The Buyer | How SID 2025 can help drinks chiefs make serious sustainability changes

Tell us about Sustainability in Drinks and what you are hoping to achieve?

The second edition of the award-winning Sustainability in Drinks event takes place on October 21, supported by key founding Partners, WASP (Wines of Alentejo Sustainability Programme), Maison Mirabeau, Encirc and Beyond Zero. We will have over 40 sustainability experts speaking from the drinks trade and beyond.

The new format will focus on what matters most, including exhibitors showcasing sustainable products, advice and services, deep-dive workshops, SID Talks, the Big Sustainability Debate, a major keynote address, followed by networking and sustainably produced wines.

SID is designed for drinks industry professionals from across the supply chain, including buyers from large and small retailers, importers, distributors, those in the hospitality sector, sustainability managers and packaging and logistics suppliers. This international event is an unrivalled central resource for driving sustainable change within the drinks trade, including learnings from other industries, such as the food sector.

Nick Breeze, climate journalist and moderator of the The Big Sustainability Debate panel debate, had this to say about the event: “At last we have an in-person event where the path to a sustainable drinks industry is the primary focus. The rapid changes in the climate system taking place in our lifetimes demand a collaborative pragmatic approach and the SID event brings together many experienced and influential voices. The value for me is in listening to people who are learning to articulate their achievements and communicate them in a way that is relevant to the broader societal conversation on sustainability.”

Speakers and facilitators will be joining from over eight countries, including the US, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, Australia, Portugal, France and the Nordic countries

What are the big learnings and changes you have made from the inaugural event?

We commissioned an independent report on the effectiveness of SID, after our inaugural event last year.What was clear was the need for even more talks, information and advice, as both the conference and SID Talks were completely sold out and oversubscribed.

Visitors also said the peer-to-peer support and simply ‘being in the same room’ was very inspiring and facilitated many discussions even on the stairwell and in the coffee area.

Whilst it is imperative to have exhibitors showcasing products and services, the event felt less like a ‘traditional tasting’ with visitors asking producers and importers far deeper questions regarding the sustainable credentials of the wines they brought to showcase.

This included discussions on soil health, transportation and packaging.So whilst we will certainly have a fantastic range of producers and advisors this year, with wines on taste, we have focussed on having fewer exhibitors, with added deep-dive workshops, SID Talks, a high level panel debate and keynote address, as well as a fantastic networking event - a finale to the day.

We only approached companies who were doing the very best work in the sustainability field, to consider taking a table.That is reflected in the quality, rather than quantity of those companies represented at SID.

The event’s carefully curated workshops, expert-led talks, and networking opportunities make it a valuable day for anyone looking to stay ahead of evolving sustainability demands and discover practical solutions.

How is the day structured?

At 10am-4pm, the main exhibition, workshops and talks will take place. The exhibition floor will be split into four Exhibitor Zones:

Land Health – facilitated by RVF.
Sustainable Society – facilitated by IWCA.
Carbon Management – facilitated by Drinks United.
Packaging – facilitated by Porto Protocol.

Deep-dive workshops, relevant to, and taking place within each zone will be facilitated by the non-profit organisatonsmentioned above, who will give balance and structure to each learning experience, with the ability to involve exhibitors in the conversation too.

SID Talks will take place in the main Education Zone on the lower ground floor, alongside the press room and coffee area, at 10.30am, 12.30pm and 3pm respectively.

The exhibition ends at 4pm and the room re-set for the The Big Sustainability Debate and keynote address.The keynote address is sponsored by CarbonCloud.

At 4.30pm, Jancis Robinson OBE MW will introduce the session and reflect on learnings from the inaugural SID event last year.

At 6pm, There will be a keynote address from Prof Paul Behrens.

At 6.30pm, there will be a fantastic opportunity to network with all the industry experts, press and exhibitors, alongside sustainable wines from WASP and Maison Mirabeau and light food.The event will officially end at 8.30pm.

