5 rooms, 70 parallel sessions, 155 speakers, and access to all content for a further two months: here’s how wine2wine Business Forum 2021 celebrated the “new normal”

Ott 21, 2021 | Blog, Press Release

The wine2wine Business Forum 2021 ended yesterday, after two intense days of learning and networking activities both in Verona and online. This year, in keeping with the times, the Forum was held in a new hybrid format. The event programme included: 5 rooms, 3 physical ones and 2 virtual; 70 sessions, all live-streamed online; 155 international speakers; 15 different tracks; 23 insights on wine markets; 8 Russian buyers onsite and 6 hours of non-stop interviews on Clubhouse. What’s more, the event ran concurrently with the Vinitaly Special Edition.

Paradoxically, the wine2wine Business Forum is now even more inclusive and accessible. Moreover, it can involve a potentially unlimited audience and a wider reach in terms of speakers.

The 8th edition of the wine2wine Business Forum took place on October 18th and October 19th 2021, coinciding with the last two days of Vinitaly Special Edition. The 2021 hybrid format of the Forum combined the previous years of face-to-face events with an online interface, bringing together the best of both worlds. The strict restrictions imposed by last year’s health emergency have been relaxed, as has the clash between the physical and digital worlds; the lessons learned during the crisis brought some new ways of doing things, which have now become a permanent feature of our lifestyle. So, in short, the new format of the wine2wine Business Forum celebrated the “new normal”, embracing the impetus to move forward with the times. ‘Paradoxically’, commented Managing Director of Vinitaly International Stevie Kim, ‘the wine2wine Business Forum is now even more inclusive and accessible. Moreover, it can involve a potentially unlimited audience and a wider reach in terms of speakers.’

In total, 155 international speakers contributed to the wine2wine Business Forum 2021. Amongst them, 8 Russian Buyers came to Verona with the specific objective of identifying wineries to add to their portfolio as well as search for new products to offer the Russian market. They discussed their work, presented their companies to the public, and answered producer’s questions, providing sensitive information about which wines they are currently looking for and first-hand insights into the Russian market, gleaned from their extensive expertise in the field.

The programme included 70 sessions which covered 15 different tracks, from interesting export destinations for Italian wine, to sustainability and inclusivity; from the latest data-driven strategies, to the new digital tools. Speaking of digital tools, the wine2wine Business Forum hosted the first-ever Clubhouse wine marathon, consisting in 6 hours of non-stop interviews on the latest social media app dedicated to audio content. Moderated by four renowned industry professionals, they spoke with several guests, tackling many interesting topics addressed in the seminars from the two-day programme and beyond. The moderators were Marc Millon IWA, Steve Raye, Christ Scott from The UK Wine Show, and Lawrence Francis of Interpreting Wine.

Seminars were held in three live rooms at the PalaExpo of Veronafiere, in Verona: the Auditorium, the Sala Intesa Sanpaolo, and the Sala ITA Agency. Moreover, numerous speakers and moderators lead their sessions remotely in two additional virtual rooms, available on the wine2wine platform. All sessions were streamed live, with both guests and online participants interacting through the digital platform. The entire audience of the wine2wine Business Forum could take advantage of the benefits offered by the platform, including on-demand access to the audio-video recordings of each seminar a few minutes after its live stream had ended.

Perhaps the biggest advantage and new feature of the 2021 edition is that not only will all content remain available to those who attended the forum for another two months, but it is also possible for those who did not attend to purchase a ticket now, and have access to the platform until December 31st, 2021. Yet another example of how the wine2wine Business Forum 2021 combined the physical and the digital to make the wine business even more accessible.

Special thanks are due to ITA – Italian Trade Agency for its unwavering support and collaboration. A big thank you also goes out to Institutional Partners AGIVI – Associazione Giovani Vignaioli Italiani, Unione Italian Vini, Associazione Nazionale Le Donne del Vino, FIVI – Federazione Italiana Vignaioli Indipendenti, MTV – Movimento Turismo Vino, Assoenologi, AIS Veneto; to Official Partners UniCredit and Cattolica Assicurazioni; to Sponsors Intesa Sanpaolo, Divinea, Pix, KegSolutions; to Educational Partners WSET and WeinAkademie Österreich; to Media Partners Italian Wine Podcast, Quench Magazine, VinePair, Wine Meridian, Wine Weekly, Bevology Inc., Interpreting Wine, The UK Wine Show, WineJob, Drinks+, The Buyer, A Balanced Glass, Areni, Colangelo & Partners; to Technical Partners Mainstreaming, Caffè Ramenzoni, Morato, Chiarella, Terra & Cuore – Il gelato, Frantoi Redoro, Roberto, Loison, Fraccaro and 3 Vele.

To buy tickets for the wine2wine Business Forum platform: https://wine2wine.net/registrazione/?lang=en. Special discounts are available for Vinitaly exhibitors, producers and partners of OperaWine and 5StarWines & Wine Without Walls, as well as sponsors and partners of the wine2wine Business Forum 2021.

About: About: wine2wine Business Forum is a dynamic international wine industry forum organized by Veronafiere and held annually in Verona, Italy, since 2014. wine2wine Business Forum 2021 took place on October 18th and 19th with a hybrid format, allowing guests to attend the conference both online and in-person. The event is a key reference point for wine producers and wine professionals eager to develop and grow their wine business worldwide. wine2wine Business Forum provides unique opportunities to share ideas on the most important issues facing the rapidly evolving wine industry and to connect with wine professionals and experts. The forum took place over two days and featured keynote sessions, seminars, and interactive workshops which aim to equip participants with practical tools to improve their business. Speakers were renowned experts in their field and among the brightest minds in the wine world from Italy and abroad. Additional information is available at http://www.wine2wine.net or by emailing [email protected].