Scotland’s distillers will be joined by producers of spirits from around 30 countries at a major industry conference in Edinburgh this year.
The Worldwide Distilled Spirits Conference (WDSC) 2020 will take place at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) from 25-28 May, with the theme ‘The spirit of diversity, knowledge and innovation’.
Keynote speaker Ulrich Adam, director general of Brussels-headquartered trade organisation spiritsEUROPE, will open the conference. Around 500 delegates will also hear from Jean-Christophe Coutures, chairman and CEO of Chivas Brothers, producer of The Glenlivet and Ballantine’s.
The last WDSC was held in Glasgow in 2017 and this is the first time the event has been held in Edinburgh since 2008. This is the seventh WDSC hosted by the Scottish section of the Institute of Brewing & Distilling and will be the biggest since the event began almost 40 years ago.
WDSC 2020 will bring together academic, business, trade, government and media experts to share knowledge and learn about the latest innovations in distilling. It will showcase Scotland’s growing spirits industry with Scotch whisky being joined by gin, vodka and rum.
Joe Arciero, chair of WDSC 2020 organising committee and sourcing director at Chivas Brothers, said: “This year’s conference – the biggest in the long history of the WDSC – is shaping up to be an event not to be missed for anyone with a thirst for knowledge about the spirits industry.
“It showcases Scotland’s expertise in distilled spirits and attracts speakers and delegates from across the globe who want to share their knowledge, discuss the latest innovations and look forward to future developments.”
