An agreement to transfer the South Okanagan Chamber of Commerce’s Festival of the Grape to the Oliver Tourism Association in 2018 is moving forward faster than originally expected.

OTA assumed control of the festival April 1st, 2017 – a year ahead of schedule, to allow the Chamber (SOCC) to work with its business partners.

“We have come to a mutual and collaborative agreement to end our three-year contract to allow both organizations to focus on what we do best,” said Brian Highley, the Chamber’s  newly elected president.

Highley is a past president of the Chamber and recently took back the reins of control in an election at the table.

That followed the resignation of  President Corrie Adolph and her replacement Jamie Cox who ran against Highley.

The new SOCC president is an employee of Aberdeen Publishing.

“It was getting a little cumbersome with two organizations with separate bank accounts and both managing the same set of books.” said Highley.

The transfer of the festival’s operation to Oliver Tourism will allow the three community based chamber  to focus more on business advocacy, training and education, and business-to-business networking, he said.

The Festival of the Grape is a long standing event attracting thousands of attendees who come to taste the various wines that are on display, enjoy the music played on the grandstand, and either compete in, or watch competitors in the Grape Stomp.

In 2016 the Oliver Tourism came on board as part of a three-year collaborative agreement to transition the festival its care. .

Festival of the Grape 2017 will be held on Sunday October 1.