8th Annual Expo Hosts North Coast Industry and Donates to Fireman’s Benevolent Fund
Healdsburg, CA, December 9th, 2019 – The Wine Industry Network (WIN) today announced that the 8th Annual North Coast Wine Industry Expo (WIN Expo), held again at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, was another successful gathering of the North Coast wine industry despite the aftermath of recent fires and challenging weather.
Attendees of this year’s Expo had the opportunity to reconnect with colleagues and friends, visit nearly 300 vendors to capitalize on the one-day deals offered with the #ExpoDeals buying program, and attend nine educational sessions focused on winemaking & production, sales & marketing and strategy & leadership.
Topics occupying the minds of the industry were reflected by full educational sessions specifically in the production track, “Smoke Taint”, where experts discussed the continued impact that our region is experiencing and the latest innovations and solutions now available. “If recent years are any indication, wildfires and potential smoke exposure are becoming an increasing risk for the industry on the North Coast, and the interest in this session shows that it is very much a concern,” said George Christie, President of Wine Industry Network.
Other favorites of the day included “Smart Packaging”, a discussion on new ways to deliver information and connect with consumers; it’s a field that an increasing number of wineries are entering, and attendees had the opportunity to learn from the experiences of early adopters and experts. The “State of the North Coast Wine Industry” is always popular, but with signs of wine consumption stagnating, even more people were eager to hear the detailed analysis of the industry’s 2019 performance, along with forecasts for the coming year.
“Our exhibitors, our educators, and our attendees never disappoint,” said Christie. “The quality of the people who are here, learning, connecting and doing business make attending the Expo a great investment of time. You can’t beat face-to-face interaction with customers, colleagues and friends, especially at this time of year.”
In addition to bringing the industry together for business, networking, and education, WIN Expo will also donate a portion of this year’s proceeds to the California Firefighters Benevolent Fund, a fund that provides assistance and support to firefighters who are displaced or impacted by fire or natural disasters.
“It’s been a challenging fall for everyone, but after eight years, we are pleased that people now view WIN Expo as a tradition they come to every year,” added George Christie. “The turnout at this year’s event will allow us to make a nice donation to the firefighter’s fund and we’re happy to do it.”
About Wine Industry Network (WIN):
Wine Industry Network (WIN) (wineindustrynetwork.com), is based in Healdsburg, CA and is THE business resource for the wine industry. WIN produces three annual trade shows & conferences, the North Coast Wine Industry Expo (WIN Expo) (wineindustryexpo.com), the Wine & Weed Symposium (wine-weed.com), the 3-Tier Wine Symposium (3tierwine.com); as well the online daily news publication, Wine Industry Advisor (wineindustryadvisor.com); an online employment resource, WIN Jobs (wineindustry.jobs); and THE North American Wine Industry Database, Wine Industry Data (WIN Data) (wineindustrydata.com).
