CMS-A joins SommCon’s Profitability Bootcamp with two curated sessions focused on the business and management skills behind successful beverage programs.
October 2, 2026 (San Diego, CA) — SommCon and the Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas (CMS-A) are partnering to address a growing need in the beverage industry: helping professionals pair their beverage expertise with the business, financial, and leadership skills required to build and lead successful programs.
The partnership will come to life through SommCon’s Profitability Bootcamp at SommCon Conference & Beverage Expo in San Diego, November 3–5, 2026, where CMS-A will sponsor the track and present two seminars focused on the business realities of beverage management.
“We’ve seen firsthand how much the role of the beverage professional has expanded,” said Michelle Metter, Founder & Director of SommCon. “Technical knowledge is still at the heart of this industry, but professionals are also managing teams, making financial decisions, and thinking about how their programs perform. We built the Profitability Bootcamp around that broader view of the profession, and CMS-A brings valuable expertise to that conversation. Together, we’re giving attendees another opportunity to build the skills that help them put their beverage knowledge to work.”
Bringing Business Education Into the Classroom
CMS-A’s participation in the Profitability Bootcamp builds on the organization’s existing focus on the business side of the sommelier profession through SommBIZ™, its three-part online program focused on beverage business and management. For SommCon San Diego, CMS-A has curated two Bootcamp sessions that connect the business education of SommBIZ™ with the shared goals of SommCon’s Profitability Bootcamp.
Both sessions will be led by Emily Wines MS of Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants. A Master Sommelier and former Chair of the Board of the Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas, Wines brings experience across beverage operations, hospitality, and education to sessions designed for professionals at different stages of beverage leadership.
“Today’s sommeliers need to understand not only what’s in the glass, but the business behind it. Learning how to manage costs, drive profitability, and lead successful beverage programs is vital to our profession, and it gives sommeliers the tools to become true business leaders within hospitality.” said Emily Wines MS, Vice President, Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants.
CMS-A-led Profitability Bootcamp sessions include:
Fundamentals of Beverage Management
Designed for newer sommeliers, aspiring beverage managers, and hospitality professionals, this session covers wine list strategy and pricing, inventory, cost control, purchasing, and financial performance.
Attendees will gain a clearer understanding of how everyday beverage decisions connect to the financial health of a program.
Advanced Beverage Management & NRO Case Study
Based on concepts from CMS-A’s SommBIZ™ program, this interactive case study takes attendees inside the launch of a new restaurant, exploring the strategic, operational, staffing, and financial decisions involved in building a beverage program from the ground up. The case study gives attendees a practical look at how those decisions intersect and what it takes to build a beverage program that works both operationally and financially.
Attendees of either CMS-A-led sessions will also receive an exclusive, limited-time $250 discount toward enrollment in CMS-A’s three-part SommBIZ™ online program, extending the learning beyond SommCon San Diego.
Part of The Full SommCon Experience
The Profitability Bootcamp is accessible with Full Conference and Single-Day Passes and is part of SommCon’s broader program of education, professional development, tasting, and industry connection.
Alongside the Bootcamp, SommCon San Diego features regional and varietal explorations, advanced tasting education, market research and industry trends, professional development, buyer and operator roundtables, supplier and distributor education, and SommCon Beverage Expo trade tasting.
SommCon San Diego takes place November 3–5, 2026, at Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego, California. Full Program Agenda and Registration Information: https://sommconusa.com/conference/
ABOUT SOMMCON
SommCon® is the premier gathering for professionals in the wine, beer, and spirits industry, offering unparalleled opportunities for education, networking, and career development. SommCon Conference & Beverage Expo offers a comprehensive program of wine and spirits education, professional development, mentorship and networking opportunities, and a vibrant marketplace showcasing domestic and international producers of wine, beer, spirits, and brands in the low and no alcohol category. SommCon is produced by Fast Forward, an event management and media company that specializes in consumer and business events in wine, beer, spirits, culinary, and hospitality.
ABOUT THE COURT OF MASTER SOMMELIERS, AMERICAS
Established in England in 1977, the Court of Master Sommeliers is internationally recognized as the gold standard for excellence in beverage service. Since the founding of its Americas chapter in 1987, the organization has welcomed 176 Master Sommeliers into its esteemed ranks. The Master Sommelier title is the highest honor in the field, representing mastery of wine knowledge, hospitality and service, deductive tasting, and business fundamentals. For more information, visit: www.mastersommeliers.org.
