Colin Neill, Hospitality Ulster CEO
Responding to the Coach Nightclub drinks promotion, Colin Neill, Chief Executive of Hospitality Ulster said:
“Irresponsible promotions have no place in our industry and we condemn them outright. We believe the imagery associated with this promotion is unacceptable and have referred it to the Independent Complaints Panel for the industry’s Responsible Retailing Code.
“No promotion should encourage over-consumption or abuse of alcohol and licensees have a responsibility, both legal and moral, to ensure they promote the consumption of alcohol in a responsible way.
“The constant evolution of social media platforms means that there is an even greater need to ensure staff and event promoters are fully aware of the Code and ensure all promotions are checked before publication.
“I have spoken with the chair of the Responsible Retailing Code, Duncan McCausland this morning, who has also taken the Nolan Show coverage of this promotion as a public complaint and that complaint will be brought before the Independent Complaints Panel next week.
“We would urge everyone in our industry to make sure they are up to speed with the code and go to www.responsibleretailingcodeni.org to familiarise themselves with it. Examples of both irresponsible and responsible promotions can also be downloaded to help with staff awareness.”