Dear Colleagues,

We hope you and your loved ones are continuing to stay healthy and safe as we navigate these challenging times. British Columbians have done an incredible job of flattening the curve of this Coronavirus pandemic, but it has put extraordinary stress on our businesses, our lifestyles, and our community. Please know our thoughts are with you as we look and work towards better days.

Staff members continue to work remotely as the office remains closed to the public. Meanwhile, we have some updates to share on what’s happening at the Vancouver International Wine Festival.

As you know, we delayed the application period for the 2021 festival and have been revising our plans and timelines. While government has indicated that there will be a gradual reopening in BC in the coming months, there are currently still significant restrictions on larger events and upon international travel that may continue for some time. We are continuously monitoring and reviewing the guidance from government with a view to determining what VIWF 2021 might look like and whether we will be able to continue as originally planned. While our plans will continue to evolve as the global and local situation changes, we would like to share the following three decisions:

1) We have postponed the planned theme region of South America until 2022. With a shortened timeline and global uncertainty likely to continue into the fall, we will not be able to effectively showcase the wineries and wines of South America and give them the spotlight they so richly deserve. Instead, we are considering various global wine themes to welcome the wine world in Vancouver.

2) With international travel likely to be restricted for some time to come, we will be relaxing our guidelines on attending principals for VIWF 2021. We will, of course, be delighted to highlight winemakers, owners, and senior winery executives, but we recognize that travel may not be feasible, and we don’t wish to add additional barriers to attendance in these exceptional circumstances.

3) The winery application period for the 2021 festival remains on hold until we have clearer indications from government guidelines and by our venue partners on best practices required to host events in restaurants, hotels and convention spaces.

Meanwhile, once BC has firmly moved into Phase 2 and there is a better understanding and anticipation of how events can take place in restaurants, hotels and convention spaces, we will survey the agent community for input on the next festival.

Please continue to send information to Meredith Elliott on initiatives, promotions, and virtual events, as we want to support your efforts in selling wine and keeping our community and partners connected. Also visit our VanWineFest Covid-19 Updates webpage for our most current status.

We look forward to celebrating the world of wine at the 43rd Vancouver International Wine Festival, and staying connected with you in the meantime. We welcome your feedback and professional perspectives as we continue to navigate this new landscape. Feel free to reach out to us at anytime at info@vanwinefest.ca.

Be well and stay safe,
The VanWineFest Team
VanWineFest.ca | #VIWF
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