We are pleased to have some of the best names in the wine tourism industry speaking at the Wine Tourism Conference. Below are just some of the speakers who will be keynoting, speaking on panels, or leading sessions at the conference.
Maggie Anderson is Marketing Director of the British Columbia Wine Institute, where she is responsible for branding, positioning and marketing the Wines of BC (BC VQA) brand, executing BCWI events and sponsorships and working on BC VQA Wine Store marketing, among other projects. Maggie has extensive agri-tourism experience including stints at the B.C. Tree Fruits Limited, Mission Hill Family Estate Winery in BC, and Palandri Wines in Australia.
Jean-Charles Boisset is the proprietor of Boisset Family Estates, one of the world’s preeminent family-owned wine companies, with leading positions in the wines of Burgundy, Beaujolais, the Rhône Valley, the South of France, and French sparkling wines. Boisset’s August 2009 purchase of Raymond Vineyards expanded the company’s footprint in the New World, which already included properties in Canada and California’s Russian River Valley, making it one of the top twenty-five producers in the US. In June 2007, he was named to Decanter magazine’s Top 50 Power Brokers in the global wine industry, in March 2008, he received the Meininger International Wine Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and in December 2008 he was named “Innovator of the Year” by the Wine Enthusiast magazine.
David Bowman is the Vice President of Marketing for FIJI Water, which owns JUSTIN Winery and Landmark Vineyards. David is responsible for global brand marketing, US direct-to-consumer sales, and international market sales. JUSTIN is well known for its tourism success in the Paso Robles area, including its four-bedroom luxury B&B and award-winning restaurant on site. David was previously the president of Underdog Wine Merchants and was the Vice President of Marketing, Premium and Fine Wine Brands for E&J Gallo Winery.
Annette Ringwood Boyd is the director for the Virginia Wine Board Marketing Office, where she manages the board’s marketing efforts on behalf of the Virginia Wine Industry. She began her wine career selling wines in a retail wine shop in college and later as marketing director for a Richmond, Virginia non-profit organization, where she planned wine events in addition to running the organization’s public relations and marketing efforts. Annette founded her own company, Ringwood Boyd Marketing in 2007 and her company has been the outside consultant managing the marketing efforts for the Virginia Wine Board since 2007. She has been recognized for her marketing by the Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association and the Richmond Chapter of the American Marketing Association.
Linda Bruno is the Managing Director of Consulente International Ltd, a Connecticut based company devoted to positioning luxury, independent boutique hotels, resorts, villas, spas and mixed-use developments. She has worked to help establish Meadowood in Napa and The Allison in Oregon.
Kimberly Charles is the founder of Charles Communications Associations. During her almost 30 year career, Kimberly has largely focused on the wine industry; she has worked as the Public Relations Director at the Korbrand Corporation and as Director of Communications for E&J Gallo Winery. However, she has also crafted cause marketing, co-branding and event programming with companies as diverse as BMW, Ritz-Carlton, American Express, the Marriott and Hyatt Hotel chains, the Tony Awards® among many others.
Todd Davidson was appointed Executive Director of the Oregon Tourism Commission (dba Travel Oregon) in June 1996 and was named Chief Executive Officer in September 2004. In January 2012, Secretary of Commerce John Bryson reappointed Todd to the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, designating him as Chair. Todd also serves on the Board of the U.S. Travel Association, the National Council of State Tourism Directors (NCSTD), and the Western States Tourism Policy Council (WSTPC). Todd was honored by the NCSTD as the State Tourism Director of the Year in 2006.
Amir Eylon is the Vice President of Partnership Development for Brand USA, which was established by the Travel Promotion Act in 2010 to spearhead the nation’s first global marketing effort to promote the United States as a premier travel destination. Amir previously served as the State Director of the Ohio Office of Tourism. During his tenure at the Ohio Office of Tourism, the marketing programs he developed leveraged industry and nontraditional partnerships that generated $14 in new taxes for every $1 invested and included active participation by thousands of Ohio’s tourism-related businesses.
Andrew Healy is the founder and “Chief Social Officer” of 3 rock marketing, a Napa Valley based marketing company that specializes in Social Media & Online Presence. Andrew and his team work with clients in the wine & hospitality industries, the non-profit sector, public figures, and representative bodies. Clients include Visit Napa Valley, The Napa Valley Vintners, Great Wine Capitals Global Network, Wine Market Council, Melka Wines and many more.
Todd Iseri is the Director of Sales & Marketing at the Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa. Todd oversees all marketing and public relations for the hotel, including the hotel’s ever-growing social media presence. The Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa has been recognized as a social media leader within the hospitality industry and is continuously looking for ways to engage their guests.
Michelle McCue is the owner of McCue Marketing Communications, a Los Angeles-based marketing communications firm that specializes in integrated marketing programs for the tourism, hospitality and wine industries. Her experience includes work with clients such as Tourism Fiji, Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association, LearnAboutWine, LAWineFest, Eve’s Apples, Centers of Laguna Niguel, and the Orange County Coastal Tourism Bureau.
Morgen McLaughlin is the president and CEO of Finger Lakes Wine Country, an innovative regional tourism marketing association in the Finger Lakes region of New York. She has led the non-profit organization since early 2007 and oversees a research-driven, fully integrated tourism marketing campaign. Morgen has undergraduate degrees in English and Secondary Education from Boston College and owned and operated a winery and vineyard in Connecticut for fifteen years. Morgen is a member of the board of directors for the Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance and Finger Lakes Wine Alliance.
Colby Smith is Executive Director of the Concierge Alliance of Napa Valley and Sonoma (CANVAS), which she founded in 2009. The mission of the organization is to to elevate the quality of service by Hospitality Professionals in Napa and Sonoma. The organization provides networking opportunities, education, and a website with extensive hospitality resources. Before founding CANVAS Colby was the Concierge at Villagio Inn & Spa in Yountville.
Traci Ward is the Director of Marketing with Visit California where she has oversight of the consumer marketing program – from brand advertising to consumer facing publications and web presence. Prior to joining the Visit California team, Traci worked for the Arizona Office of Tourism, managing their domestic advertising efforts. She holds an MBA from Arizona State University’s WP Carey School of Business.
Steve Warner was appointed as Executive Director (now President and CEO) of the Washington State Wine Commission in February 2012. Steve comes to the Commission from Merck & Co., Inc., where he was Managing Director based in Bucharest, Romania. Prior to that, he held General Manager and marketing positions in global and regional marketing in the Asia Pacific region and led teams while living in Seoul, South Korea; Bangkok, Thailand; and several domestic markets. Steve holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from East Tennessee State University and a master’s of business administration in international business and finance from Rutgers University.
Tim Zahner is the Director of Public Relations and Marketing at the Sonoma County Tourism Bureau. The SCTB promotes overnight visitation to Sonoma County as “America’s premier wine, spa and coastal destination”. Tim is a member of the American Marketing Association and the Public Relations Society of America and previously worked for the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau.