MEDIA RELEASE: 11 December 2020 – R0185
The International Cool Climate Wine Symposium (ICCWS) has been postponed to July 17 to 21, 2022.
The symposium, which will now be referred to as ICCWS 2022, will be hosted at Brock University in St. Catharines. It is being organized by Brock’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) alongside its research and industry partners across Canada.
Originally scheduled for the summer of 2020, the symposium was postponed to July 2021 earlier this year due to health and safety concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. In light of continued uncertainty and travel restrictions, the symposium’s advisory committee has opted to further postpone to the summer of 2022, ensuring that all delegates can safely enjoy the symposium to its full potential.
“While we are disappointed that we have to further postpone, we take everyone’s health, safety and their enjoyment of the symposium very seriously,” said Debbie Inglis, CCOVI Director and ICCWS 2022 Advisory Organizing Committee Chair. “We have opted to delay the conference until we can safely welcome guests from around the world to learn about cool climate grape growing and winemaking together as intended.”
ICCWS 2022 will serve as a welcome to Canada to a wide range of international guests, pairing rigorous and diverse scientific content about cool climate grape and wine production with opportunities to network, explore the host city and learn more about Canada’s diverse wine regions.
Although many conferences have moved to digital formats in the wake of the pandemic, ICCWS 2022 organizers stressed that the spirit of the symposium relies on the opportunity to come together in person.
“Wine is a highly experiential, cultural and sensory product and we want our delegates to be able to experience all that Canada has to offer together in a physical setting,” said Inglis. “The ICCWS program will deliver cutting-edge academic programming and uniquely Canadian experiences that we cannot wait to share with all of you in 2022.”
Brock has developed a five-stage response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic to guide occupancy and delivery of services (including the ICCWS) on campus. This plan is informed by public health and government recommendations and guidelines with the health and safety of students, faculty, staff and the community as the highest priority. ICCWS organizers are using this response to guide decision-making in regard to all symposium activities. The University is currently in Brock Stage 3 and will need to be in Brock Stage 5 to hold the ICCWS in person.
Please contact iccws2022@brocku.ca with any questions regarding this postponement and how it pertains to sponsorship, registration, speaking commitments and accommodations. If you have previously registered for ICCWS and currently hold a credit, there is no need to re-register for the conference should you wish to carry over your registration.
Please continue to monitor Brock’s ICCWS 2022 and COVID-19 information webpages, subscribe to the ICCWS mailing list and follow ICCWS 2022 on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more updates as they become available.
For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:
* Dan Dakin, Manager Communications and Media Relations, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca or 905-347-1970
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