The second annual WIVI Central Coast Wine & Viticulture Symposium/Trade
Show, held last week, set the stage for a third show. Tweaks from lessons
learned from the inaugural event in 2013 made this year's format even better
and resulted in approximately 40% more attendees at the Paso Robles Event
Center. Spread out over more space, adding a new seminar category focused on
marketing and the DTC segment, plus concentrating the trade show into a single
day were all successful. There were enough "side shows" (including a
very popular Wine and Beer Garden sponsored by RadiantFires.com), to help trade
show attendance, providing breaks between vendor visits. Those included product
demonstrations, a Winemaker Throwdown panel and the Central Coast Salary Survey.
I spoke with many who returned from last year and those new to the event. All
expressed a high level of satisfaction with the opportunity to talk to
end-users about their products and, for second timers, the success of the new
format.
Wine Business Monthly and Precision Ag Consulting, the hosts, were aided by dedicated
staff, a large group of volunteers and many supportive sponsors. The major
promotional organizations from all of the Central Coast wine growing regions
and Independent Grape Growers of the Paso Robles area added support and wine
for the event ending regional tasting. And, with the addition of a series of
DTC/Marketing seminars, primarily moderated by Lesley Berglund - Chair of WISE
Academy, the scope of educational opportunities was expanded into an additional
and important part of the business. Viticulture and enology are the other
main areas of education focus, with multiple offerings each day and a
concentration in each area of about seven hours of active class time. There was
also a lunch hosted by Rabobank America with a keynote speaker that addressed
the state of the world wine business.
Networking was another
major feature, both at the trade show and with the well-attended launch party
and closing regional tasting event. Future postings will provide comments
on those sessions I attended and my take-aways from keynote and other
presentations on the state of the market. I would encourage those who want more
inside information and the exchange of ideas with colleagues involved in the
wine trade to register early for WiVi #3 in 2015.
