The 26th Great Wine Capitals International Annual Conference will be held in Hawke's Bay from 18 - 22 October, in a landmark moment for New Zealand's wine and tourism industries. The event draws industry professionals, travel trade representatives and media from Great Wine Capitals around the world, including Bordeaux, Mendoza, Adelaide and Napa Valley. Kim Thorp, Great Wine Capitals Hawke's Bay Ambassador, says it is a wonderful opportunity for New Zealand. "This conference will showcase New Zealand to an influential global audience in a way that no marketing campaign could replicate. The connections made here, the stories told, and the impressions left will resonate across international markets for years to come."