David Ligoff is a long-standing figure in the Australian whisky scene, founder of The Whisky Show—Australia’s longest-running whisky festival—and founder of World of Whisky, Australia’s first dedicated boutique whisky bottleshop. Widely regarded as one of the foremost authorities on Australian whisky, David specialises in creating immersive whisky experiences, drawing on more than 30 years’ experience in the events industry across South Africa, the UK, New Zealand and Australia.
Over the past fifteen years, he has organised more than 50 whisky and spirits shows held in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and nationwide, welcoming over 60,000 whisky lovers to his events. In recognition of his contribution to the industry, David was awarded Whisky Communicator of the Year (Australia, 2021) by Whisky Magazine as part of its global Icons of Whisky Awards. During his time at World of Whisky, David identified the need for greater access to single malt whisky in Australia and was instrumental in introducing several key Scottish and international brands to the local market, including Tullibardine, Arran, Glenglassaugh, Benriach, Tomatin and Kavalan, among others.
In 2024, David joined The Whisky List, Australia’s largest dedicated online whisky retailer, through the merger of The Whisky Show into TWL. As Events Director, he introduced a number of new initiatives to the shows, including the now-iconic Whisky & Coke Slushie machines, and launched several major additions to Australia’s festival calendar. These include Top Shelf Whisky Festival, inspired by leading international festivals such as Whisky Fair Limburg and Chichibu Whisky Matsuri, as well as the Melbourne-based sister festival to Fèis Ìle, celebrating the whiskies and culture of Islay.
In 2026, David sets out on a new adventure, bringing the cult-favourite Dutch, community-led whisky festival Maltstock to Tasmania, expanding its spirit of shared bottles, deep whisky culture and camaraderie to Australian shores. Maltstock is a not-for-profit festival.