Wine2wine has fast gained a reputation for bringing together some of the most creative minds in the wine industry. Here’s what we can expect from its new online show between November 23-24.
Stevie Kim, founder and chief organiser of wine2wine, has a knack of finding the right words and certainly captures the challenge we are all faced with due to Covid-19 when she says “every crisis brings both risk and opportunity”.
For wine2wine that means dusting itself down and re-inventing itself as a 100% digital event that actually gives far more like minded people to come together online that would have been possible if the show had gone ahead as usual in Verona later this month.
Stevie Kim has taken the bold step of taking wine2wine event 100% online this month
If anything the concept of wine2wine, as a part educational, part business event, will actually be enhanced by taking it online as it will allow so many more people to get involved and discuss and share ideas on the key issues facing the rapidly evolving international wine industry. OK we will miss out being able to network directly face to face, and enjoy the night life of Verona, but hopefully we can do all that again next year.
The central themes of what will be the seventh wine2wine event – the show devised and organised by Veronafiere, the exhibition business behind VinItaly – certainly capture the key issues of the day: the impact of Covid-19 on the global wine industry now and in the future; and how well the sector is tackling the key issues of diversity and inclusion with a particular emphasis on empowering groups that are often under represented such as women and BAME groups.
What to expect
Going online has allowed wine2wine to widen the number of speakers that can take part int the event. You can find a full list of those taking part and the agenda by clicking here, but here are some of the stand out names taking part.
Stephanie Gallo, chief marketing officer for the E. & J. Gallo Winery
Stephanie Gallo will be sharing her expertise of marketing the world’s most bought wine brands
Stephanie Gallo is responsible for effectively talking and communicating about the world’s most sold wine brands. Her role is to oversee the company’s consumer and product insights as well as drive its digital and experience marketing, brand development and PR strategy. She will be able to explains how Gallo has had to adapt fast to a global wine market thrown up in the air due to Covid-19.
Her brief is to “provide real-world examples of how its ‘glass half-full’ mentality can help the wine industry lay a foundation for success in the years to come:”.
Meg Maker, wine writer
Meg Maker’s session will give wine producers and businesses an insight into how they can improve their websites and digital marketing through the eyes of a journalist. What are the sorts of information and must have facts and data that any effective website needs to have? If you don’t have the content that journalists need to tell their stories you risk not being written about or featured at all.
Meg Meg Maker will share her experience not just as an award-winning wine writer, but as an experienced digital designer. She will also show strong examples of best in class winery websites and what it is they are doing that makes them stand out.
Jeannie Cho Lee MW
Jeannie Cho Lee MW will be analysing fine wine drinking trends in Asia
Jeannie Cho Lee is one of the three Asian Masters of Wine and one of the most influential voices inthe area through her work both as an academic at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Hotel & Tourism Management, and a writer, with her regular monthly columm for the Robb Report China.
She will be talking at wine2wine about thefine wine drinking trends amongst collectors in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing, and what impact, if any, Covid-19 has had on what wines are in demand and why.
Yang Lu MS
Yang Lu MS will be looking at how best to get your wines into the best restaurants in Asia
Yang Lu is the first, and currently only, Master Sommelier in China. He is wine consultant for the Shangri-La Group, as well as a number of Michelin-starred restaurants, and helped to set up the Grapea Institute. He will be sharing his insights into the Chinese fine dining sector and the ins and outs of getting listed in any of the key restaurants.
WineOpera online
Wine tasting and the chance to discover new wines is also a key part of wine2wine and this will also be reflected in the new online format. Wine Spectator’s selection of the 100 best Italian wines, Operawine, has been restructured to work online. Featured wine producers will be able to set up their own digital stands through which they can still network and show their wines to international buyers and the wine press.
There will also be a series of webinars and online seminars hosted by Wine Spectator and Veronafiere, featuring the title’s Bruce Sanderson, lead taster for Piedmont and Tuscany in Italy, executive editor Thomas Matthews, and tasting director Alison Napjus. Their seminars will focus on four key areas for Italian wine: Piedmont, Tuscany, Northern Italy, and central Italy.
Introducing VF+
VF+ – the name of the event’s digital platform – will be the “virtual venue” for the international wine2wine Business Forum 2020. Users will be able to use the platform to follow the live streamed seminars, but also take part using text and audio-video chats and use virtual meeting rooms to network with other participants. The recordings of each session will also be available for the next seven days. For further information, full programme and the cost of tickets, go to the wine2wine website.
- The Buyer is the UK media partner for wine2wine and will be reporting on the conference and sharing insights on social media.
