Harpers Wine & Spirit is holding its 2011 Champagne Summit today, which is aimed at educating and showcasing the best in Champagne to the UK's wine trade.
Held at the Soho Hotel in London, the theme of the summit is consumer education and communication and how the trade can it do it better & more profitably.
It will include talks by Wine Intelligence and the Future Foundation.
Tastings, panel debates and seminars will also feature strongly throughout the day, alongside masterclasses hosted by Jamie Goode, Richard Bampfield and Xavier Rousset of Texture restaurant.
New consumer research from DoILikeIt and Robert Joseph will be explored, Lanson UK's managing director Paul Beavis will take a fresh look at category management and consultant Andrew Marsden will assess the marketing possibilities for Champagne.
An industry panel includes Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Marks & Spencer, Spar, Champagne Warehouse, Le Bouchon Breton, blogger Rob McIntosh, educator Laura Clay and Françoise Perretti of the CIVC.
The event which is supported by main sponsors; Champagne de Castelnau, Champagne Taittinger, Champagne Lanson and Champagne Perrier-Jouët will also include the final in Harpers Wine & Spirit's inaugural Champagne Awards.
You can get instant updates at #ChampagneSummit on Twitter.