As Brock University prepares to welcome the world at the International Cool Climate Wine Symposium (ICCWS) this July, the organizing committee will also be responsible for selecting the host country for the 2024 conference.

Those interested in hosting the upcoming conference are being invited to create a pitch video and submit their bid on the ICCWS 2020 website from now until March 31, 2020.

The prestigious international conference is held in a different country once every four years, with Canada winning the bid to host the 2020 conference from July 12 to 16 at Brock. This is the first time the conference has been held in Canada and it will feature a full-slate of rigorous scientific programming and pre- and-post-conference events to highlight the country’s grape and wine industry. Canada’s conference pitch was a collective effort between Brock’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) and stakeholder organizations across the country.

Brock’s Debbie Inglis, Chair of the ICCWS Advisory Organizing Committee and Director of CCOVI, said the ICCWS offers an exceptional opportunity for the winning host country to share their unique cool climate story and showcase their wines to the world.

“The conference brings the foremost experts in viticulture, oenology, wine business, sustainability and science communications together to share cutting-edge research that will help strengthen cool climate grape and wine production in not only the host country, but around the world,” she said. “I look forward to seeing the pitch videos and selecting the next country to host this important conference for our industry.”

Pitch videos should be a maximum of 10 minutes in length and must include the following:

• An overview of the host country and its grape and wine industry
• Ease of access to the conference location by flight, train or car for international delegates
• Other tourist interests to experience in the area
• The partners developing and running the conference (local municipalities, government, academia, industry)
• The conference theme, some program highlights to be developed and the envisioned conference format for lectures, technical sessions and workshops
• The proposed date for the conference in 2024, the expected conference venue and the number of delegates that can be accommodated
• Any experience the organizing committee has with conferences of this calibre

Videos should be uploaded digitally to either YouTube, Dropbox or iCloud for the committee to access and download. The winner will be announced at the ICCWS 2020 closing ceremony on Thursday, July 16.

For more information and to submit your bid, please visit the ICCWS 2020 website.