Pairing wine and conversation
This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the IABC Western Canada Region conference in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. On Sunday evening, the conference planners threw a fabulous party to honor their Silver Leaf Awards winners. Part of the festivities included a Kelowna wine celebrity who introduced us to three Manteo Resort) gave me a pleasurable experience and changed my opinion about purchasing rosés in the future.
As I thought about the wine pairings, I looked around the room and started thinking about the many different people I have met through IABC and the different conversations that I have had at various IABC functions. Like the wine pairings, it’s not about pairing a specific characteristic among people, it’s all about mixing it up!
After dinner, we continued our Kalowna wine adventure thanks to Hamish Knox, representing CNW, who hosted a wine and cheese tasting. I made new acquaintances while discussing IABC accreditation, volunteering, Quill Awards, and communication best practices — the usual IABC topics. More significant, I made new friends by engaging in discussions about money/economy, politics, and religion — that’s right, all those topics that we’re taught to avoid.
These conversations — often paired with wine — are one of those hidden values of IABC that “keeps me coming back.” After the professional development, a very important value of IABC membership, it’s the “after learning” connections that I continue to foster for professional and personal purposes. These conversations are what make casual acquaintances into meaningful relationships.
Thank-you IABC Western Canada Region conference planners for inviting me to Kelowna for excellent wine and conversation. And congratulations on a successful conference.
Cheers!