Time

Session

9.30

Arrival and Coffee

10.00

General introduction and WSET update by Ian Harris, Chief Executive, WSET

10.30

Plenary Session

WSET Review and Feedback session

You know how you answered the review questions, but how did the rest of the world respond? Be among the first to hear the results of the WSET Review and discuss the outcomes.

11.30

Coffee Break

11.45

Workshops

Diploma APPs

For providers currently offering the Level 4 Diploma qualification, this session will provide feedback on the Unit 1 Assessment Pilot as well an open forum on how students are assessed at Diploma level? Briefing documents will be sent in advance.

New APPs

We recognise that our new providers face a wide range of challenges as they offer WSET qualifications for the first time.   No subject is too large or question too insignificant to be raised in this discussion forum.

Viral Marketing

Love it or hate it, ‘Social Networking’   is a term you can’t ignore in the 21^st Century, but how can the internet assist you in developing your business profile?  Websites, blogs, facebook and myspace - what should we be doing to create a vibrant culture of wine education?

12.45

Staff Training and Development

In organisations that are focussed on training others, it’s easy to forget that we ourselves need training too.   How do we know when training is needed? How can APPs approach the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) of their staff, and what can the WSET do to help?

13.15

Lunch

14.00

Workshops:

Creating value in the learning experience

In an increasingly consolidated industry, employers are more demanding about the value of training they buy – how do we create the right approach to meet their needs?

Qualification Development Strategy

Making sure we’re up-to-date and relevant is at the heart of the WSET’s qualification development strategy.   Sommelier programmes? Level 1 Spirits? Market Specific Units?– what does the future hold and how can we work together to achieve success?

15.00

Plenary Session

Brand Identity Guidelines

As trailed at the 2007 Conference, we have been working hard to create brand guidelines.   This session will update you on the following questions: What is the WSET brand?   How does the brand reflect our core values?  How can we add value to the brand over time? What are the issues where brand identity and brand equity are involved?  What does this mean for you?

15.45

Tea Break

16.00

Social Responsibility: Educators as ambassadors for the global drinks industry

Social responsibility is a high profile topic in the UK today, but how relevant is the Alcohol in Moderation (AIM) message to you and the students you teach?  What should our role be as wine educators and what does the industry we exist to educate have to say?

As one of the leading global wine and spirit companies, Brown Forman is at the forefront of promoting Social Responsibility.   Hosted by David Cox, Managing Director - Europe for Brown-Forman Wine Division, this session will allow open, frank, and sometimes controversial discussion as we explore this subject together.

1730-1800

Workshop feedback and Open Forum

18.30-1900

Conference Dinner at Balls Brothers Hay’s Galleria

Walking distance from the WSET