Update: December 26, 2021
Free the Grapes! and the DTCWS22 Steering Committee have been monitoring Omicron and COVID-related restrictions very closely.
With the agreement of the Free the Grapes! Directors, we have decided to cancel the in-person component of DTCWS 2022 and proceed with a 100% virtual event, as we did in January 2021.
We know this is disappointing — we were all looking forward to getting together! But we need to protect and keep the safety of our attendees, sponsors, speakers, Steering Committee, event organizers, volunteers…everyone, as the top priority. Free the Grapes! is a non-profit organization and, therefore, we need to be good fiscal stewards of the contributions made by our attendees, sponsors, and winery trade associations, and over the years.
Fortunately, your Steering Committee has been planning for both an in-person and simultaneous virtual event by pre-recording the Sessions, as we did for the all-virtual event in January 2021. We have an excellent Program planned for Keynotes, Workshops, Sponsor Sessions, and a Tradeshow for our sponsors to demo new products/services and engage with you.
The DTCWS is still scheduled for January 19-20 — the pre-recorded Sessions will be “released” for viewing on Whova at the time designated in the Program. A few Sessions will be “live.” Also, many of the pre-recorded Sessions will be immediately followed by a live Q&A with the speakers, as we did last January.
Those who registered to attend the conference in person will be issued refunds for the difference between the in-person and virtual registration prices, as promised, through EventBrite.
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Update: October 4, 2021
To keep everyone safe as the COVID-19 situation evolves, the DTCWS Steering Committee and Free the Grapes! Board of Directors are building flexibility into our planning for the 2022 conference. We will follow CDC, state, and local guidelines to determine if the in-person component needs to be cancelled.
Contra Costa County Updates
Effective September 22, 2021, Contra Costa County requires Proof of Vaccination or Proof of Negative Covid-19 Test.
Effective August 3, 2021, Contra Costa County requires all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, to wear face coverings when indoors in public settings.
https://cchealth.org/press-releases/2021/0914-COVID-19-Proof-of-Vaccination-or-Test-Required.php
https://www.coronavirus.cchealth.org/frequently-asked-questions
Note that the DTCWS will require proof of vaccination. A negative COVID-19 test will not be considered a substitute for proof of vaccination.
If the in-person component of the conference must be cancelled:
- The DTCWS 2022 will take place virtually on the event app, Whova.
- The dates will remain the same: January 19-20, 2022.
- Registrants will have access to pre-recorded Sessions as well as opportunities to interact with sponsors and speakers on the Whova event app, as we did for the January 2021 conference.
- Some components of the live event currently under consideration–such as a Town Hall, and Round Tables–may not effectively translate to a virtual experience and may not be featured.
- Registrants will be reimbursed the difference between the in-person fees and virtual registration fees based on date of, and type of, registration.
- The Hilton Hotel has a page devoted to COVID protocols here: https://covid.hilton.com/. View the page to review their room cancellation policies, cleaning protocols, and more.
- Sponsors will be reimbursed 50% of their sponsorship fees.
If the in-person component of the conference is NOT cancelled:
- Event organizers will follow CDC, state, and local guidelines with some potential modifications. For example, as of this writing we will require all attendees, including registrants, sponsors, booth staff, etc., to show proof of complete vaccination prior to attending.
- The Hilton Hotel has a page devoted to COVID protocols here: https://covid.hilton.com/. View the page to review their room cancellation policies, cleaning protocols, and more.
We will update this page as the event dates approach.