We made the decision to charge for daytime tickets, to attract credible visitors, who are genuinely interested in sourcing sustainable products, learning and sharing experiences and expertise.The daytime ticket is a modest £50 and includes access to the exhibition, all workshops and SID Talks, on a first come-first served basis.

The post-exhibition panel debate, including the keynote address, networking, light food and sustainable wines, has a ticket price of £99, which is comparable to last year’s conference ticket.

However, this session offers even more in terms of valuable insights and exclusive opportunities to network with c-suite leaders and international experts.We also have an all-day ticket, covering all the exhibition, talks and workshops plus the debate, address and networking for a discounted price of £125.So far, this is the most popular option for visitors.

One of the big successes of year one was the quality of the content and speakers - you are focusing heavily on that in year two. What can people expect?

With over 40 influential speakers, experts and thought-leaders, there will be something for everyone, as SID is designed for drinks industry professionals from across the value chain. Whether you’re a wine buyer, importer, distributor, retailer, hospitality operator, producer, brand manager, or packaging and logistics supplier, you’ll gain essential insights and connections to drive sustainable improvements in your business.

Workshop sessions include:

Land Health Zone: Facilitator Becky Sykes, RVF.

Sustainable wines – a deep dive into Organic / Biodynamic / Regenerative.
The Importance of soil health.

Land Health Zone speakers include:

Sebastián Tramon, Head of Sustainability, Emiliana Vineyards, Chile.
Anne Bousquet, CEO, Domaine Bousquet.
Abby Rose, Co-founder Vidacycle.
Jean Marc Lafarge, Winemaker Domaine Lafarge.
Iain Reynolds-Richardson, Herdade do Mouchão.

Packaging Zone: Sponsored by Reflex Label+ and facilitated by Marta Mendonça from Porto Protocol.

Managing & improving the impact of glass in the supply chain.
Alternative packaging success stories.

Packaging Zone speakers include:

Michael Jennings, public & policy affairs advisor, Beyondly.
Robin Thompson, ceo, Encirc
Muriel Chatel, managing director, Sustainable Wine Solutions.
Paula Kendall, commercial manager, Frugalpac.
Simon Mason, head of sustainability, The Wine Society.

Carbon Management Zone: and facilitated by Charlotte Hay, executive director IWCA.

Getting started with carbon footprinting.
The value of carbon – using sequestration to mitigate emissions and enhance natural capital.

Carbon Management Zone speakers include

Miriam Mascarenhas, quality and sustainability manager Herdade Dos Grous.
George Wade, co-founder and chief commercial officer, Zevero.
Doug Wanstall, head of projects, Beyond Zero.
Systembolaget (speaker TBA).
Julien Brustis, general manager, Chateau Tour des Terme.

Sustainable Society Exhibitor Zone: Sponsored by Wine Institute California and facilitated by Roisin Kennedy, Drinks United Advisory Council Member.

Sustainable businesses are built on people: Culture, safeguarding and inclusive growth in drinks.
Labour standards across the supply chain.

Sustainable Society Zone speakers include:

Adrianna Catena, Winemaker, Zapata Catena.
Becky Paskin, OurWhisky Foundation.
Dom de Ville, Director of Sustainability and Social Impact The Wine Society.
Andrew Bewes, Managing Director, Hallgarten and Novum Wines.
Anna Brittain, Executive Director, Napa Green.

SID Talks include:

The Value of Certification

Speakers include:

Ed Massey, general sustainability manager, New Zealand Wine.
João Barroso, sustainability and R&D director WASP.
Mattia Giacomelli, winemaker, Santa Tresa.

The Role of Retail, Hospitality & Distribution

Speakers include:

Marcus Ihre, sustainability manager, Systembolaget.
Carolin Haas, head of sustainability, Hillebrand.
Kevin Watson, sustainability director, Levy.
Beth Kelly MW, Tesco.

