Vinitaly’s Stevie Kim launches influencers initiative

Stevie Kim, managing director of Vinitaly International, has launched an influencer-led initiative called #openbarstevie to push the wine conversation forward.

The first #openbarstevie session in full swing

Launched last week at wine2digital in Verona, Kim gathered nine of Italy’s top wine influencers to debate key topics in the wine trade and broadcast the discussions live on social media.

“As the social sphere completely changed the ways of communication, we have learned that content is king and more and more interest seems to be coming from the ‘behind the scenes’ of any project or event”, said Kim.

Stevie Kim has launched an influencers initiative

“Since interesting people – not only from the wine world – are constantly popping by at wine2digital, I thought why not livestream some of these raw moments, whether it’s a business meeting or an interesting exchange of ideas?

“We’d love to facilitate an informal chat to share ideas in real time, even if it means we will constantly make mistakes. However, what we’ve noticed is that the nitty gritty stuff gets unleashed off-camera.

“Social media feeds into the curiosity of all of us and social media influencers excel in grasping audiences’ attention. For this reason, the first episode of #openbarstevie focused on what it means to be a wine influencer,” she added.

The debate explored whether being an influencer can be considered a profession and how wine influencers are challenging traditional drinks media.

“Wine is struggling to draw in the next generation of wine lovers as younger consumers turn to cocktails and artisanal beers.

“If we don’t change the way we communicate, if we can’t engage more effectively and efficiently, the future of wine is quite bleak,” Kim warned.

“You can agree or disagree with wine influencers’ or their expertise, nonetheless we have to engage with them,” she added.

In the coming months, the #openbarstevie initiative will continue to explore the theme of social media and the shifting meaning of the term ‘wine influencer’.