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Almost a month has passed since the WISE-CRU Learning, Teaching and Training Activity in Reus, and at EQ Brands we are s...
04/05/2026

Almost a month has passed since the WISE-CRU Learning, Teaching and Training Activity in Reus, and at EQ Brands we are still processing the richness of this experience.

Together with our partners DomSpain and WineTours.bg - Wine tours in Bulgaria, we spent several days in Catalonia exploring how wine tourism can be organised, communicated and experienced in a more structured and meaningful way.

The LTTA gave us direct access to inspiring local examples: wineries, cooperatives, tourism initiatives, hospitality spaces and people who work with strong commitment to their territory. For us, the most valuable part was seeing how collaboration, storytelling, sustainability and service design come together in real visitor experiences.

This stage is especially important for EQ Brands, as project coordinator and partner responsible for service design and digital learning development. The insights from Catalonia will help us shape the next WISE-CRU outputs: training modules, the digital learning platform and the future Wine Tourism SOP Toolkit.

Our sincere thanks to DomSpain for their hospitality, precision and the amazingly organised activities. They created a programme that combined learning, field observation and genuine human connection.

Follow WISE CRU and EQ Brands for more shared knowledge and experiences from incredible Catalonia places and dedicated people.



PROJECT: 2025-1-BG01-KA210-ADU-000358301 is Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

A journey through Priorat revealed that authentic wine tourism goes far beyond the glass. From a intimate tasting of win...
30/04/2026

A journey through Priorat revealed that authentic wine tourism goes far beyond the glass. From a intimate tasting of wines and olive oils at the historic El Palauet del Priorat to a Catalan lunch hosted personally by the owner herself, this was a true immersion in local culture, gastronomy, and the soul of the region.

Wine tourism becomes an exhilarating adventure when you have the right partner by your side and a captivating story that...
26/04/2026

Wine tourism becomes an exhilarating adventure when you have the right partner by your side and a captivating story that truly brings the place to life.

30/03/2026

Exciting milestone ahead for the WISE-CRU project🍷

There's nothing quite like learning directly from those already doing it well. Visiting wine tourism destinations in Spain and connecting with local professionals will bring invaluable real-world insight to the table.

Looking forward to seeing how these experiences shape the training programme and toolkit. Keep the updates coming! 🌿

24/03/2026

Yes, it’s worth exploring remarkable Spanish examples and adapting some of the most proven models in the Bulgarian wine ecosystem.

12/03/2026

🍇What does wine tourism in Bulgaria really need in order to grow?

07/02/2026

🍷 Project WISE-CRU (Wine Identity, Sustainability, and Experiences in a Collaborative Rural Upskilling) is an Erasmus+ Small-scale Partnership in Adult Education addressing key challenges in rural wine tourism:
• limited digital skills
• fragmented collaboration
• growing sustainability and climate pressures

Led by EQ Brands (Bulgaria) and implemented with DomSpain (Spain) and WineTours.bg - Wine tours in Bulgaria, the project will deliver:
• a digital learning platform for wine tourism SMEs
• structured upskilling pathways for professionals
• a practical SOP Toolkit for quality, sustainability, and collaboration
• transnational knowledge transfer between Spanish and Bulgarian wine tourism models

Who will benefit?
✔ Small and medium-sized wineries
✔ Wine tourism operators and rural SMEs
✔ Trainers and adult educators
✔ Local authorities and community leaders

Over the next 18 months, WISE-CRU will deliver:
• Research on wine tourism collaboration in Bulgaria and Spain
• A transnational learning and training activity in Spain
• A digital learning platform for rural wine tourism
• 6 learning modules on digitalisation, sustainability, and service design
• A Wine Tourism SOP Toolkit
• Pilot testing and an exploitation event

🗓 First activities start in late 2025, with pilot results expected in 2026–2027.
Stay connected to follow the journey and explore how rural wine tourism can become more digital, sustainable, and collaborative.
....


PROJECT: 2025-1-BG01-KA210-ADU-000358301 is Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

Service theatre thrives when teams understand their role in shaping emotional experiences for guests. A successful perfo...
22/08/2025

Service theatre thrives when teams understand their role in shaping emotional experiences for guests. A successful performance needs rehearsal, reflection, and the right creative tools. These training exercises help teams sharpen their awareness, storytelling ability, and capacity to improvise with empathy. Built upon the previous two posts, the following methods deepen understanding of hospitality as a shared performance where presence, timing, and emotional accuracy elevate service into memory.

