DELIVERY SPIRIT OF SPEYSIDE WHISKY FESTIVAL
Casks, castles and desert-island drams blend into a festival with a difference
Speyside’s annual celebration of whisky is branching out in innovative new ways.
BY WILLIAM PEAKIN F
rom dining in castles to discovering the desert island drams of some of whisky’s finest ‘cast- aways’, a range of new at-
tractions will feature in the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival 2016. With hundreds of different events there will be many ways to experience the spirit of Speyside for the thousands of visitors who will descend on the region at the end of April. “Distilleries and communities
have pulled out all the stops to ensure that this year’s programme is one of the best yet with some innovative new events at venues that have not previously partici- pated,” says Pery Zakeri, the festival manager. Tis is Zakeri’s second year at
the helm. An events organiser who helped manage one of the world’s biggest bagpiping events, she was appointed with the aim of increas- ing attendance at the five-day cele- bration of Scotland’s national drink, opening it up to more international visitors and new markets. Zakeri had previously been
involved in the festival; in her role as marketing and events assistant to the Tomintoul and Glenlivet Development Trust, she organised
the Liquid Treasures event which brought hundreds of people to the glen in search of hidden bottles of whisky. “My passion is for event-led
tourism and I have been working with the board of directors to help cement the festival as one of the leading events of its kind anywhere in the world,” she said. “One of my main objectives has
been to get more distillery partners on board, and to work with more local businesses, accommodation and transport providers to highlight how we can all benefit from the increased number of visitors that the festival attracts.” Zakeri, who was brought up in
Speyside, previously helped manage Piping Hot Forres, the host event of the European Pipe Band Champion- ships. (Te championships, which draw 5,000 competitors and 10,000 spectators to the Moray town, are on June 25 this year.) While living and studying in Northern Ireland, she was also involved in the delivery of large-scale, high-profile events including the Belfast Titanic Triath- lon, Belfast City Marathon and MTV Titanic Sounds. Te whisky festival is part of
Scotland’s Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design, providing opportunities to marry the amber nectar with stunning castles. For example, the 15th-century Gordon
Pery Zakeri has previously helped stage MTV Titanic Sounds and Piping Hot Forres
Castle, on the banks of the River Spey at Fochabers, is part of the festival for the first time and will be the setting for a four-course dinner with specially selected whisky and wine. For the first time, a maltings will
join the programme to provide visitors with a window into this sector of the industry, in response to visitor feedback showing a real interest in all elements of produc- tion. Speyside’s newest distillery, Dalmunach, will also open to the public for the first time with whisky festival tours. Visitors will also be able to
discover which drams a panel of Scotch whisky experts would choose if they were marooned on a desert island in an event at Strathisla Distillery. With new partners, new events
and even more whisky venues opening their doors, expectations are running high. “We’re pleased to be joined by new partners and to find such a willingness to get involved in the festival and offer visitors a wide variety of different experiences,” said Zakeri.
www.spiritofspeyside.com
What: Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival When: 28 April – 2 May Where: Dufftown, Keith, Elgin and more
32 | EVENTSBASE | MARCH 2016
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