|
 Known popularly as IWINETC, the Conference is being organized in La Champagne, one of the most stunning and unique wine regions of France, where over 350 wine and travel industry professionals are expected to congregate with the objective not only of increasing their business by meeting wine and gastronomy professionals from across the world but also expand their knowledge and learn why champagne is the darling sparkling of kings, czars, sheikhs, politicians, top businessmen and ordinary wine connoisseurs for celebrations and many other occasions.
After the successful edition in Georgia last year (and Perugia the year before) the venue shifts to Reims Centre des Congrès, Reims in Champagne. Anthony Swift, the Director of Wine Pleasures which organizes the IWINETC every year is particularly pleased with the venue this year and says,’ we rotate the conference venue every year to a new country to showcase its wine, cuisine, culture, historical heritage and people besides giving it a platform for generating business for the delegates participating from across the globe. Ranked as one of the most popular grape escape destinations, Champagne is the perfect place for combining business and pleasure, as it offers a range of fantastic pre and post conference visits for networking and making new connections. It gives delegates an opportunity to discover Champagne as a wine destination from Reims to Troyes’.
Giving provisional details of some of the events, he says, ‘on two days on April 7 and 8, there will be over 30 seminars, 3 of them conducted simultaneously in different streams with panel discussions and workshops combined with opportunities to taste world class champagnes, making it a not-to-be- missed experience. Besides, Wine Tourism Workshop is being organized on April 10 in the City Hall of Reims where wine tourism experience providers from around the world will meet in a one to one setting with carefully selected tour operators and travel agents specializing in wine and culinary tourism.’ Anthony clarifies that the focus will be mainly on the old world though.
In order to cater to the specific needs of the participants representing different segments of the wine industry the topics have been divided into the following themes:
Professional Development: Expert advice & insight into enhancing career in the wine tourism industry
Research: Trends and predictions on various aspects of wine tourism
Branding & Marketing: Ideas to improve your business
Grape Escape Destinations: Key sessions debuting and dedicated to tour operators and agents
Network & Connect: Formal & Informal wine tastings
While the seminars are in session, delegates can also take time out to browse the exhibition area and discover grape escape destinations from around the world as well as try a few wines during the networking hours and exhibitor events. Guided Walking Tour of Historic Reims, Welcome Reception in the Reims Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) and Soirées in some Champagne House will be a part of the programme on these days.
 La Champagne Conference and Workshop will be followed by a fam trip for the accredited professionals, travel agents and a select number of bloggers and journalists-the whole programme will run from April 7-13. There is a nominal registration charge to be paid to the organizers by those selected but the expenses during the period including stay, food and travel within the region will be borne by organizers/sponsors. However, it is a private event and the selected persons must meet the criteria set by Wine Pleasures in consultation with the participating Champagne houses and sponsoring organizations.
The post conference fam trip will include the options to visit Reims & Champagne with combined cultural and wine tourism , Champagne Routes of the Marne which include a visit to Hautvillers where Dom Pérignon is believed to have created Champagne, Épernay – the self-proclaimed capitale du champagne and home to many of the known brand names, Troyes and the Champagne Route of the Côte des Bar where you can slip back to the Middle Ages wandering the half-timbered streets of Troyes and discover hand crafted champagnes and Châlons -En-Champagne to experience the rich in cultural heritage
For details about registration as a participant or exhibitor or to know more about the programme, visit www.iwinetc.com or write to info@winepleasures.com. For the exhibitors who have already confirmed their presence, click here
Subhash Arora |