Portland, OR, February 22, 2022 – For the first time since Feb. 2020, the Oregon wine industry will gather in-person for the Oregon Wine Symposium LIVE event March 8-9 at the Oregon Convention Center. The two-day event will feature education programming, a trade show, technical tastings, and endless opportunities to learn, share and reconnect with friends and colleagues in a safe environment.
The OWS LIVE event will feature six main sessions featuring panelists and Q&A based around climate, workforce and business resiliency with the intent of providing actionable and applicable information to attendees. Visit the Program page of our website which includes our speakers and supporting sponsors, as well as an overview of the full program over the two days including a list of trade show exhibitors.
On the theme of workforce resiliency OWS LIVE begins March 8 with Building & Motivating Teams in Times of Uncertainty, which will address the dramatic labor market shifts resulting from the COVID pandemic and provide practical strategies to adapt business operations to respond to the shortage, tips to improve recruitment, and why company culture matters. Attendees can participate in a lunchtime Staffing Roundtable to share experiences and learn from industry colleagues in four areas: designing an effective recruitment strategy; hiring/onboarding process; compensation, benefits, and perks; and company culture/retaining superstars. Moving the Needle on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion will feature an exciting conversation amongst four organizations working towards evolving our industry and reaching out to new demographics, incl. former Portland Trailblazers star Channing Frye of the One Barrel Challenge.
The afternoon of Day 1 will find attendees exploring options to treat wines when the impact of smoke is more than is desired at the Smoke Mitigation Techniques and Technical Tasting session. The tasting will include a wine before and after treatment, with discussion of the process and sensory evaluation of the results. Also included will be a tasting of a treated wine that has been ageing for 9 months in barrel, along with a discussion of the process used and the implications of how treated wines age. The session will conclude with a presentation of current and emerging research on smoke.
During Day 1 Trade Show breaks, TTB will present its ever-popular Wine Labeling Overview in the morning, followed by Trends in Vineyard Mechanization in the afternoon. Select vendors will provide short presentations about the latest products and services on the Innovation Stage.
Day 2 begins with Climate Change and the Future of Winegrowing in Oregon, featuring Dr. Greg Jones and Dr. Kevin Pogue addressing impacts on Oregon’s diverse winegrowing regions. Further on the theme of climate resiliency, attendees can hear from experts about Navigating the Waters: Strategies for Applying for Vineyard Water Rights & the Future of Water Law, including Rep. Ken Helm, Chair of the House Water Committee.
Over the lunch hour the Oregon Winegrowers Association will host its annual meeting, including presentation of the Oregon Wine Leadership Award. The award was established in 2017 to recognize outstanding leadership in promoting the Oregon wine industry through public policy initiatives. The final session, M&A: Stories from the Hilltops and Trenches, will feature buyers, sellers and advisors in recent vineyard transactions discussing what it takes to successfully prepare for and complete deals.
At the Mini Sessions during Day 2 Trade Show breaks, attendees can learn what it means to be a producer whose containers are a part of the Bottle Bill and hear about the State of the Bulk Wine Market. Select vendors will again provide short presentations about the latest products and services on the Innovation Stage.
The OWA is committed to providing a safe environment for our industry at the 2022 Oregon Wine Symposium LIVE. We are following the recommended CDC, State and Local guidelines for safe gatherings and are implementing all necessary safety measures onsite in coordination with the venue. The OCC has announced that it has achieved the Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC) STAR™ accreditation, the gold standard for facilities. The OCC has also implemented safety protocols regarding the Covid-19 pandemic that include proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 PCR test result within 72 hours of the first day of an event, in addition to the state mask requirement. Out of an abundance of caution the evening Soiree on Day 1 has been postponed until 2023 and converted to an additional trade show break.
Participants are encouraged to register now to save 20% with discount code SAVE20 and take advantage of full-access admission at a discounted rate. There are additional discounts for group admission for four or more, and trade show only tickets and a student rate. More information can be found at oregonwinesymposiumlive.com.
