Head along to the Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference

With early-bird registration now closed, the Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference team has been crunching some numbers and is delighted to see that registrations are well ahead of where they were at the equivalent time for the past two conferences.

“The bringing together of WFA’s Outlook Conference and the Maurice O’Shea Dinner with the AWITC seems to be paying dividends in attracting delegates to Adelaide in July,” AWRI managing director Dan Johnson says.

“Sales of space at the Trade Exhibition are also tracking well, with more than 75 percent of floor space allocated with new exhibitors being added each week. The number of poster abstracts submitted has also already outstripped 2013. All signs are pointing to the increasingly positive sentiment in industry being reflected in a large and upbeat gathering at the AWITC.”

The Outlook sessions on 25 July are looking to bring some fascinating new perspectives to the conference, with highlights including Dan Jago’s examination of how Australian wines are perceived in overseas markets, Chris Baddock from Pinnacle Drinks on the future of retail-owned brands and Ian Harper from Deloitte discussing the future competition framework.

After the terroir-focused sessions that open the technical content (profiled in the last WBM), the spotlight moves to the latest science in vineyard health, wine flavour, authenticity and productivity, with a strong mix of overseas and local speakers.

“The final session of the conference will, as always, have a focus on the future,” Dan says.

“Louisa Rose from Yalumba will speculate about the winery of 2050, Professor Peter Hoj from the University of Queensland will consider the scientific opportunities that will disrupt the way we currently do things and internationally-known social researcher Mark McCrindle from McCrindle Research, known for his inspiring presentations, will speak to Changing times, emerging trends, market opportunities – we can’t wait to hear what he has to say.”

The social program for the event also looks promising, with plenty of opportunities to network.

To secure your spot at the wine conference, click here.

For more information, head to the AWITC website.