Conferences & Classes

What will it take for the olive to have a global impact on public health? Dr. Harris Pastides considered this question in his keynote address at the 6th International Yale Symposium on Olive Oil & Health. Part of his answer: share information on olive oil’s benefits with consumers worldwide. And make olive oil generally affordable and widely available.

A Greek olive oil tasting will be held in English at the B&E Goulandris Foundation Museum’s Café-Restaurant on February 20. Titled “The olive tree is like Delacroix” and featuring chef Aristotelis Megoulas, this has become a popular Greek-language event. Now the Foundation is giving English speakers the opportunity to enjoy this olive oil exploration.

Young scientists who work with the Mediterranean diet will inherit global challenges involving health, nutrition, and sustainability. For this reason, young students, researchers, and innovators were invited to join world-class scientists at the third Cretan Lifestyle Conference. Several generations came to Crete to discuss recent findings and innovations.

Why does olive oil help combat climate change? How can soil affect human well-being? What does marketing have to do with public health? These were just a few of the many questions considered by almost 100 participants from 15 countries at the 6th International Yale Symposium on Olive Oil and Health in Heraklion, Crete, Greece at the beginning of December. 

Focused on the Mediterranean Tradition and its Modern Applications, the 3rd Cretan Lifestyle Conference gathered more than 75 researchers, students, and professionals from 12 countries and six continents to examine the health benefits of a traditional Greek diet and lifestyle. This multi-generational experiential event connected individuals aged 20 to 89. 

Considering human responses to the growing threat of climate change, the International Olive Sustainability Conference drew more than 200 researchers, farmers, and olive sector professionals from over 15 countries. The conference was co-hosted by the University of California Davis Olive Center and the Culinary Institute of America from September 3-5, 2024.

The 2nd International ELIA Lesvos Confest (an olive conference and festival) took place at the Vrana Olive Press Museum on the island of Lesvos in Greece May 23-26. Local olive farmers joined eminent scientists, olive oil and tourism experts, and chefs to examine olive oil in terms of health, tourism, tradition, marketing, sustainability, and gastronomy.  

During the 2nd annual Cretan Lifestyle Conference in Rethymno, Crete, Greece, over 150 researchers and professionals gathered to discuss and experience one of the world’s healthiest lifestyles. Participants from 16 countries traveled to the birthplace of the Mediterranean diet for five days of stimulating presentations, Cretan cuisine, and exploration.  

Have you ever wondered how you can enjoy the flavor and health benefits of the Mediterranean diet if you don’t live in the Mediterranean region and can’t get many Mediterranean products where you live? Scientists have not forgotten you. They have come up with an answer in the form of a “Planeterranean Diet” that adopts key concepts from the famous Med diet.

On World Olive Day, two dozen olive oil enthusiasts gathered at Avli Restaurant in Rethymno, Crete for a day-long olive oil tasting and food pairing workshop. Led by an olive oil tasting expert trained in Spain and an award-winning Greek chef, this diverse group came together to explore the flavors and aromas of a key element of the Mediterranean diet.

An experiential conference titled Cretan Lifestyle: Mediterranean Tradition & Modern Applications assembled some of the world’s top thought leaders in the fields of nutrition, epidemiology, public health, and Cretan culture at Grecotel Resorts in Rethymno, Crete November 7-11, attracting students, researchers, clinicians, and food sector professionals.

The Hellenic Center for Excellence in Health & Wellness is organizing a conference at Creta Palace Resort in Crete November 7-11 titled “Cretan Lifestyle: Mediterranean Tradition & Modern Applications.” Young investigators and professionals are invited to submit abstracts for poster presentations, and local producers are welcome to propose contributions.

At the first face-to-face Food Expo in Athens since 2019, company representatives confronted an unusual situation. Mingling in crowds larger than many had seen in the two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, food industry professionals were glad to present new products, initiatives, and innovations, but concerned about the effects of new and ongoing challenges.

The Greek olive sector has been combining tradition with innovation for years. Education on the latest developments has increased alongside investments in cutting-edge technology. This progress was clear at the 2nd International Olive Center Conference on the “Olive Sector: Pursuing Innovation, Exploring Trends” at Perrotis College in Thessaloniki, Greece.

The International Olive Council (IOC) welcomes everyone interested in olive oil to an online seminar focused on The Future of the Olive Oil Sector. This videoconference will take place on November 26, 2020, the first anniversary of the creation of World Olive Day by UNESCO, with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic, English, French, Italian, and Spanish.

In Delphi, the ancient Greeks’ center of the world, more than 100 experts, professionals, and enthusiasts from seven countries gathered at the 2nd International Yale Symposium on Olive Oil and Health to discuss a liquid gold and a solid treasure that have been central to Greek civilization since the time of the Delphic oracle: olive oil and olives. 

The 2nd International Yale Symposium on Olive Oil and Health will take place at the European Cultural Center of Delphi, Greece, December 1-4, 2019. Olive oil experts, scientists, nutritionists, marketers, farmers, entrepreneurs, international dignitaries, and chefs from Greece, Italy, Spain, USA, UK, Japan, and Brazil will present the latest developments.

What do you need to know about extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)? That depends. Most people shopping for an EVOO to use at home can taste the oil to see if they like it, consider its best-buy date, classification, and origin, then choose a dark glass bottle or tin they’ll use within 3 months. But professionals who work with EVOOs can benefit from knowing more.

For five days last month, 90 Greek companies exhibited their olive oil at what may be the world’s largest food exhibition, SIAL Paris. Among 7,200 exhibitors, Greek extra virgin olive oils attracted the attention of many of the 310,000 professionals attending the exhibition. Greek olive oil company representatives discussed the expo with Greek Liquid Gold.

Last September, Irini Kokolaki studied Spanish at the University of Jaen for five hours a day. She learned a new language so she could attend a three-month course for certification as an “expert in virgin olive oil tasting,” the world’s only expert level university course focused on sensory analysis that is supported by the International Olive Council.

The annual Food Expo in Athens gathers hundreds of superb Greek extra virgin olive oils (and many other products) under one roof. It is a convenient place for food and beverage businesspeople to taste products and meet with company representatives. It also offers an opportunity to catch up on stories and news from olive oil companies from all over Greece.