The London Wine Show has revealed its schedule of industry briefings, training workshops and seminars ahead of this year’s show.
The exhibition includes five areas that will host the sessions, including the central stage, the classroom stage, the food tasting area, and the educational area. In addition, there is the Mentzendorff Theater, which will host events for the first time this year.
According to the organizers, the content across various fields will “reflect a wide range of topics” and will include “the most pressing issues.”
The discussion will include how the wine business can benefit from technology, sessions on the impact of climate change, and tastings of old vines, among other opportunities.
Westa
Key events include a “State of the Nation” briefing by Wine and Spirits Trade Association CEO Miles Bell on Tuesday, May 22 at 10:15 a.m.
In his speech he will address how the current government's agenda is impacting the UK wine industry, and set out what he would like to see from the next government.
It also includes a “wide-ranging” Q&A session with WSTA’s Director of Regulatory and Commercial Affairs, David Richardson, and Simon Stannard, the association’s Director of Policy.
Commenting on the press conference, Bill said: “The London Wine Show gives us a great opportunity to look back and measure the impact of the last few turbulent months for the wine industry, but also to look ahead to what comes next.
“We will be dealing with a new government, a new agenda, and the landscape will certainly change again. We look forward to engaging with trade in the Q&A session to help businesses plan for the future.”
Sessions
Other sessions include Viticulture for Future Generations – Understanding the Benefits of Regenerative Practices, Wednesday at 2pm on the Main Stage. Hosted by the Regenerative Viticulture Foundation, this discussion is about how (and why) to monitor and improve the health of vineyards.
There will also be an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion session on the main stage on Tuesday at 11.30am, where WSTA, WSET and The Drinks Trust come together with the aim of creating an industry-wide, industry-owned programme that delivers diversity, equality and cultural change “at every level”.
Climate change will be discussed on Wednesday at midday in terms of how it is affecting Tempranillo. Bodegas Roda, which is at the forefront of research on Tempranillo, will explore, in collaboration with the University of Rioja, how to protect the vineyard in the future from climate change.
db awards
The news comes as the db Awards, now in its 22nd year, are now open for entries, with the winners to be announced at the Lutheran World Forum on Tuesday 22 May.
You can also view the list of categories and enter the prizes here.
Dates
The London Wine Show will be held at Olympia from 20-22 May. London Wine Show ticket holders can attend all sessions in the theatres on a first-come, first-served basis.
In addition, the Masters Theatre and the Minzendorf Theatre have a seating allocation that can be reserved in advance by VIPs, board members and guests.
Pre-booking will open tomorrow (May 1st).
