Conference & Meetings World Issue 120 | Page 57

Case Study

Experiencing Romania through Carpathian single malt whisky tour

RAMY JAMES SALAMEH BRINGS TO LIFE THE LONDON LEG OF THE LAUNCH OF ROMANIA ’ S FIRST EVER SINGLE MALT WHISKY

A t the centre of any successful event , there is a narrative and story to be told . It is part of the journey , which initially , allows the planner to start to design an event in conjunction with the client ’ s objectives . The story forms the content , and as we know in this digital age ‘ content is king ’ and lays the foundations to focus eyes on the brand , providing the tools to develop an experiential ‘ live ’ event for audiences to engage with the product .

In the first quarter of 2022 , a limited edition of 930 bottles of ‘ Carpathian Single Malt Whisky ’ rolled off the production line of a distillery located next to the southern Carpathian Mountains . They collectively formed Romania ’ s first ever single malt whisky , placing the country on the global map of single malt producers .
The person behind its creation is Nawaf Salameh , founding chairman of the Alexandrion Group , Romania ’ s largest spirits and wines producer and distributor , who was bestowed the title of ‘ Keeper of the Quaich ’ in 2016 . From that point on , he set forth on a journey of discovery to create a world-class whisky product .
Salameh is now fondly referred to by peers as the ‘ Christopher Columbus ’ of Romanian single malt whisky , having
Above : Three ‘ Expressions ’ of Carpathian Single Malt Whisky at the distillery charted a sometimes turbulent course , to a point today , where he has unveiled the product in two key markets ( US & UK ) and will commercially launch it in Romania soon . This is a story of brand innovation and determination , which was ripe for translating into a successful global roadshow .
The London leg of Carpathian ’ s global tour provides an interesting insight into the power of ‘ experiential events ’, when using them as springboard for awareness building , developing long-term relationships with key partners and providing direct experience of the product to set in motion various channels to market .
Brand authenticity The challenge and opportunity of these events were manifold : to deepen knowledge and perceptions of the brand authenticity , allowing audiences to see , feel and touch ‘ Carpathian Single Malt Whisky ’ and showcase the natural beauty , culture and history of Romania ; the aim was to seamlessly connect all
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