Iron Maiden singer to speak at Wine Future 2023

Iron Maiden lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson has been announced as one of the keynote speakers at Wine Future, taking place in Coimbra, Portugal this autumn.

Previous speakers at the conference, which began in 2009 with an event in Rioja, have included Robert Parker, Gerard Bertrand and President Barack Obama.

While heavy metal rocker Dickinson might seem to be an unusual choice of speaker for a wine conference, he is an experienced entrepreneur and a master brewer who has created his own beer brand, Trooper, named after one of Iron Maiden’s most famous songs. In his talk he will be discussing the duality of his musical and business lives.

Also announced as a speaker is 2020, Sir Christopher Pissarides, regius professor of Economics and the London School of Economics, professor of European Studies at the University of Cyprus, and recipient of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Economics. His talk will centre on the challenges the wine industry faces in a potentially unstable economy.

The overall theme of this year’s Wine Future, which is taking place from 7-9 November in Coimbra’s Convento de São Francisco is ‘Breaking Down Barriers’. The barriers in question are generational, with the conference seeking to determine how wine can engage Millennial and Generation Z consumers, and also those concerned with diversity and inclusion.

Other issues that will be explored include how wine can stand up to competition from alternative beverages, improving both on- and off-trade sales, and using celebrities and influencers to promote wine products.

As well as Trooper, Dickinson has also previously partnered with BrewDog on a craft beer.