Launched in 2010, Imbibe Live is famous for drawing an audience that has shaped the on-trade for over a decade and influenced drinks trends amongst consumers across the UK.

Now in its 5th year, Gosset Matchmakers Competition is aimed at sommeliers and chefs that have only been in the trade for 5 years or fewer, but are on track to be the future stars of our industry

Each sommelier and chef team are tasked to come up with a dish that pairs with the Gosset Grand Rosé Brut. The dish must be sustainable and use seasonal ingredients.

This session will give you the chance to taste the Grand Rosé. You’ll be guided through the tasting by Xavier Rousset MS of Trade and Bertrand Verduzier from Gosset. Sommelier Melody Wong will also be taking part and share her experience of the competition. The speakers will offer insights in to how best to pair the wine and ideas on how to think of unique and interesting ingredients

Gosset Matchmakers 2020 competition - Launch and live tasting

•	Impacts of lockdown on wine producers, regions, supply and distribution, vintages and more
•	How have consumer trends and tastes changed?
•	Previously on-trade exclusive wines now available to consumers – what will be the situation and impacts after lockdown?
•	Re-assessing pricing, margins and perception of value
•	Discovering and working with smaller producers with potentially new and interesting
•	Examining the English wine market
•	Expected impacts of Brexit, IMEX tariffs etc
•	How can businesses and wine suppliers work together?
•	Discussing the Sommelier Wine Awards

The impacts of lockdown on the wine market and future outlook

Restaurants, bars, pubs and other venues are facing significant obstacles to reopening, primarily due to the need to maintain social distancing and strict safety and hygiene requirements. This panel will examine the potential for technology and digital innovations to make social distancing and a contact-free experience in hospitality possible, and help venues get through the initial months after reopening, and beyond.
•	Assessing the challenges hospitality business will face after reopening and where technology can help
•	How can technology facilitate a ‘contactless’ experience throughout the whole venue – from supplier deliveries to customer service and more
•	Will this accelerate a shift to cashless venues?
•	Experiences and lessons learned from early uses and tech in other industries
•	Ensuring that tech doesn’t isolate customer groups
•	How to maintain the human ‘touch’
•	Robotic bartenders, automated waiters, and hologram sommeliers – realistic prospects or futuristic gimmicks?

The role of technology in helping venues successfully return to trading

Lockdown has forced hospitality businesses to rapidly rethink traditional business models, develop new tactics, and create new revenue streams. Take-away, delivery, click & collect, at home services, subscriptions, members clubs, retail and other models are emerging, and there is a growing focus and importance of eCommerce. This panel of experts will examine the creative ideas hospitality businesses can use to adapt and generate new revenue.
•	Experiences, lessons learned, and best practices for implementing new revenue streams
•	What models will continue after lockdown? How will these become part of the future revenue mix?
•	What services can you offer alongside your current business? How would this work?
•	Balancing diversification and cannibalisation
•	Michelin Star Deliveroo? Ensuring new models fit your brand, experience, venue
•	Re-evaluating margins – what can you expect?
•	Differentiating yourself from the competition

Developing new revenue models for the new normal

This is an increasing interest in buying UK products and supporting local producers, from both consumers and hospitality businesses. Quality, environment and economic factors all play a role. This session will feature a number of short presentations from UK drinks experts across different categories. Sessions will provide an understanding of:
•	The region and local terroir
•	Production methods and processes
•	Tasting

This will be followed by a Q&A panel to discuss:
•	Consumer trends and demand for British produce
•	Current challenges for UK producers and how the hospitality industry can support them
•	The impact of Brexit, and Import/export tariffs
•	Comparing costs of UK and international products
•	The growing importance of sustainability
•	Opportunities to attract new consumers and business
•	Pairing local drinks with local food

Taste of the UK – A showcase of UK drinks and making the best of local producers

Back by popular demand, our Industry Matters talk in association with WSET. 
The hospitality industry is going through a turbulent time and undergoing huge shifts. Businesses know they must adapt to survive, but the big question is how. This panel will share his predictions for the future of the industry, and provide practical advice for hospitality business owners on ensuring long time survival and success.
•	How can businesses streamline and reduce costs to mitigate the inevitable loss in revenue? How to manage added expenses? Should margins be compromised or maximised?
•	Challenges for chains vs independents and strategies for alleviating
•	What more is needed from the government to support the sector through the next 18 months?
•	Maintaining consumer confidence – learning from other sectors
•	Business planning for Brexit
•	How long until industry recovery? What are the long-term implications for the industry?
•	Preparing for and overcoming future challenges – how will service change?

What’s in store for hospitality over the next 12-18 months and how to get there

Lockdown has forced radical changes in consumer behaviour, but how have their tastes shifted and what will last after lockdown? This session will involve an analyst presentation to examine a number of consumer trends, followed by a panel discussion to deliberate how these trends might influence your drinks menu.
•	Evolving consumer behaviours, demands, and tastes – pre, during and post lockdown
•	Changing the size of your drinks list, offering takeaway drinks and other potential menu changes
•	Changes to spending habits and influence on pricing
•	Impact of reduced venue capacities on stock use, rotation, and product shelf-lives
•	How will this differ across different drink categories?
•	Practical advice for planning your post-lockdown menu

Emerging consumer trends and impacts on your drinks menu after lockdown

The guidance on when and how hospitality venues in the UK can reopen has been limited, contrasting, and changes day to day, so it’s no wonder there is a feeling of confusion and uncertainty. Venues are expecting significant changes to how they operate and many challenges, at least in the short term if not for longer. This panel will bring together a number of different operators from countries around the world who have already started coming out of lockdown and reopening to share their experiences, examine practicalities and overcoming challenges, and impart lessons that UK businesses can learn from.
•	When did venues reopen and what was the situation when that happened?
•	What were the biggest challenges faced when reopening?
•	Addressing the practicalities of social distancing in venues
•	Examining issues with cash flow and margins
•	How did customers respond and how did you build trust? Reactions to PPE, screens, social distancing, and ongoing H&S concerns
•	Improving seating design, customer flow, and making use of outdoor spaces
•	Recommendations for UK venues preparing for reopening
•	Is it better to wait longer for clarity and more normality than rush in and open straight away?

Lessons from around the world and what you can do to prepare for reopening

Hospitality staff are the lifeblood of the industry, and the impact of lockdown on them has been dramatic and has the potential to be long lasting. With the vast majority currently on government furlough, the biggest challenges of supporting staff in the return to work and managing job losses, are still to come. This session will examine the potential obstacles facing employers over the coming months, and provide practical tips on how to address and prepare for them.
•	Determining the number of staff to have for reopening - Considerations for social distancing, front & back of house, rota planning and costs
•	Potential outcomes after the end of the government furlough scheme
•	How to keep staff costs down whilst offering fair pay for workers
•	How will hospitality roles evolve? Will staff be less specialist and more generalist?
•	Will increased hygiene and H&S training mean a loss of product and service training? How to find the balance
•	Providing reassurance, motivation, morale and mental health support for returning staff
•	Understanding employee/employer rights when returning to work after lockdown

Supporting staff in the return to work when hospitality reopens

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