The Wine Tourism Conference, Meet Up Programme & Fam Trip brings together wine tourism experience providers and carefully screened, high-quality tour operators and travel agents at a unique event devoted to achieving results and growing international wine tourism and usually over a glass of fine wine or two! The Wine Tourism Meet Up takes place in a private environment perfect for networking and meetings between wine experience providers (wineries, hotels, restaurants, cultural venues and so on) and travel professionals selected for their quality and credentials.
Tour Operators and Travel Agents will use the Meet Up to easily source new wine tourism experience programmes and providers for their portfolios, and to strengthen established business relationships – at one event in one location. They will appreciate how the Meet Up will cut down the amount of time and travel required to manage their business relationships.
The Wine tourism Meet Up and Fam Trip promises to be every bit as exciting as previous Fam Trips. We have a number of novel attractions to entice but the main one to note is that there will be 30 sponsored places for agents to attend the wine tourism meet up and Fam Trip – 5 days/4nights.
The pre-requisite for accreditation is as follows:
- Agents must actively promote and run wine and/or culinary tourism. Agents looking to add wine tourism to their portfolio are also eligible. Wine Importers who organise winery visits are also eligible.
Registration Fees and What’s Included
There is a Registration fee of 125 Euros and this will entitle you to the following without cost:
- 4 nights accommodation
- Meals for the duration of the trip
- Free WIFI access to blog, tweet and so on (you should bring your own laptop)
- Access to the Wine Tourism Workshop
- 3 day Post Conference Tour as per programme.
- Flight subsidy of up to 250 Euros
To apply for a place you should complete the Agent Registration Form and wait for confirmation of your place.
Day 1 Saturday 29 March
Arrival Tbilisi Airport and transfer to IWINETC venue – Tbilisi Marriott Hotel 5*
09.30 onwards Conference Programme
17.30 Wines from Georgia Grand Tasting lead by Sarah Abbot, Master of Wine
19.00 Free time
20.00 Dinner at the Restaurant Azarpesha (Qvevri wines, Georgian cuisine and traditional Georgian polyphonic songs)
22.30 Accommodation in the Tbilisi Marriott Hotel 5*
Day 2 Sunday 30 March – Wine Tourism Meet Up Tbilisi Marriott Hotel 5*
If you are a tour operator or travel agent specialised in wine and culinary tourism take part in the Wine Tourism Meetings and hear and meet wine tourism experience providers from Georgia and around the world. #iwinetc #winetourism
1. Presentation: Georgia as a Grape Escape Destination. Georgian National Tourism Administration
Time: 09.00 – 09.25
2. Speed Presentations on Georgia & Grape Escape Destinations from around the World
Representatives of wine tourism experience providers from both national and international companies and organisations attending the IWINETC will contact with tour operators and travel agents to tell their news in 5 minutes, as well as how they are catering with wine and culinary tourism.
Time: 09.30 – 10.45
Participants:
09.30 – 09.35 The Definitive Directory of Wine & Culinary Tourism Providers – Speaker: Anthony Swift, Spain Wine Pleasures
09.35 – 09.40 GEORGIA Speaker: Nana Maraneli, Winery Khareba
09.40 – 09.45 GEORGIA Speaker: Ramaz Nikoladze, Vino Underground
09.45 – 09.50 GEORGIA Speaker: Elene Otarashvili, Château Mukhrani
09.50 – 09.55 GEORGIA Speaker: Maia Nodia, Twins Old Cellar
09.55 – 10.00 GEORGIA Speaker: Ekaterine Khmiadashvili, Kakhetian Traditional Winemaking
10.00 – 10..05 GEORGIA – Speaker: Alexander Mamulashvili, Tourist Agency “Visit Georgia”
10.05 – 10.10 GEORGIA – Speaker: Aleksandre Sulamanidze, ALLTOURS
10.10 – 10.15 GEORGIA – Speaker: Natia Khidasheli, Caucasus Journey-Traveler’s Club
10.15 – 10.20 GEORGIA – Speaker: Shorena Niniashvili, PROMETHEA Voyages
10.20 – 10.25 ARMENIA – Speaker: Nelli Malkhasyan, Princess Maneh Tours
10.25 – 10.30 SPAIN – Speaker: Fabio Abugna, WineTime Barcelona
10.30 – 10.35 GREECE – Speaker: Georgios Mastrakoulis, Vintage Routes Crete
10.35 – 10.40 MONTENEGRO – Speaker: Angelika Temper, 3e travel DMC
Please keep checking back for latest additions.
3. Networking and coffee time
Time: 10.50 – 11.30
4. Round Table: Wineries can hold Twitter wine tasting events. What can tour operators and other wine tourism experience providers do that may be similar?
Representatives of various companies in the wine tourism sector explain different ways of branding and marketing using online activities currently going on in the wine travel blogosphere. Participants will leave the session this session with a list of things that they can say, “I can do that.”
Time: 11,30 – 12,25h
Participants:
Melba Allen, The Wine Profilers,
Paul Bonarrigo Messina Hof Wine, Cellars,
Tom Plant, WINEormous,
Sarah May Grunwald, Antiqua Tours
Moderator: Terry Sulivan, Wine Trail Traveler
5. Conference Programme
Two talks to choose from: Wine tourism in Beaujolais, A potential to exploit or Republic of Moldova an emerging wine tourism destination
Time: 12.30 – 13.15
6. Networking time and lunch
Time: 13.15 – 15.00
15.00 – Conference Programme: Authentic Terroir
16.00 – Closing Plenary Session TBA
17.00 – Conference Ends
17.15 – Depart from Tbilisi Marriott Hotel for Fam Trips
With sublimely perched old churches, watchtowers and castles dotting its fantastic mountain scenery, Georgia has to be one of the most beautiful countries on earth. This is a place where the human hand has much enhanced that of nature. Finally putting post-Soviet internal strife and economic stagnation behind it, Georgia is now developing its tourism potential and making the full range of its attractions safely and readily accessible to travellers. Appealing grape and culinary escape destinations are becoming available across the whole country and opportunities for exploring by foot, horse or vehicle are expanding fast.
From outrageously beautiful town of Sighnaghi and Lopota Lake in the Kakheti wine region to Batumi, a fun-loving semitropical town on the Black Sea coastline, Georgia abounds in natural variety. Tbilisi, the capital and by far the biggest city, has the atmosphere of an age-old Eurasian crossroads, yet it’s also a 21st-century city with eye-catching new architecture. Georgia’s deeply 
complicated history has given it a fascinating cocktail of influences from Turkey, Russia, Persia, Central Asia and beyond, with a wonderful heritage of architecture and art.
Perhaps its greatest treasure is the Georgians themselves: warm, proud, high-spirited, cultured, obsessively hospitable and expert at enjoying life. This is a country where guests are considered a blessing. The abundant local wine flows freely, tables are laden with fine food and you’ll never cease to be delighted by the warmth of your welcome.
Fam Trip 1 Western Georgia (Terjola, Imereti, Samegrelo and Batumi regions) with visits to the Khareba winery, Martvili Monastery, Dadiani Old Cellar, Shavishvili Wine Cellar, Nodar Shervashize Wine Cellar and of course ample time to wander around Batumi on the Black Sea.
Fam Trip 2 Eastern Georgia (Kakheti wine region) with visits to the Alvaverdi Monastery, Twins Cellar, Pheasants Tears, Tsinandali, Schuchmann Wines, Lopoa Lake, Chateau Mere and of course ample time to walk around the romantic walled town of Sighnaghi.
Wednesday 2 April – Depart from Tbilisi Airport.
Detailed programmes with timings for each Fam Trip available on request.