Why did the Freshfields International Women’s Day event work so well?

Why did the Freshfields International Women’s Day event work so well?

I’ve been thinking about this since hosting it last month, because on paper it could have gone the other way.

A corporate setting.A seated tasting.Guests arriving not quite sure what to expect.

That combination can easily feel formal or a bit intimidating. So the focus from the start was on shifting the tone.

Welcoming people in with something cold and sparkling straight away (a Grand Cru Champagne to set the standard), making it clear this was going to be relaxed, and bringing everyone together onto fuller tables so the room felt connected rather than spread out.

From there, everything builds.

The wines themselves matter, but more in how they’re used than what they are.

We moved from Champagne into a rare Italian white made from 50-year-old vines, then into two reds with very different stories: one from a former Michelin-trained chef in Rioja, and another from a winemaker in South Africa who rebuilt her entire winery after wildfires.

Each one gives people something to talk about, and that’s the point.

Not to test knowledge, but to create a shared experience that makes conversation easier. By the time we got into the reds, the room had completely relaxed.

People were asking questions, laughing, leaning into it: exactly what you want from an event like this. So when people ask what makes these events “work”, it’s rarely just one thing.

It’s the combination of:

• Setting the tone early

• Structuring the room properly

• And giving people something engaging to connect over

The wine is just the vehicle, the real outcome is the atmosphere and conversation that follows.

Elizabeth Hawthorthwaite