Communicating Sustainability

Speakers include:

Stephen Cronk, ceo, Maison Mirabeau.
Tim Wildman MW, founder of Lost in a Field, Astro Bunny.
Allison Jordan, vice president, environmental affairs, California Wine Institute.
Jane Masters MW.

High Level Panel Debate, introduced by Jancis Robinson OBE, MW and moderated by Nick Breeze, climate journalist and sponsored by CarbonCloud

The Big Sustainability Debate

Hosted by Nick Breeze the speakers include:

David Bryngelsson, ceo, CarbonCloud.
Lizzy Rudd, ceo, Berry Bros. & Rudd.
Sara Norell Murberger, director of assortment, purchasing and supply chain, Systembolaget.
Judith Batchelar OBE, director, Food Matters International.
Emma Loisel, ceo Volcano Coffee Works.

Who is your key note speaker and why have you chosen them to take part?

Keynote Address: Professor Paul Behrens, British Academy Global Professor, Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford.

Professor Paul Behrens came to our attention after publishing his book, The Best of Times, The Worst of Times. He brings a wealth of expertise and experience in climate change and food & drink production systems, but with a really compelling way of talking about the choices and decisions we have to make, as a society, to move forward. He also (literally) wrote the textbook on food and sustainability. His perspective includes a deep understanding of our industry but also with a broad perspective of the political and global challenges that we are facing.

We feel that his address will be informative, challenging and inspiring, and he will also be contributing to the panel debate, so that business leaders from the drinks industry can benefit from his depth of knowledge.

What are the big issues you are hoping to cover during the day and how have you decided on those at the main themes?

There's a concept in sustainability called 'materiality' - which essentially means prioritisation - working out what's most impactful and what's most important. So we looked at what the biggest threats and opportunities are around sustainability for drinks businesses and are ensuring that they are covered on the day. We’ve also layered the discussions, so that there's both breadth and depth - suiting people who are just getting started, or those who are looking for more tailored and detailed information on specific topics.

This is why we have created the four Exhibitor Zones around Land Health, Packaging, Carbon Management and Sustainable Society with deep-dive workshops, and then broader talks on certifications, the role of retail, hospitality and distribution, and communicating sustainability. At the high level panel in the evening we will be dipping our toes into some of the macro topics around politics, financing and the long term business and commercial opportunities around sustainability.

Will you also have exhibitors taking part and if so what sort of businesses are involved?

The exhibitor list, split by zones, can be found here: https://sustainabilityindrinks.com/exhibitors/

What sort of people are you targeting to attend

SID is designed for drinks industry professionals from across the value chain, including buyers from large and small retailers, importers, distributors, those in the hospitality sector, sustainability managers and packaging and logistics suppliers.SID is an unrivalled central resource for driving sustainable change within the drinks trade, including learnings from other industries, such as the food sector.

Some testimonials for the event include:

“We're delighted by the range of expertise and knowledge that we will have in the room on the 21st October Whatever your interest in sustainability there will be fascinating conversations, inspiring examples of best practice, and the opportunity to discuss challenges you might be facing with implementation. Come and join us for a positive, uplifting, collaborative and informative day.” Anne Jones.

"I was keen to be part of SID 2025 because sustainability on every level is important to me - environmental, but human sustainability too. I hope to help achieve this through my work with Drinks United, Women in Wine LDN and Liberty Wines all of which value sustainability in a holistic sense." "Róisín Kennedy, Drinks United.

“Sustainability in Drinks is an important forum to gain insights and have dialogue regarding our sustainability work. This year, we especially look forward to sharing and discussing our progress on Product Carbon Footprint – a key step in reducing the climate impact of our products.” Linda Johansson, Sytembolaget.

“Events like SID give us the opportunity to learn from one another, align across the supply chain, and move forward with purpose. I look forward to connecting with fellow change makers who believe, as we do, that the future of wine must be regenerative, inclusive, and accountable.”Anne Bousquet, co-founder & ceo Domaine Bousquet.

* You can find out more about Sustainability in Drinks and how to sign up here.