European Wine Bloggers Conference

I'm in Vienna this week at the European Wine Bloggers Conference hosted by our client the Austrian Wine Marketing Board. Kudos to Robert McIntosh, Gabriella and Ryan Opaz who organized the conference and did a fabulous job.

  The venue was pretty outstanding too…the Orangerie at the Shönbrunn Palace, home to the Hapsburg emperors.

17 Students from the Burgundy School of Business attended the conference under the able leadership of Damien Wilson, MW

Schoenbrunn Palace (this is a pic taken in the summer)

The focus of the conference is not necessarily on blogging per se, but also the revolution that social media is fomenting in the industry.  Keynote speaker Elin McCoy framed the theme of the conference with an overview of some of the issues we’re dealing with…from journalistic standards to revenue generation potential and realities.

Keynote Speaker Elin McCoy

Elin joined Constance and our client Wines from Santorini on a trip last summer last summer, but this was the first chance I had to get to know her myself.  Smart lady, incisive and insightful.

Melanie Stumpf of VDP and Steve Raye of BAT

Damien Wilson, MW, Director of Burgundy School of Business Wine Dept.

Michael Cox and Juan Somavia of Wines of Chile bustin' moves in Vienna

What would a party in Vienna be without a Waltz?

Willi Klinger of Austrian Wine Marketing Board leading a technical tasting

Gabrielle Savage of The Drinks Business (I think she looks like Jodi Foster!)

AWMB Social Media Team at the EWBC...in the middle is Susanne Staggl who honcho'd the crew at the conference.  Danke Susanne!

Steve Raye, Stevie Kim of Veronafiere/Vinitaly and Giampiero Nadali of Aristede

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U.S. Drinks Conference Next Week

Anticipation is rising for the U.S. Drinks Conference coming up next week on Oct. 14 in London. With the financial crisis roiling markets across the world, it's more important than ever to take a fresh look at brand strategies for the U.S. market. Jeff and Mike are working on the consumer trend information and just completing some surveys that will give us a look at sentiment and behavior as recently as last week. And I've put together a manifesto of sorts on the new realities of marketing in the America with tools (like this blog!) that reach and engage people on an individual level. And, we've got a boffo lineup of speakers from the U.S. including Rudy Ruiz, EVP of Southern Wine and Spirits, John McDonnell of Patron spirits and John Beaudette of MHW. And for the international perspective, we'll hear from Charlotte Hey, of The Drinks Business and Olly Wehring at Just-Drinks.com. So if you've been thinking about coming, get off the fence and go to http://www.usdrinksconference.com/ to register! Sphere: Related Content

Link to The Drinks Business article on distributor consolidation

Here's a link the article from the Sept. issue of The Drinks Business on distributor consolidation in America and my comments on options for exporters to the U.S. Market. Sphere: Related Content

LIWF/Distil Day 2

I was the only one working our booth so had limited time to explore the two shows. The wine side was huge with a diversity of places, varietals, styles and types that , well honestly, surprised me that I was surprised. Coupling my lack of familiarity with the European market with Europeans’ lack of familiarity with the U.S. market gave me a new perspective on what we’re doing with the U.S. Drinks Conference…clearly there’s a need there, and I believe it’s much larger on the wine side than we initially thought.

I did a brief interview with Charlotte Hey,Managing Editor and Publisher of The Drinks Business' DBTV, so check out www.thedrinksbusiness.com for that clip next week.

I eschewed more formal dinner options in favor of taking in a production of the Midsummer Night’s Dream at the New Globe Theatre…a recreation of Shakespeare’s original theatre in Southwark…theater in the round, groundlings and all that. It was a magical experience. Sphere: Related Content