February 22, 2021 (New York, NY) – Women of the Vine & Spirits (WOTVS), the leading membership organization, worldwide, dedicated to boldly pushing the wine, beer, and spirits industry toward a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive era has announced program details for its first-ever free and public event, Raise Your Glass for Equality Virtual Toast, to be held March 8 from 12:30-1:30 PM PST, on International Women’s Day.

The special event will be filled with music, fun, and dedications from around the globe celebrating the social, economic, and cultural achievements of women on International Women’s Day.

“After the hard-hit year the hospitality industry and the entire world experienced in 2020, we wanted to take a moment to lift our heads, and lift our glasses, and cheers to the hope we see for the future,” said Founder & CEO of Women of the Vine & Spirits, Deborah Brenner.

Women of the Vine & Spirits was founded in 2015 and has been the catalyst for women’s empowerment, and diversity, equity, and inclusion movements in the wine, beer, and spirits industry. The organization is made up of thousands of members from around the globe and its Corporate Membership is comprised of over 160 companies dedicated to spearheading change both internally and externally to create an industry allowing all to thrive.

The event will be Emceed by New York Times best-selling Author & Speaker, Lee Woodruff. As the author of the New York Times best-selling In an Instant, Lee Woodruff garnered critical acclaim for the compelling and humorous chronicle of her family’s journey to recovery following her husband Bob’s roadside bomb injury in Iraq. Her best-selling book Perfectly Imperfect – A Life in Progress is the testimonial of a woman who embraces the chaos of her surroundings, discovers the splendor of life’s flaws, and accepts that perfection is as impossible to achieve as a spotless kitchen floor. Woodruff has been a contributing reporter for ABC’s Good Morning America and CBS This Morning.

All are invited to register for the FREE EVENT on the Women of the Vine & Spirits website to join in the celebration. Register HERE. Registration Closes at 5 pm PST March 2nd.

Sponsors of Raise Your Glass for Equality include Women of the Vine & Spirits Corporate Members: Bacardi USA, Beam Suntory, Distilled Spirits Council of the United States; E. & J. Gallo Winery, Mast-Jägermeister; Moët Hennessy USA, Republic National Distributing Company; Saxco International; Shaw-Ross International Importers; Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey; Ste. Michelle Wine Estates; Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits; The Spearhead Group; The Wine Group, William Grant & Sons.

Women of the Vine & Spirits Corporate Members include Founding Member, Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits; Diamond Members: Breakthru Beverage Group; Bronco Wine Company; Brown-Forman; E. & J. Gallo Winery; Frederick Wildman & Sons, Ltd.; Moët Hennessy USA; Republic National Distributing Company; Shaw-Ross International Importers; Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey; and Ste. Michelle Wine Estates; Platinum Members: Beam Suntory; Constellation Brands; J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines; Pernod Ricard USA; and William Grant & Sons. For a full list of Corporate Members including those at the Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Associate level, visit the Corporate Members tab at womenofthevine.com.

For those interested in Corporate Membership inquiries, please email Elizabeth Campbell Boyd at elizabeth@womenofthevine.com

About Women of the Vine & Spirits

Women of the Vine & Spirits is the leading membership organization, worldwide, dedicated to boldly pushing the wine, beer, and spirits industry toward a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive (DE&I) era that empowers all to succeed. Our members connect through our global network and collaborate across all industry sectors. We provide our members with benefits that include education, training, mentorship, and networking as well as tools, services, and resources toward DE&I, and personal, business development, and innovation. For more information, please visit womenofthevine.com.

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