Published on
September 12, 2025
This fall, the wine industry is sure to get busy preparing for a new event – the wine2wine Vinitaly Business Forum 2025. This international business forum for the wine industry, which has previously been hosted in Italy, will, for the first time in its history, take place in Chicago on October 5-6, 2025. The event, which will also be the first for the new venue in Navy Pier, marks an important milestone in which the forum is going beyond its traditional boundaries in Verona, Italy, and pulling in wine professionals from all across the globe. The forum, unlike its predecessors, will focus on the practical approaches required for various sectors in the wine industry, such as production, distribution, and marketing in relation to the setting complexities presented in the new world order of wine.
The first day of the forum will revolve around the data and analysis collection on the headwinds of the wine market, so that the second day can be dedicated to addressing the gaps faced in relation to economics and trade, as well as forecasting the changes that lie ahead for global wine distribution.
The Forum’s Theme: Changes in the Wine Industry
The focus for this year’s forum is the critical issues being faced by the wine industry in the world today. With technological changes and new tendencies in customer preferences, wine professionals are looking for ways to improve and excel in a world which is becoming more and more competitive. They will work with specialized professionals from other reputable countries who will provide implementable analyses that are able to keep the businesses ahead of the competition.
Issues: Irm Relations and Communication
The Forum will begin with a number of panel sessions dedicated to this communication issue in the wine industry. One of the major issues to be addressed is the application of generative AI in the industry. With this in mind, Felicity Carter will show how small and large-scale wineries can take advantage of AI applications, such as ChatGPT, in analyzing raw information for the purposes of marketing, in a manner that will not focus on the so-called “AI trap” of more or less providing the same information. With the new phase of other industries, the information age, wineries are now able to make use of AI tools, provided that they are able to retain their originality in this process.
Another discussion will focus on the falling apart of the traditional wine media and communicators in the office. Robert Joseph will explain the move from classical wine medallists to influencers and peers reviewing the wine and critiquing the rest, and the effect this change will have on the brand and its reputation, alongside the consumer trust towards the brand. This class will enable wine communicators to shift their thinking and develop communication plans in light of the recent
Moreover, Karen MacNeil will discuss and provide plans for wine marketing in difficult conditions, pointing to campaigns that emerged from restrictive health policy scrutiny, shifting generational tastes, and increased competition from other beverages. This class will provide insight into how marketing problems in today’s wine industry can be solved through innovation and creative thinking.
Wine credentials and industry reputation
Yet another interesting class of the forum will analyze the importance of having a Master Sommelier (MS) or Master of Wine (MW) for a person in the industry. Jessica Dupuy, Doug Frost, and Jim Bube will weigh in on the importance of having these credentials and offer advice to a learner in the industry on the educational route to take to progress. These classes aim to provide a simplified view of the intricate world of wine credentials and how they can impact one’s career in the field, as well as the credibility they can bring to the industry.
The issues of a business’s economic strategies and international exchanges of goods are complex and worthy of inquiry. Aside from the communication track, the forum will focus on the economic factors that drive the market for wine. One of the primary issues of focus is the current trade situation between the U.S. and Italy, especially the impact of the tariffs on the producers of Italian wine. Benjamin Aneff will offer to the attendees actionable market share sustaining strategies for the U.S. market, including advocacy, importer relationship management, and emphasizing the Italian wine’s unique selling value.
Another presentation will focus on the results of a survey on the wine drinking habits of Americans aged 21 to 39. John Gillespie is ready to share the results of a survey that concentrates on how this significant market constituency perceives wine, their attitudes towards alcoholic beverage consumption, and their role in setting market trends. This session will shed light on how the younger generations view wine, which is a fundamental element for developing marketing strategies aimed at succeeding in the future.
Networking and Collaborative Opportunities
All attendees of the forum are most likely to have several opportunities to connect with persons in the industry, from producers and marketers to distributors. This event is specially designed to allow participants to build new partnerships and exchange ideas for the development of the industry. Just as in the past, the wine2wine Vinitaly Business Forum is an event focused on the exchange of knowledge and experience, and this year we expect no less from our Chicago meeting.
This forum is meant to unite wine specialists from Italy and, most importantly, the rest of the world. As the wine industry continues to grow in its interconnectedness, having a large array of differing opinions will enable attendees to grasp the bigger picture as well as tailor solutions to global challenges.
Conclusion: Anticipating the Changes to Come
As the wine industry moves onward to its inervalistic future, the wine2wine Vinitaly Business Forum will be invaluable to attendees because, as the forum focuses on, attendees will be equipped to understand the changes in the communication, economics, and trade as they pertain to wine. By the end of the event, attendees will be equipped to understand the shifts in customer behavior, the difficulty of trading, and the overwhelming technological augmentation in the industry. The forum will assist with the most clever wine industry strategies and will, in addition, provide assistance in networking. By doing this, the attendees will be geared to go beyond just surviving in the changing wine market.
Those attendees who want to learn the newest AI theories in marketing, understand the new strategies to deal with the new tax implemented on wine (the tariff), and learn the new ways to deal with loyal consumers, the Wine2Wine Vinitaly Business Forum 2025 will be the center point for the curriculum on world economics. The participants of this forum are given the special chance to stay well organized in the world as the direction of the wine industry changes, and they are given the forum to associate with other people of the changes too.
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