Wine Industry Suppliers Australia (WISA) has announced an updated list of speakers for the Wine Industry IMPACT Conference, ‘Making A Direct IMPACT’, to be held in Adelaide on the 18th October 2018.

Dr Violet Lazarevic from Endeavour Drinks Group will engage delegates with glimpses of the future wine industry while exploring the challenges presented by an increasingly savvy and constantly changing consumer base.

Peter Bailey from Wine Australia will present the results of Australia’s first comprehensive survey of the growing winery DTC and Cellar Door sales channels and outline how wineries can use this  information to make informed business decisions.

Internationally recognised DTC expert Sandra Hess from DTC Wine Workshops will examine best practices, case studies and proven methodologies from US wine producers. Hess also illustrates how consumer demand is shaping the way producers can leverage technology, talent and tools to remain competitive.

Charlotte Prouse from Destination Marketing Store will share the very latest in global consumer behaviour research and explain how to apply these findings to visitor attraction and retention strategies.

The final keynote comes from Revel Global representative Dan Sims who will comment on ‘why wine is cooler now than ever before’.

A series of panel-style workshops will support the speaker program.

Six sessions will showcase three experts ready to drill down on key industry topics including Cellar Doors, Visitor Experience, Data Insights and Analytics, Customer Engagement, Online Sales Strategies and Interactive Marketing.

The conference is attracting significant national interest with both large and small producers registering to take advantage of early bird discounts. Manda Duffy from Australian Vintage Ltd and two of her NSW team members were among the first delegates to register.

“[It is] An initiative from industry around the contribution of DTC to the Australian wine landscape and, more importantly, the steps to gather and analyse data to help build capabilities and competitiveness,” Duffy said.

I don’t know anyone who can afford not to understand this dynamic sector better. Confidential Survey, tick! Conference, tick!”

WISA executive officer Matthew Moate said that the IMPACT conference is on track for a sell-out crowd.

“This is a not to be missed conference offering a high-value educational and networking opportunity.

“It will connect stakeholders, share valuable insights and offer practical strategies to maximise DTC sales channels.”

Early bird tickets (from $395) AVAILABLE UNTIL 31 August. Standard registration (from $495) will apply thereafter.