in 2025 built on the successes of the workstream in previous years to reach more people across the industry.
Jamila celebrated the efforts of all the team members as pivotal to the success of the year.
“The Pride in Drinks team is full of energy and passion for making a difference,” she said. “All of our events and comms have been the result of a lot of insight, hard work and dedication from every member of the team.”
Marketing to the queer community webinar
The year began with an engaging webinar about representation in marketing and how brands can connect authentically with LGBTQIA+ audiences. The session explored how inclusive storytelling builds both cultural and commercial value.
Pride Month trivia night
June saw the return of Pride in Drinks’ much-loved Pride Month celebration - a trivia night hosted by the iconic, KevinInTheCity. The event brought together colleagues from across the industry and raised $1000 for Rainbow Families, the event charity partner.
Stories that celebrate inclusion
Throughout the year, Pride in Drinks continued to share stories from across the industry, shining a light on the experiences of rainbow families, the importance of allyship on Wear It Purple Day, industry activity for Mardi Gras and Midsumma and a profile on Pride in Drinks Co-Lead, Ruben Da Silva.
Looking to the future
With representatives from Asahi Beverages, Brown-Forman, Campari, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Diageo, Lion, Vinarchy, Treasury Wine Estates, Pernod Ricard, Suntory and Fever-Tree, Pride in Drinks continues to work toward a shared goal of ensuring the drinks industry is one where everyone feels valued, respected and free to be themselves.
Plans are already for 2026 to expand the reach and impact of Pride in Drinks across the industry. Stay tuned for an exciting event to kickstart the year.
For information on how to establish a Pride Employee Resource Group within your organisation, contact Kylie Le Lievre.