More than 2,500 members of the grape and wine community arrived in Adelaide in June 2022 for the Australian wine industry’s biggest event, the 18th AWITC.

Held every three years since 1970, the 18th Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference took place from 26 to 29 June 2022 at the Adelaide Convention Centre. The highly successful event featured 11 core plenary sessions with 49 presentations, twenty-nine technical workshops and eight business workshops covering an expansive range of themes.

The AWITC incorporates the Australian Grape & Wine Outlook Conference, which presents the latest wine business, policy, and marketing content, focusing on the future prosperity of the sector, as well as WineTech, the Australian wine industry’s most extensive and relevant trade exhibition. WineTech is an integral part of this one-stop-shop event, delivered in partnership with WISA – Wine Industry Suppliers Association and Expertise Events. WineTech 2022 featured a comprehensive range of viticultural and winemaking equipment, materials and associated services with over 160 exhibitors – the largest number since 1970! WineTech provided additional networking opportunities for delegates and visitors to see, touch, listen and engage with the industry’s biggest showcase of products and services.

Key themes of the conference sessions included:

  • Supply and demand outlook
  • Licence to operate
  • What’s trending?
  • Roadmap for a sustainable industry
  • Wine quality and innovation: where to next?
  • Vineyard health and biodiversity
  • Solving problems with technology
  • A focus on carbon and water
  • Looking to the future
High-profile speakers in the program included the Hon Julie Bishop on the current geopolitical environment, Drew Bradford from NAB presenting a banker’s perspective on the sustainability landscape, Bernard Salt AM discussing global marketing trends, and Lulie Halstead covering what sustainability means to wine consumers.The 18th AWITC program is still available for you to check out here.

Event snapshot:

  • Sunday 26 June – 29 technical workshops
  • Monday 27 June – WineTech trade exhibition opens, Outlook conference sessions 1, 2, 3, and 4, networking function
  • Tuesday 28 June – 8 business workshops, sessions 5, 6, 7 and 8, In the wine light student forum
  • Wednesday 29 June – sessions 9, 10 and 11, announcement of prize winners, sustainability-themed wine style tasting
 The 18th AWITC was a highly successful event, and we look forward to bringing you the 19th conference in 2025!