Pictures from the Wine Industry Technology Symposium July 2008 in Napa
http://www.flickr.com/photos/drinkman240/
WITS 2008 Announcement
Industry Leaders, Technology Experts to Gather at Fourth Annual
Wine Industry Technology Symposium on July 14-15, 2008
April 15, 2008, Napa, CA – Wine Industry Technology Symposium (WITS)®, the premier event showcasing strategic use of information technology and services for the wine industry, will hold its fourth annual conference July 14-15, 2008 at the Marriot Napa Valley. www.wineindustrytechnologysymposium.com
Join executives from wineries, distributors and retailers at the only annual conference designed exclusively to foster education and debate around the application of technology solutions for the wine industry. Following the keynote general session, expert panels will discuss case studies and issues grouped into the following four tracks:
- Track A: Executive & Technology Leadership
- Track B: Consumer Direct
- Track C: Trade Sales & Marketing
- Track D: Vineyard & Winery Operations
“In this uncertain economic environment, it is vital to get it right when it comes to your route to market and the strategic and tactical use of enabling technology,” said J. Smoke Wallin, WITS Co-Chair. “WITS is the only place where winery owners and GMs can sit side by side for a day of learning and discussion with CIOs and other technology leaders from the across the three tiers and the technology community,” he added.
The WITS Steering Committee, made up of technology and business leaders across the wine industry, is currently finalizing panel topics and speakers. Past speakers have included the CIOs of FedEx Kinkos and 1800-Flowers, as well as experts from IBM, Oracle and Cornell University.
Sign up early in order to guarantee a spot at this year’s conference. There are a limited number of spots available and last year’s event sold out quickly. For more information and to register, visit www.wineindustrytechnologysymposium.com.
About The Wine Industry Technology Symposium (WITS)
The Wine Industry Technology Symposium (WITS) was created in 2005 by a group of wine industry and technology professionals. The purpose of WITS is to address the unique information technology and services needs of the wine industry. WITS is dedicated to bringing the world’s leading wineries, distributors and retailers together with some of the world’s leading technology experts to foster learning and discussion. Panels of experts discuss specific examples and case studies involving winemaking, vineyard management, consumer direct marketing and sales, operations, financial management, trade sales and distribution. www.wineindustrytechnologysymposium.com
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Media Contact:
Lesley P. Berglund, WITS Co-Chair, 707-246-6827
May 4 WITS update – panels announced
WINE INDUSTRY TECHNOLOGY SYMPOSIUM
ANNOUNCES PANELS FOR JULY 17 CONFERENCE
Schedule and Registration Now Online
NAPA, Calif., May 4, 2007 – Panel topics are set for the third annual Wine Industry Technology Symposium (WITS), the industry’s premier forum addressing information technology challenges, solutions and trends. WITS will be held July 17, 2007 at the Meritage Resort, Napa, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. To review the schedule and register, please visit www.wineindustrytechnologysymposium.comFollowing a general session, breakout panels will be organized into separate tracks tailored to address the needs of executives in trade sales, consumer direct marketing and sales, finance/management, and operations:·
Track A: Trade Sales and Marketing. a. Panel 1: Advances in Sales Automation and Category Management
b. Panel 2: Cutting Edge Retailer Models
c. Panel 3: New Developments in Supply Chain Technologies, Strategies
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Track B: Consumer Direct Sales and Marketing
a. Panel 4: The Five Habits of Successful Wineries
b. Panel 5: Consumer Direct Compliance, From A to Z
c. Panel 6: Understanding and Maximizing Web 2.0
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Track C: Finance and General Management
a. Panel 7: Tips for Successful Technology Project Management
b. Panel 8: Systems that Drive Net Performance Incentives
c. Panel 9: Meeting Compliance Challenges Head-on
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Track D: Vineyard & Winery Operations
a. Panel 10: Advances in Wine Production Tools
b. Panel 11: Trends in Vineyard Management Systems
c. Panel 12: Streamlining Barrel Management
A “Technology Showcase” will follow the breakout panels, allowing sponsors to showcase their products and services in a trade show format. But the general session and panels will focus heavily on information sharing by users of technology in order to provide relevant, valuable information for attendees. “This year we’ve created a sharper separation between commercial and educational components,” said Lesley P. Berglund, co-chair, “and that will help achieve our objective of providing the industry with a collegial atmosphere for addressing IT challenges and solutions, and surfacing some breakthrough ideas,” she added.
Registration fees are $375 per person before June 30th; $425 per person starting July 1.
Registration fees are $300 for multiple attendees from the same company. Fees include attendance at the general session, panels, lunch and the Technology Showcase. To register online or by fax, visit www.wineindustryfinancialsymposium.com.
About the Wine Industry Technology Symposium
WITS was created in 2005 by a group of wine industry and technology professionals to address the unique information technology needs of the wine industry. WITS is dedicated to creating the premier forum for collaboration among wineries, wholesalers, retailers and leading technology experts to foster learning and discussion. For more information, and to register, visit www.wineindustrytechnologysymposium.com, or call (707) 261-8716. WITS is co-chaired by Lesley P. Berglund and J. Smoke Wallin.
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Media Contact:
Lesley P. Berglund, co-chair, (707) 246-6827