1. The first exercise, "Front Stage/Back Stage," explores what guests see versus what they do not. In a mapped-out guest journey, staff identify visible touchpoints (front stage) and compare them with the internal actions (back stage) that support those moments. Teams then reflect on how each back stage process affects the experience delivered in the front. This exercise uses service blueprinting as a tool, combined with storytelling reflection. The goal is to reinforce the mindset that every role, visible or not, is part of the same story being told.

2. A second practice is called "Scene and Character." Staff are invited to imagine each service setting (a reception desk, a breakfast buffet, a check-out) as a scene in a play. What is the emotional tone of the scene? What is the guest likely feeling in this moment? Teams then step into character, rehearsing service moments as if staging them for a theatre audience. Adjustments are made for tone, timing, and emotional clarity. This method can be enriched using video recordings or mirror exercises, where staff review their own presence and expression.

3. The third activity, "Live Improvisation," involves real-time roleplay with unexpected guest scenarios. Using a deck of scenario cards, such as late arrivals, guest complaints, or surprise celebrations, staff practise responding in a way that is emotionally congruent and aligned with the guest’s journey. Emphasis is placed on presence, emotional intelligence, and recovery skills. This exercise pairs well with empathy mapping and storytelling boards, helping staff link emotion, action, and intention.

When hospitality professionals rehearse with purpose, they grow their ability to respond to needs and emotions. Training for service theatre should be ongoing, creative, and reflective. Great service is not performed for applause. It is performed so that guests remember how they felt.

Service unfolds like theatre, with Disney representing the gold standard in this immersive performance. Their Cast Membe...
20/08/2025

Service unfolds like theatre, with Disney representing the gold standard in this immersive performance. Their Cast Members train under principles that prioritise storytelling and emotional connection. Guests don’t feel like customers; they feel like cherished characters in a live narrative designed just for them. Through deliberate attention to scripted detail and thoughtful improvisation, Disney consistently crafts emotional resonance that lingers long after the curtain falls.

Academic frameworks affirm this approach. Hospitality, reframed as performance, aligns with theatre through its stage, actors, props, and scripts. Environments and interactions shape how guests perceive meaning and memory. Scholars characterise this as dramaturgical service: actors (staff), setting (servicescape), and performance (guest interaction) come together to create experiences that not only satisfy but also inspire loyalty.

One vivid example beyond the theme parks involves immersive dining experiences. Restaurants that design dramatic performances around meal service - narrating the origin of dishes, dimming lights at key moments, or integrating theatrical reveals - elevate the meal from sustenance to storytelling. Guests often describe these moments as transformative, reshaping expectations and forging emotional bonds.
Leaders in hospitality serve as directors, shaping the narrative while empowering teams to improvise within shared vision. Skills required include observational awareness, narrative design, emotional timing, and flexibility in ex*****on. When staff learn to view each guest as a lead actor (and every interaction as a scene) the service transcends function and becomes performance.

Hospitality that performs with intentionality touches people. And when the guest feels like the star, their memory endures long after the final bow.

Service in hospitality mirrors the stage: the lights may differ, but the intention remains the same, to move the audienc...
18/08/2025

Service in hospitality mirrors the stage: the lights may differ, but the intention remains the same, to move the audience. In this theatre, the guest takes centre stage as the lead character. Every employee becomes a supporting actor, each space a set, and every interaction a scene in a story designed to make the protagonist feel extraordinary. Hospitality, at its finest, choreographs human connection with the precision and warmth of performance.

This vision of service aims to create unforgettable, immersive, meaningful, and high-quality experiences for every guest. It transforms everyday touchpoints into emotionally resonant moments. When service is designed as a performance with the guest at the heart, it evolves from function into memory.

For this vision to work, culture must support it. Internal processes should not constrain spontaneity, but allow space for adaptability, presence, and expression. Teams need to feel empowered to improvise within structure. That means equipping them with a strong sense of narrative: Who is the guest? Where are they in their journey? What role does the team play in making their experience remarkable?

Skills like emotional timing, observation, listening, and micro-expression reading are central to this performance. They may not show up in SOPs, yet they define how well a moment lands. Training should focus on recognising unspoken needs, empathising with guests, and responding with presence and care. These abilities support guest satisfaction, but also staff confidence and engagement. A great service culture recognises that performance and sincerity can co-exist. Performance here does not mean faking, it means showing up with intention, awareness, and emotional generosity.

Great theatre moves people. So does great service.

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