Karl Stefanovic fronts hotel awards with a cheeky ‘Make Drinking Great Again’ slogan

Karl Stefanovic has added another public appearance to an already crowded week, taking the stage as host of the Australian Hotel Association’s annual awards gathering in Sydney. The television presenter was among the guests at an earlier event celebrating Anthony Bell’s Sydney to Hobart campaign, before turning up later to emcee the hotel industry function. The awards event was held at Royal Randwick racecourse, where about 1,400 people reportedly gathered. A photograph accompanying the column shows Stefanovic speaking at a lectern, while another image features a red cap bearing the slogan “Make Drinking Great Again” — a playful line that supplied the event with its headline. The gathering was presented as a major night for the hotels lobby, with Stefanovic serving as its host. The columnist’s account suggested the crowd and atmosphere made for a lively, large-scale industry celebration, comparing its look to a less formal version of the Good Food Guide Awards. Stefanovic has become a familiar presence at public events beyond his television work, and this week’s schedule placed him at both a sailing send-off and the hotel association’s awards night. The report does not describe any controversy or announcement at the function; its focus is the presenter’s busy itinerary and the slogan that caught the columnist’s eye. The event brought together a sizeable audience at the racecourse, with Stefanovic at the centre as master of ceremonies. The red-cap phrase offered a knowing nod to the awards’ hospitality setting, while the presenter’s back-to-back appearances made him one of the week’s most visible figures in Sydney’s social calendar.