Having started out on Diageo's graduate scheme, Aimée Gibson has risen through the company to be a key part of the blending team. She was the winner of the International Spirits Challenge Rising Star award in 2017.

Aimée works closely with master blender Jim Beveridge and the Johnnie Walker team, specialising in innovation and creating a new generation of whiskies, including the Johnnie Walker Blenders' Batch range.

From a lowly start as a tour guide at Glenfarclas distillery, Alan Winchester has risen to hold one of the most sought-after positions in the whisky industry – master distiller for The Glenlivet. He started at the distillery in 1979 as a cooperage labourer and worked his way through cleaning to firing the still, brewing and then, in 2009, to be a master distiller.

On the way, Alan has picked up a wealth of experience, which has made him one of the most knowledgeable distillers in Speyside. We look forward to welcoming him to The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show.

Having cut his teeth in selecting whisky at Prestonfield House hotel, bottling a selection of now legendary whiskies, Andrew Symington founded Signatory Vintage in 1988.

In 2002 he expanded into distilling, buying Edradour distillery. In 2018 Signatory is celebrating it's 30th anniversary and we look forward to years more of excellent whisky.

Andy has one of the more interesting paths into making whisky. He moved from the UK to South Africa in 1982, while playing cricket professionally, and fell in love with the country. He moved over permanently in 1984.

He began working for a winery, and soon took over managing the company's cellars. Along with the wine, he was looking after the companies whisky stocks, and started spending time with Morrison Bowmore in Scotland. After a few years he returned to South Africa full time, and started working at the James Sedgwick distillery. It was mostly making brandy, and Andy helped move it to making whisky. He became manager in 1991, and has shepherded the distillery through huge growth over the past three decades.

He has now taken on a wider role at Distell, becoming head of whisky intrinsic excellence and taking on responsibility for whisky production at all four of the companies distilleries, including Bunnahabhain, Deanston and Ledaig in Scotland.

Angus is a regular contributor to scotchwhisky.com and numerous other publications around the world. One of the co-founders of the Whisky Show Old & Rare, he'll be at the Whisky Show in London promoting next year's event and talking about whisky investment.

He'll also have some exceptional whiskies available as dream drams on the Whisky Exchange Presents stand, so be sure to drop by and say hello.

Brian Nation joined Irish Distillers in 1997 straight from university. A qualified engineer, he oversaw projects in the company's environmental department until 2002, when he became more involved in the production process.

He continued to work in whiskey production while studying to be a distiller and in 2006 was awarded the Worshipful Company of Distillers award for achieving the highest results in the Institute of Brewing and Distilling exams – he is the first Irish distiller to win the award.

Brian trained for ten years at Midleton under former master distiller Barry Crockett, and took over the role when Barry retired in 2013. He is now responsible for the production of all of Irish Distillers whiskey, combining his modern take on whiskey making and engineering with the knowledge and tradition he learned during his long apprenticeship.

For over two decades Dave Broom has been a freelance writer covering a wide range of spirits, particularly whisky and rum.

He is Contributing Editor for Whisky Magazine and writes regular articles for its international sister publications, as well as for Whisky Advocate and a range of other specialist drinks magazines. Dave is also Chief Engineer for our news partner, Scotchwhisky.com, contributing regular articles and some of the finest tasting notes the world has ever seen.

A certified Malt Maniac since 2005, Dave has released a number of acclaimed books, including the award-winning Rum, Whisky: The Manual, and The World Atlas of Whisky.

Dominic has been writing about drinks for decades. After working as a news journalist and music writer, he moved into the world of whisky. He has since edited Whisky Magazine and The Spirits Business, as well as writing a number of books. In 2014 he won the Fortnum and Mason Food and Drinks award for best drinks writer.

He is now editor of Whisky Quarterly Magazine and continues to support Leicester City.

Georgie Crawford moved to Islay at an early age and grew up in her parents pub. Moving to Edinburgh when she left full-time education, she started working for the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. From there she managed a whisky shop in Speyside and then joined Diageo, initially working at Talisker. She moved back to Islay to work at Lagavulin in 2007 and has been home ever since, taking over as distillery manager a few years later.

has recently been announced as the leader of the project to rebuild Port Ellen distillery, and has handed over her duties at Lagavulin. We look forward to seeing what comes next.

Ingvar started producing the Malt Whisky Yearbook in 2005 and the yearly release has become a fixture of the whisky calendar. The book is one of the most useful reference works for whisky fans, with profiles of all of the Scottish distilleries, as well as many others from around the world, and articles about the world of whisky from Ingvar and other well-known writers.

While she is not an Islay native, Jackie Thomson has become a key part of the community since she arrived on the Islay in 1997. Part of the team who reopened Ardbeg distillery after it was bought by Glenmorangie, Jackie took over the visitors centre and has helped it grow into one of the island's must-see attractions.

Along with nurturing a team of excellent tour guides and making The Old Kiln Café one of the best places to eat on Islay, Jackie has personally greeted and chatted with hundreds of whisky fans over the years, making herself one of the best known and loved people in the island's whisky community.

If you visit the distillery, you will almost certainly see her rushing about, ensuring that everything is working at its should, and we are very pleased to have enticed her away from Ardbeg for a couple of days at the Whisky Show.

Justin Sloan is an Bourbon geek and entrepreneur, born and raised in the bluegrass.

He is one of the proprietors of Justins' House of Bourbon, which houses the biggest collection in the world of vintage bourbons for sale. As a co-publisher of The Bourbon Review, a 10-year-old bourbon-dedicated publication, he gets to travel the world talking about America's best spirit! Justin also co-founded Bottle Blue Book, a website that collects and tracks sales data on whiskey bottles.

Lukasz travels the world spreading the good news about anCnoc, Balblair, Speyburn, Hankey Bannister and, at this year's show, Old Pulteney.

Starting as a guide at the Scotch Whisky Experience in Edinburgh, Lukasz became well-known in the whisky industry as the editor of the award-winning Edinburgh Whisky Blog.

After a few years of working as a consultant for a variety of whisky brands, running tastings, helping design new products and training, he decided to settle down and work solely with one of his major clients – Inver House. He is now a whisky ambassador and educator for the company, appearing at tastings and festivals around the world.