Female-Owned New York Champagne Week Celebrates 8 Years Despite Pandemic

Female-Owned New York Champagne Week Celebrates 8 Years Despite Pandemic

Blaine Ashley with a glass of her favorite drink, Champagne. When the pandemic hit in the spring of 2020, founders and organizers of wine festivals had to pivot – hard. Some cancelled, hoping for better luck in 2021, while others powered through converting 100% live events to 100% virtual events by fall. One woman pulled off this difficult feat for her weeklong celebration of France's most famous bubbles in New York. Blaine Ashley known as "Champagne Blaine," founded the first New York Champagne Week in November 2013. The week's ethos had been to promote the champagne category through a variety of creative events, pairing experiences, brand launches, new release reveals, interactive tastings, seminars and more. Last year, Ashley had to transfer the energy of a live experience into nationwide virtual events while navigating a new set of logistics and creative strategies. As the pandemic eases, Ashley is bringing the festivities back this year through a hybrid model which includes seven virtual events and three ticketed in-person events in Manhattan. Ashley took time to speak with Forbes about the challenges and insights of keeping an event going through a global crisis while highlighting what events to look forward to this year.