Running a business requires infinite decisions, from pricing to branding, staff incentive structures to channel mix, and so much more. The 2019 Symposium’s Executive Business track guides winery and vineyard owners, GMs and other leaders – current or aspiring – to a better understanding of how these myriad decisions culminate in sustainable success for their businesses.
The event kicks off Tuesday morning with a keynote address from Sandra Taylor, author of The Business of Sustainable Wine. Her talk on global trends and local opportunities in brand equity building and business sustainability will set the gears in motion for the Executive Business sessions that follow.
The first breakout session, Outlook on the Wine Sector, brings together a quartet of wine business experts to describe the current landscape for Oregon wine: Danny Brager of Nielsen, Tony Correia of agricultural appraisal firm The Correia Company, Eric McLaughlin of Metis Mergers & Acquisitions, and Dr. Damien Wilson of Sonoma State University. They will cover a range of topics including potential channels for success, the M&A environment, the value of AVAs, and insights on emerging market trends and consumer behavior within the wholesale channel and global wine market.
The panels on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday combine to provide tools for making informed business decisions. Incorporating learnings from the Oregon Wine Industry Salary Survey, Attract and Retain: HR Best Practices will discuss considerations for successful hiring and retention. The Bottom Line: How Understanding COGS Helps Increase Your Profitability is a hands-on session using OWB’s Profit Calculator workbooks to demonstrate links between your profit and the decisions made throughout the vineyard, cellar and sales channels. And finally, the Executive Business track concludes with a discussion on Current Trends in Distribution.
Whether you’ve been in business for decades or are just getting started, the Executive Business curriculum at the 2019 Oregon Wine Symposium provides an opportunity to build your repertoire of decision-making tools to guide you towards success in the future.
