Wine Tech: Don’t Fail Me Now!
Maybe it’s just the proximity of the Wine 2.0 event and the annual Wine Industry Technology Symposium (WITS) that takes place next month, but it seems "technology" is quite the buzzword in the wine industry these days. Or it could just be that I’ve been obsessed with technology over the past two weeks since it has failed me in numerous ways as one computer system and network system after another has gone down at Wark Communications. But I don’t think it’s the latter.
While Wine 2.0 might be the "cool" wine tech event, WITS is the industry’s "this-is-very-serious-business" event. You can tell just how serious this event is just by looking at the impressively bulky URL it uses for it’s website: http://www.wineindustrytechnologysymposium.com
In truth this event, held on July 17 at Napa’s Meritage Hotel, is a comprehensive look at how technology affects and is used by nearly every element of the wine industry from the consumer to the producer and everything else in between. As an example, here are the seminars and panel discussions that will be held at WITS:
1: Advances in Sales Automation and Category Management
2: Cutting Edge Retailer Models
3: New Developments in Supply Chain Technologies, Strategies
4: The Five Habits of Successful Wineries
5: Consumer Direct Compliance, From A to Z
6: Understanding and Maximizing Web 2.0
7: Tips for Successful Technology Project Management
8: Systems that Drive Net Performance Incentives
9: Meeting Compliance Challenges Head-on
10: Advances in Wine Production Tools
11: Trends in Vineyard Management Systems
12: Streamlining Barrel Management
I hear that the "Streamlining Barrel Management" seminar is not to be missed. I’ll be sitting on the "Understanding and Maximizing Web 2.0" panel where I’ll have something to say about the potential for community development and building brand loyalty and the changes in the wine media that are all related to Web 2.0 and blogging.
WITS is one of the more affordable big wine industry trade events. Registration fees are $375 per person before June 30th; $425 per person starting July 1.
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