First International Chocolate Tasters’ Forum – 5 – 6 October 2019, Florence, Italy
The International Institute of Chocolate and Cacao Tasting is pleased to announce its first International Forum for Institute Members, Alumni, chocolate professionals and all chocolate tasters, held over two days in Florence, Italy, 5-6 October 2019.
The Forum is a meeting place and networking opportunity for our Members, Alumni and anyone serious about fine chocolate and cacao to meet, share experiences, hear keynote speeches, and attend breakout sessions, panels and tasting experiences.
With great opportunities to socialise and connect with fellow delegates, networking will form a central part of the Forum weekend, with plenty of spaces to meet and mingle at the Forum, in our pre-Forum cocktail event and our Saturday Chocolate Party Night.
Catch up on the latest tasting developments
The Forum will be held over the weekend of 5-6 October and will be a great chance to enjoy the beautiful city of Florence, catch up with the latest developments in sensory tasting, understanding of flavour, chocolate making, cacao processing and fermentation variations and plenty of other hot tasting subjects.
The Forum will be a chance to discuss the future of the Institute and how together we can build the Institute into a professional body for fine chocolate and cacao tasters, along the lines of sommeliers or coffee cuppers.
The Forum is open to all, with preferential member prices for alumni and their family and friends.
Forum Plan
NETWORK COCKTAIL: Friday 4 October, 7.00pm – 10.30pm:
Pre-event get together with cocktails and nibbles and a chance to catch up or get to know your fellow delegates. (Cocktail night included in event price.)
FORUM DAY 1 – CACAO: Saturday 5 October, 9.00am – 6.00pm
Our first day focuses on fine cacao, with a keynote speech, panels on fermentation, updates on cacao science varieties and archaeology, tasting brain science and other topics chosen by our members and alumni.
Programme:
- Registration with sensory cacao experiences
- Official opening of the Forum
- Keynote speeches from our Founders: The Future of the Institute, The Future of Cacao, plus plenary panel
- Lunch with a fine Italian buffet and sensory experiences
- Breakout sessions in three rooms with panels, presentations and sensory tastings
- Sensory experience break
- Plenary session: creating a professional designation for chocolate tasting (‘chocolate sommelier’, ‘chocolate master’, ‘chocolate taster’?) – part #1
- Closing of the first day and enjoy the sensory experiences
CHOCOLATE TASTERS PARTY NIGHT: Saturday 5 October, 8.00pm – 1.00am
Party at a terrace venue overlooking the Duomo, with great Italian food wine and cocktails. A great chance to celebrate the chocolate world in a great setting. (€65/person members and alumni, €75 others, NOT included in Forum event price)
FORUM DAY 2 – CHOCOLATE: Sunday 6 October, 9.30am – 5.00pm
Our second Forum day focuses on fine chocolate, with a keynote speech, panels on fermentation, updates on cacao science varieties and archaeology, and other topics chosen by our members and alumni.
Programme:
- Arrive and enjoy sensory cacao experiences
- Keynote speeches from our Founders and panel – The Future of Craft Chocolate
- Plenary session: creating a professional designation for chocolate tasting (‘chocolate sommelier’) – part #2, conclusions
- Lunch with a fine Italian buffet and sensory experiences
- Breakout sessions in three rooms with panels, presentations and sensory tastings
- Sensory experience break
- Closing of the conference, conclusions, wrap up speeches
The main plenary hall will feature simultaneous translation in English and Italian for plenary and breakout sessions. Breakout sessions in the other rooms will be in English.
Breakout Topics
The Forum will feature 12 different breakout sessions over the two days, a great chance to explore craft chocolate in depth and explore your own particular interests. The following subjects are a taster, alumni will be polled for the subjects they want to see and their suggestion:
- Fermentation and Flavour
- Recipe experiments and tasting
- Latest developments in cacao history, science and archaeology
- Matching ingredients and flavours with chocolate
- Understanding Italian classics: hazelnuts and gianduja
- How to reach consumers with our message
- How to develop local interest as a taste leader with tastings, clubs etc
- Flavour Profile system update
- Brain science in depth
- Teacher network (open meeting)
- How would the perfect chocolate taste?
Sensory experiences
The spirit of the Institute is to taste and learn through sensory experience. We will celebrate this at the Forum with a range of sensory experiences taking place before and after the main sessions, during breaks, or as constant sensorial happenings to enjoy.
- Bar swap exchange – share what you’ve made and what you’ve found
- The Judging Tables – experience International Chocolate Awards style judging
- Show and tell – mini-exhibition space for chocolate makers
- Profiling research – data collection of roast, recipe, fermentation variations
- Origin profiling – comparison tasting of four different origins over each morning and afternoon
- Contamination room – a secret den of what should NOT be in chocolate
- Sensory deprivation room – truly blind guided tasting
- Crafting with Craft Chocolate – video and sculpture presentation
Ticket prices
Book by 31 August for your early bird discount of €45
Institute Alumni: €295 (Early bird €250)
Alumni family / partners (max 2): €345 (Early bird €300)
Non-members: €415 (Early bird €370)
Chocolate Tasters Party Night: €65 Members and Alumni, €75 others
Reservations
Please let us know you will be attending by completing the form below and paying a deposit of €90 Euros for each attendee.
The balance for your tickets will payable by invoice sent through PayPal and will be due by 31 August 2019.