The 2022 version of the Wine Media Conference, held in Lombardy in Italy, was the highest rated event since the founding of the conference in 2008. The overall rating as provided by conference attendees compared to previous years was not even close, substantially higher than the next highest-rated conference back in 2013 when the event was in Penticton, British Columbia.
“What you have created is one of the best events ever. An excellent balance of education and inspiration blended with a forum for building meaningful relationships both professional and personal (as in, friendships).”
The conference was far smaller due to both the location and COVID restrictions and the size was well received by attendees. Clearly, the huge effort put into the organization by our Italian partners, the Associazione Consorzi Vini Lombardi (Ascovilo), was broadly recognized.
“The amount of organization that must have went into this conference was reflected in how well everything was executed. All the speakers and events, locations etc. were amazing and well thought out. The content of the conference as well as the various venues were perfect compliments to the region we learned so much about.”
But it was certainly the location as highlighted by the six pre-conference and post-conference excursions that made the event so special.
“Amazing! The vineyard tour, the history that they spoke about, the area, the people, all were amazing! They were so nice and gave us a complete cultural experience of the area.” (Moscato di Scanzo pre-conference excursion)
In the end, it was not only a great event for the participants, but for we organizers as well. As the founder, I have been to every single event since 2008. This conference was both incredible for the local support and fun in that the smaller size allowed me to meet and interact much more with our participants. We very likely will continue to repeat the experience of smaller conference sizes and in-depth exposure to wine areas outside North America.
“This was the best conference I’ve attended so far. Everything was so well organized, with a diversity of great speakers. I really enjoyed my pre and post con experiences as well. Being outside of the U.S. with a smaller group heightened my experience.”