The 8th Worldwide Distilled Spirits Conference brings the global distilling industry to Edinburgh

The conference, organised by the Scottish section of the Institute of Brewing & Distilling, takes place from the 9th to the 11th of May at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.

With the central theme of ‘Sustaining Future Reality: Delivering Distilling Excellence and Developments’, distillers, research scientists and suppliers to the spirits sector will come together to discuss current challenges, find ground-breaking solutions and learn from and connect with each other at the 8^th Worldwide Distilled Spirits Conference (WDSC).

Over the past 40 years, the WDSC has grown to become the world’s leading collective of scientific practitioners dedicated to the distilled spirits business, providing cutting edge and practical science for the industry to solve complex problems, innovate and thrive.

With a record number of 160 abstracts submitted from 20 countries, this WDSC promises to deliver a fantastic technical programme addressing a range of themes including raw materials, fermentation, distillation, maturation, flavour, analysis, security and authenticity, engineering, sustainability, data modelling, challenging tradition, and the changing world. The programme will deliver a mix of academic research and industry presentations.

The WDSC also provides a great platform for younger scientists to share their research, with 87 posters being presented at the conference. A total of 43 exhibitors will take part in the trade exhibition.

Jane Millar, Chair of the Organising Committee for WDSC 2023, explains:

“The WDSC has been designed to facilitate the creation of new connections and partnerships whilst reviewing the latest research and technologies in the industry. Our aim is to provide the forum for professionals to share the knowledge that will help the industry in sustaining its future”.

Bhavya Mandanna, President of the IBD continues:

“For 40 years the WDSC has led transformational change in our industry through thought leadership, innovation, and cross-functional collaboration at a global scale.

We are delighted that the WDSC returns to a face-to-face event in the beautiful city of Edinburgh with a rich technical programme, enabling everyone to not only re-engage existing relationships, but also meet new people and enjoy some great social events to celebrate our industry!

The IBD’s purpose is to deliver sustainable, professional education that engages, connects and transforms for high-performance outcomes. As we progress into a more challenging era, the WDSC provides leadership in our purpose by bringing together a highly energised, engaged and diverse community of industry professionals and young scientists to overcome global challenges and thrive in an ever-changing environment.