Napa, CA, November 21, 2017 – The Steering Committee for the 11th annual Direct to Consumer Wine Symposium is pleased to announce an additional keynote topic focused on the impact of cannabis on wine commerce. The summit takes place January 17-18, 2018, at the Hilton Concord Hotel in Concord, California.
Grapes to Grass: How Will Wine and Cannabis Work Together?
This panel discussion will address how new cannabis regulations will affect commerce in the wine business. What is the potential for future winery partnership as well as competition for market share? What are the similarities to wine marketing, hospitality and consumer trends? Brian Baker, VP Sales and Marketing at Chateau Montelena, will moderate the panel comprised of Scott Zeramby, consultant to regulators and product manufacturers as well as CEO and Director of Mendocino Agricultural Products; and Omar Figueroa, a pioneering cannabis lawyer in California’s cannabis industry.
Additional keynotes at the DTC Wine Symposium will address the applications of mixed reality, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things for the wine business; an update on DTC Legislation; and a sneak peak of 2017 DTC shipping data. Details about the rest of the DTC Wine Symposium 2018 program is at http://dtcwinesymposium.com/program
About the Direct to Consumer Wine Symposium
The DTC Wine Symposium is presented by and a fundraiser for Free the Grapes! The event has raised more than $1 million for Free the Grapes’ PR campaign, and the Coalition for Free Trade’s legal work (CFT “retired” in 2014 after achieving its goals). These two groups have worked closely with industry representatives and regional associations to streamline onerous regulations and to increase the number of legal states from 17 to 44, which represent nearly 94% of the US population. The DTC Wine Symposium is the primary fundraiser for Free the Grapes! and provides funding to continue its role streamlining regulations, opening new states and defending existing statutes which support legal, regulated DTC wine shipments.
To register, visit www.dtcwinesymposium.com. Early bird discounts end December 7.
