Thursday Optional Dinner
On Thursday at 6:30 PM we have an optional wine pairing dinner at Second Press Wine Bar & Eatery. This four-course dinner costs $65 including tax & tip and is only available to registered conference attendees and their significant others. Seating is limited to 30 people and tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite. We will add a second dinner if the first sells out. The menu:
Pan Seared Scallop with Blood Orange Relish on a crispy Wonton (passed appetizer)
2012 Derby Pinot Gris
Crispy Braised Pork Belly with Blackberry Vinaigrette and House made Kimchi
2010 Asuncion Ridge Pinot Noir
Grilled New Zealand Lamb Rack with Smoked Mozzarella Grits, Rainbow Swiss Chard and Huckleberry Red Wine Sauce
2008 Grizzly Republic Gypsy Noir
Petit Sirah Soaked Cherry Dark Chocolate Ganache Bar with Cherry Gastrique and Vanilla Ice Cream
2011 Clayhouse Petite Sirah
Wednesday Workshops
We are only able to offer overviews of each subject during a two-day conference. Therefore, we are pleased to offer four outstanding, in-depth, three-hour pre-conference workshops on Wednesday, November 12. We will be announcing speakers soon. Cost is $125 for one workshop or $200 for both a morning and afternoon workshop. You do not need to be registered for the entire conference to participate in these workshops. You can register for the pre-conference workshops at the time you register for the conference or by using this separate Wine Tourism Conference Event Registration Form.
Wednesday Morning Workshops
8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Choose One Only
Creating Engaging Wine Country Events
Events create revenue in and of themselves but, more importantly, often create long-lasting relationships with your customers. Have you been struggling to create something beyond the ubiquitous winemaker dinner? This workshop will dive deep into what other cutting-edge events are being done by wineries, restaurants, hotels, and wine regions. In addition to hearing from our experts, please come prepared to share your creative ideas so everyone who attends can go home with a raft of new events to consider. Please see the blog post on Creating Engaging Wine Country Events for more details.
Creating and Growing a Wine Tour Operator Business
If you are interested to start a tour company or wishing to grow the one you already started this is the workshop for you! You will learn from six established tour operators about selecting a niche, identifying your target market, marketing, insurance, employees, and more. In addition to presentations by established, successful operators this session will include significant group discussion as we share ideas, talk strategies, and make friendships. See the blog post on the Creating and Growing a Wine Tour Operator Business for more details.
Note: Lunch is not provided
Wednesday Afternoon Workshops
1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Choose One Only
Mobile Marketing
According to Pew Internet Research, as of May 2013, 90% of US adults have a mobile phone, 63% of adult mobile phone owners use their phones to go online, and 34% go online mostly using their phones, not some other device such as a desktop or laptop computer. This means – as of May 2013 – 31% of adults in the US are primarily surfing and shopping the web using their cell phone. If you are not engaging in the mobile world, you are falling behind. This workshop will be led by Jeremy Schubert, co-founder of Lunabean Media, and Raphael Domalik, founder of Allxs Media. Jeremy will cover mobile web sites, apps, and social media on mobile platforms. Raphael will cover “Time Day, Customer Data, and Proximity Using Bluetooth Low Energy Beacons, GPS, Wi NFC and RFID Technology”. If you don’t know what all that is, you should join the Workshop!
Excelling as a Wine or Wine Tourism Association
In this session, seasoned non-profit winery association and destination marketing organization professionals will share their secrets to success. You should come away knowing better how to promote your region, including funding, growing membership, partnering with area businesses, gaining public exposure, working with the press, and more. Our speakers include Miles Prodan from the British Columbia Wine Institute, Camron King from Lodi Wine, Jackie Saunders from Visit Loudoun County, and Wendy van Diver from Touring & Tasting Marketing and Media. This session replaces the Industry Track sessions of prior years and is the best place to meet and greet your fellow association professionals. See the Excelling as a Wine or Wine Tourism Association blog post for details.