Convention Program

Monday, January 24th

Registration
8:00 am - 6:00 pm
The Waldorf Astoria Hotel
Marco Polo
Welcome Breakfast
8:30 am - 10:00 am
The Waldorf Astoria Hotel
Breakfast Presentation
The Grand Ballroom
Meet & Greet – VINO2011 DIRECT Exclusive Tasting
10:00 am - 2:00 pm
The Waldorf Astoria Hotel
Grand Tasting
The Empire Room
“The Future of Italian Wines: as Seen from the Point of View of Leading American Wine Professionals”
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
The Waldorf Astoria Hotel
Press Conference
The Jade Room
Elin McCoy
Series 1 - Seminar #1: “Where Have All the Medals Gone? Given the Ubiquity of Point Ratings, Do Wine Competition Medals Still Matter?”
2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
The Waldorf Astoria Hotel
Presentation
The Starlight Roof North
W.R. Tish
Series 1 - Seminar #2: “Retail Rhapsody: a Dynamic Italian Wine Section Can Be More Profitable and Gratifying to Your Customers”
2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
The Waldorf Astoria Hotel
Presentation
The Starlight Roof Center
Jonathan H. Newman
Series 1 - Seminar #3: “A ‘Grape Escape’ in Friuli Venezia Giulia: a Tasting of Friulano and Other Great Regional White Wines”
2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
The Waldorf Astoria Hotel
Guided Tasting
The Starlight Roof South
Tom Maresca
Series 1 - Seminar #4: “Well-Heeled Wines of Apulia: from Uva di Troia and Negroamaro to Primitivo”
2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
The Waldorf Astoria Hotel
Guided Tasting
The Metropolitan Suite
Bill Marsano
Series 1 - Seminar #5: “Prosecco’s Quality Pyramid”
2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Guided Tasting
The Louis XVI Suite
Anthony Giglio
Welcome Reception
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
The Waldorf Astoria Hotel
The Empire Room
Vino After-Hours Lounge "The Spirit of Italy"
9:00 pm - 11:00 pm
The Waldorf Astoria Hotel
Sir Harry's Bar

Tuesday, January 25th

1 Nation, 2 Bottles, 20 Regions, 40 Grapes, 150 Years: PREVIEW of THE COMMEMORATIVE BOTTLE PROJECT CELEBRATING THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF ITALIAN UNIFICATION
8:30 am - 10:00 am
The Waldorf Astoria Hotel
Breakfast Presentation
The Empire Room
Registration
9:00 am - 5:00 pm
The Waldorf Astoria Hotel
Marco Polo
Series 2 - Seminar #6: “Has the Popularity of la Cucina Italiana Surpassed French Cuisine as the Source of Inspiration and Motivation for Future Chefs?”
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
The Waldorf Astoria Hotel
Presentation
The Starlight Roof South
Fred Plotkin
Series 2 - Seminar #7: “The Inside Story on National Accounts: Accomplished Senior Wine Buyers Explain the Reasons for Their Success. Learn What They Expect from Suppliers”
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
The Waldorf Astoria Hotel
Presentation
The Metropolitan Suite
Frederick M. Tibbitts, Jr.
Series 2 - Seminar #8: “Diversity is the Key for Quality: the Ten Faces of the Wines of Lombardy”
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
The Waldorf Astoria Hotel
Guided Tasting
The Starlight Roof Center
Bill Nesto
Series 2 - Seminar #9: “Countdown to August 2011: How Will Italian Wine Brands Be Impacted by Regulators on Both Sides of the Atlantic!”
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
The Waldorf Astoria Hotel
Presentation
The Starlight Roof North
William T. Earle
Series 2 - Seminar #10: “Montefalco... Not Just Sagrantino DOCG”
10:01 am - 2:00 pm
The Waldorf Astoria Hotel
Guided Tasting
The Park Avenue Suite Center
Lisa Granik
Buyers & Press Luncheon
12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
The Waldorf Astoria Hotel
The Empire Room
“The 2010 Selezione dei Vini di Toscana Awards”
2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
The Waldorf Astoria Hotel
The Hilton Room
Ronn Wiegand
Series 3 - Seminar #11: “What Emily Post Can Teach You About Social Media, Millennial App-titude and Geo-Marketing”
2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
The Waldorf Astoria Hotel
Presentation
The Starlight Roof Center
Tom Wark
Series 3 - Seminar #12: “Soave is Erupting in the US! Once Regarded as America’s Favorite Italian White Wine, Soave is Again Capturing the Attention of American Drinkers”
2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
The Waldorf Astoria Hotel
Guided Tasting
The Metropolitan Suite
Mary Ewing-Mulligan
Series 3 - Seminar #13: “Want to Build a Profitable Italian Wine List? It Pays to Listen to the Pros!”
2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
The Waldorf Astoria Hotel
Presentation
The Starlight Roof North
David Lynch
Series 3 - Seminar #14: “Renaissance of the Cocktail in America: Top Spirit Professionals Assess the Role and Opportunities for Italian Spirit”
2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
The Waldorf Astoria Hotel
Guided Tasting
The Starlight Roof South
Francesco Lafranconi
Regional Sponsors Dinner
7:00 pm - 11:00 pm
The Waldorf Astoria Hotel
The Starlight Roof
Vino After-Hours Lounge "The Spirit of Italy"
8:00 pm
The Waldorf Astoria Hotel
Sir Harry's Bar

Wednesday January 26th

Thursday January 27th