London Wine Fair announces hybrid show for 2022

The London Wine Fair will be hosting a hybrid in-person and virtual event for the first time in 2022, its organisers have confirmed.

The show will be hosting the its digital element on 9-10 May, followed by its live show - which returns to London's Olympia after a two-year hiatus - on 16-18 May. As the show's 40th live event, the 2022 is set to host many of the celebrations that were planned for its 40th anniversary in 2020. 

It follows a completely virtual London Wine Fair in 2021, necessitated by coronavirus restrictions in the UK and further afield. 

Organisers of the London Wine Fair say the hybrid format will give exhibitors access to a larger trade audience, while also benefitting visitors unable to travel to London or the UK. The digital element will also extend the reach and length of the show, as the stands and contents will be available for three months, between May and July.

The live event will include a trading floor with UK and international brands and industry bodies; a showcase for wineries looking to export to the UK for the first time; a discovery zone championing innnovation in the drinks industry; and, for the first time, a dedicated platform for non-alcoholic and low-alcohol products.

Both the digital and live events will host a programme of seminars, masterclasses and industry briefings. Topics of discussion will include the drinks industry's responses to the impacts of Covid-19 and Brexit, and the industry's role in tackling climate change and ensuring sustainable operations. 

A digital format for content proved popular in the 2021 show - the 28 sessions hosted were streamed more than 6,000 times between May and July.

Hannah Tovey, London Wine Fair event director, said: "To say we are excited about the 2022 London Wine Fair would be a massive understatement. From managing the impact of cancelling the 2020 show only two months out, to creating a 100 per cent digital show in a matter of weeks for 2021, the last two years have been something of a roller coaster.

"We are now looking forward to this year being a real milestone for both the fair, celebrating its 40th live event, but also in terms of how physical and virtual elements can dovetail to make a really ground-breaking event. From speaking with our exhibitors, we know there is a huge appetite for getting back to Olympia and back to normal trading and we look forward to delivering a really special 40th London Wine Fair in 2022."

14 January 2022 - Bethany Whymark