This is a guest post by 2013 Wine Tourism Conference partner, Michael Kaiser of WineAmerica.
Wine is tourism. Agri-tourism is a huge industry in this country. Wineries all over the US generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for their state and local governments. In the last ten years alone the number of US wineries has gone from close to 3,500 to over 7,500. It is clear we are a growing industry and conferences like the Wine Tourism Conference will help the industry continue to grow.
WineAmerica, the National Association of American Wineries is excited to be a sponsor of the annual Wine Tourism Conference to be held in Portland, OR. WineAmerica is the only national winery trade association. We are primarily a policy oriented organization, but we do offer other benefits to our winery members, such as shipping discounts and discounts to trade shows and conferences. We are always looking for ways to help our members improve their businesses.
WineAmerica also works hand in hand with the various state and regional winery associations throughout the United States. WineAmerica’s State and Regional Association Advisory Council is a way for state and regional winery associations to share ideas, whether it be about policy ideas or marketing. A great many of our regional and state partners are attending the Wine Tourism Conference and we are looking forward to a great week of sharing ideas and wine together.
For more information on WineAmerica please visit our website: www.wineamerica.org
Michael Kaiser
Director of Communication
mkaiser@wineamerica.org