WSTA names speakers ahead of ‘Brexit’ conference

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association has named two of its keynote speakers for this year’s WSTA Annual Conference – the Minister of State for International Trade, Lord Price, and Wetherspoon boss, Tim Martin.

This year’s conference will have a special focus on Brexit and what it means for the wine trade, with the two business leaders set to take part in a panel discussion entitled ‘Trading Spaces: Creative partnerships with the EU and the rest of the world’, chaired by former ITN political news editor Alex Forrest.

“For a global industry like wine and spirits their views on how business can survive and prosper post Brexit are guaranteed to stimulate interesting debate,” said WSTA chief executive Miles Beale.

“We know there will be challenging times ahead for our members and our aim is to work together to find the best way through which allows our industry’s historic trade flows to remain intact. But we need also to look to the future and global opportunities.”

Tim Martin, the founder of JD Wetherspoon, has been a vocal supporter for the UK leaving the European Union, with his chain of pubs going so far as promoting the leave campaign on its beer mats. He welcomed the result and speaks regularly about the advantages he believes it will bring for the UK drinks industry.

Martin was educated at eleven different schools around the globe before eventually studying law and qualifying as a barrister, which he gave up to set up Wetherspoon in 1979.

Lord Mark Price meanwhile joined the John Lewis Partnership in 1982, becoming managing director in 2007, before stepping down in 2016. He was later made a life peer and appointed Minister of State for Trade and Investment, a title he retains.

The WSTA has said that this year’s conference will debate what needs to be done to support the industry and invite attendees to think creatively about the opportunities that Brexit may present, while also keeping attendees up to date with the latest Brexit-related developments, with the aim of stimulating” fresh ideas on dealing with the challenges and opportunities ahead”.

The WSTA Annual Conference is the largest wine and spirit industry event and takes place in September each year, with this year’s event set to take place on on Tuesday 12 September at The Royal Institution of Great Britain in London.

Further speakers will be named later in the year.

Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin is set to appear at the conference later this year