OWB is pleased to share our draft calendar of events for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. We are working to confirm the dates outlined and of course will be monitoring the regulations in different countries for travel and events due to the ongoing pandemic but we are hopeful that we will be able to complete much of this programming by June 2022.
You can find the calendar here. Please continue to check our website and watch for communications about updates and possible changes.
Upcoming Programming
Prowein postponement update and Europe schedule change
As you have all heard by now, Prowein 2022 has now been postponed until May 15-17. Due to this schedule change, we will also be postponing our other European program to coincide with these new dates. We are still working to finalize the dates but please see below for the tentative new schedule. We should be able to confirm these dates in the next week.
May 9– Stockholm Tasting
May 12 – Paris Embassy Tasting
For those of you registered for Prowein, if you have conflicts with the new dates or do not think that you will attend, please contact Margaret at your earliest convenience. This information is important as we are continuing to build our booth for this event.
Additionally, our programming for Sweden and Denmark scheduled for February will now take place on March 21 and 22 respectively. These events do not require winery travel but are aimed to create a buzz leading up to the May programming and to make sure that we have scheduled programming in all of our target markets. A full outline of the programming will be available shortly and we will communicate the list of attendees once confirmed. The target audience will be wine journalists, sommeliers and importers.
Asia schedule change due to Europe
Because of the change in scheduling for Prowein, we need to move our scheduled programming for Korea and Japan that was scheduled for May. We are working with our partners there to determine the best options and will share them as soon as we have new dates. It is likely that these will need to be pushed back into summer 2022 or events will be held in May but without winery in-person participation. The Level 2 NW Wine Certification will also be included in the programming in Korea.
Canada and Mexico
Updates and call to register with shipment deadlines looming
The good news is that we are on schedule for both our programming in Mexico and Canada. Shipping will need to start shortly, so all wineries interested in participating in any of these events are encouraged to register as soon as possible. The deadline for these registrations is Feb. 9 due to shipment deadlines.
GBI UK Sommelier Multi-State Inbound
OWB in conjunction with WSWC and CWI will be hosting a group of 10 sommeliers from the UK using funding from a GBI grant. The original dates for this tour were the first week in March, but after discussing this with our partners we think it prudent to postpone due to the new wave of the pandemic. We are looking at finalizing dates but it is looking like the group will tentatively be in Oregon July 13 and 14. We will confirm these dates once they are finalized.
Oregon Pinot Camp Update
OWB looks forward to returning to our annual programming around Oregon Pinot Camp. As in years past, OWB will be bringing 18 key international trade members to Oregon to attend OPC as well as participate in a tour of the non-participating wineries prior to OPC. The invitations have been sent out and we will communicate the final list of attendees once they are confirmed. We are targeting trade from all sectors from seven different countries that have been nominated by wineries throughout the state.
Market Recaps
In-market contractor updates: LCBO and SAQ
The LCBO ran an online promotion over July and Aug. called Explore the Wine of Oregon that resulted in a 13% growth increase during the promotion over the same period last year. In addition, social media ad campaigns positioned on Facebook and Instagram contributed to over 9,000 clicks to the Oregon landing page at the LCBO.
Product Tender Call Information
The LCBO has opened their product call for 2022-2023. This call has been sent out to all agents and trade by the LCBO, however, we encourage you to contact your agent in Ontario to register their interest and supply products for sampling by the dates outlined here. For more information please visit their website.
The SAQ also has a product call currently. For more information, visit the SAQ website.
United Kingdom
Our partners in the UK, LOTUS has been working on various campaigns focusing on consumers and PR since we started working with them last year. To read a brief market update, which includes potential impacts of Brexit and tax increases as well as a summary of the programming we have been conducting, please see the full report. You can also access images and examples of their content creation for social media and our UK content hub. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with the team in the UK and look forward to a busy year of programming to appeal to the consumers in the UK market.
Call for success stories
As always, OWB is in need of your success stories. If you have increased sales or have secured a new import partner in a market as a result from our programming, please let us know. It is an essential piece of reporting back to the USDA to ensure we continue to get funded at our same levels. We do not share this information beyond the USDA. If you have a success story to share, please email Margaret Bray. The template to submit your success stories is available here.
