Registration Open for Direct to Consumer Symposium, February 24, 2009

The Direct to Consumer Symposium today announced that online registrations are being accepted for the wine industry's premier summit on direct marketing and sales at www.coalitionforfreetrade.org/symposium. The second annual event will occur on February 24, 2009 at The Meritage Resort & Spa in Napa Valley.

Presented by Coalition for Free Trade and Free The Grapes!, the Direct to Consumer Symposium will bring together the brightest wine industry minds and leaders to discuss the latest trends and tools to help wineries grow their direct to consumer businesses. It will feature speakers from inside and outside the wine industry, discussing their approaches to marketing and how they can benefit wineries.
A keynote address will be given by Bill Tancer, best-selling author of Click, What Millions of People are Doing Online and Why it Matters (Hyperion, 2008). Tancer will take us behind the scenes into the massive database of online intelligence, revealing the naked truth about how wine consumers use search engines, navigate the web, and search for wine information. In Click, Tancer demonstrates how the Internet is changing the way we absorb information and how understanding that change can be used to our advantage. He is General Manager of Global Research at Hitwise, an online competitive intelligence company, contributor to TIME.com, and was named one of the twelve people to watch by TVWeek.

"Expanding on the success of the first annual Direct to Consumer Symposium, the steering committee is creating an impressive list of speakers and dynamic topics," said event chairman Jeremy Benson. Sessions and speakers are being confirmed now, but topics will include:

-- The Three Critical Principles of CRM - Learn how to apply current technologies to manage your customer relationships, communicate in a relevant way, and learn best practices for measuring results.

-- How to Drive Sales for Non-Club Customers -- The current economic environment requires that wineries increase direct sales beyond wine club members. Learn proven strategies and tactics from wine marketing and sales experts that will increase non-wine club member sales.

-- The Capital "L" in Loyalty Marketing -- A group of loyalty marketing experts inside and outside the wine industry will discuss best practices for customer acquisition, retention, the loyalty ladder and attrition within their business.

-- Update from the State Capitols and Courts -- What states are likely to consider direct shipping legislation and how may it affect wineries' ability to access consumers? Steve Gross, Director of State Relations at Wine Institute, will provide a timely update on the post-election landscape. Tracy Genesen, Partner in Kirkland & Ellis LLP and legal counsel to the Coalition for Free Trade, will summarize direct shipping litigation around the country as it affects both wineries and retailers.

-- The Inside Scoop on Lead Generation by Source -- Ever wondered how effective a winemaker dinner, consumer tasting or wine club event was? Bring your best ideas and your burning questions to this stimulating Town Hall-style discussion. Moderators will also identify standard metrics terms and formulas to use in our industry, as well as ways to assess return on investment for each source of new customers.

For more information and updates on speakers and workshop sessions visit www.coalitionforfreetrade.org/symposium. Tickets are $250 per person through January 31, 2009, then $295. Registration includes participation in the General Session, lunch, Workshops, Trade Show and Reception. The first summit sold out, so early registration to the 2009 event is encouraged.

To receive email updates on sessions, speakers and registration, sign up to the winery email list at http://www.freethegrapes.org/signup.html.
Sponsorship packages and forms are available now for download from the event website at www.coalitionforfreetrade.org/symposium.

For other information, contact Toni Lizotte at lizotte@bensonmarketing.com or (707) 254-1115.

SOURCE: Direct to Consumer Symposium