Join us at the WA Beer & Brewing Conference

GoTab Australia is excited to announce its participation in the WA Beer & Brewing Conference 2026, taking place on 3 July at the Esplanade Hotel Fremantle.

The conference brings together brewery owners, venue operators, brewers, suppliers and hospitality professionals from across Western Australia for a day of industry education, networking and practical discussions about the future of brewing and hospitality.

As breweries continue to navigate rising operating costs, changing consumer habits and increasing competition for discretionary spending, technology is becoming an increasingly important part of the conversation. GoTab will be on hand throughout the event to discuss how leading breweries, taprooms and brewpubs are using flexible technology to improve service, increase revenue and create better guest experiences.

Helping Breweries Adapt to a Changing Market

The Australian craft beer industry has experienced significant growth over the past decade, but many operators are now facing a more challenging operating environment. Labour shortages, rising wages, increased supplier costs and evolving consumer preferences are forcing venues to rethink traditional service models.

At the same time, guests have become more comfortable using digital ordering, mobile payments and self-service technology in a variety of hospitality settings.

For breweries, the challenge is finding ways to embrace these changing expectations without sacrificing hospitality.

That is where hybrid ordering has emerged as a compelling solution.

Rather than forcing guests to choose between traditional table service and digital ordering, hybrid ordering allows both experiences to coexist. Guests can order from staff, place additional orders from their phones, open and manage tabs, and continue ordering throughout their visit using whichever method is most convenient.

Many breweries are finding that this flexibility not only improves the guest experience but also increases average spend while reducing pressure on staff during peak trading periods.

Why Brewery Operators Are Taking a Fresh Look at POS Technology

Historically, many breweries adopted point-of-sale systems designed primarily for traditional restaurants. While these systems can handle basic transactions, they often struggle to support the unique operating requirements of modern taprooms, beer gardens and brewery venues.

Today's brewery operators require technology that can support:

• Large indoor and outdoor service areas
• Mobile ordering and payment
• Handheld POS devices for staff
• Event and festival operations
• Membership and loyalty programs
• Self-pour integrations
• Flexible tab management
• Multiple service styles within a single venue

GoTab's hospitality commerce platform was built specifically to support these dynamic operating environments.

The platform combines POS, handheld ordering, QR ordering, mobile payments, kitchen display systems, memberships and open integrations into a single ecosystem designed to help venues operate more efficiently.

The Growing Role of Handheld POS in Australian Breweries

One of the most common topics GoTab expects to discuss at the conference is the growing adoption of handheld POS technology.

Many brewery operators are discovering that handheld devices allow staff to spend less time walking back and forth to fixed terminals and more time engaging with guests.

Orders can be entered tableside, tabs can be opened anywhere in the venue and payments can be processed on the spot.

For venues with beer gardens, large patios, outdoor events and high-volume service periods, handheld POS systems can help reduce queues while improving service speed.

Combined with mobile ordering and digital tab management, handheld devices give operators additional flexibility during busy trading periods without requiring major changes to staffing levels.

Meet GoTab at the WA Beer & Brewing Conference

Nathan Merriman, General Manager of GoTab Australia, will be attending the conference and meeting with brewery operators interested in exploring new approaches to hospitality technology. Book a demo with Nathan to connect at the show.

Attendees are encouraged to stop by and discuss topics such as:

• Increasing average spend through hybrid ordering
• Reducing service bottlenecks during peak periods
• Improving guest convenience without sacrificing hospitality
• Managing tabs across large brewery venues
• Leveraging handheld POS technology
• Modernising brewery operations while controlling costs

Whether you're operating a regional brewpub, a metropolitan taproom or a large beer garden, the conference offers an opportunity to connect with peers, learn from industry leaders and explore new ideas shaping the future of brewery hospitality.

See You in Fremantle

The WA Beer & Brewing Conference continues to be one of Western Australia's premier industry events, bringing together the people and businesses helping shape the future of brewing.

If you're attending this year's conference, we'd love to meet you.

Stop by, say g'day, and learn how breweries around Australia are using GoTab to create more flexible guest experiences, improve operational efficiency and position their venues for long-term growth.

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