| Wednesday, March 12, 2025 | |
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| 8:00 am | REGISTRATION |
| Registration for Central Coast Insights 2025 | |
| 8:30 am - 8:45 am | WELCOME | Eric Jorgensen, President - WineBusiness Monthly |
| Opening remarks to preview the day and provide timely updates. | |
| 8:45 am - 9:45 am | The Central Coast Economic Outlook |
| What is the economic outlook for the Paso Robles wine industry and wine tourism on the Central Coast? Is the narrative the same as the economic reality? Dr. Christopher Thornberg will deliver a dynamic presentation with objective, empirical, and insightful data-driven findings from the recent economic impact study conducted by Beacon Economics. Presented by Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance + City of Paso Robles. Introduction by Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance Executive Director Joel Peterson. Speaker: Dr. Christopher Thornberg, Beacon Economics |
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| 9:45 am - 10:15 am | State of the Central Coast Wine Business |
| The reality of changing consumer preferences is here. Combined with the challenges presented by the economy and labor market, how can Central Coast wineries best respond? Quickly adapting to changing demands and adjusting strategies to best meet customer needs will provide pathways to success. Speakers: Kaleigh Theriault, Director of Thought Leadership, NIQ Beverage Alcohol Vertical |
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| 10:15 am - 10:30 am | Morning Break |
| 10:30 am - 11:45 am | Navigating Financial Success: Insights from the C-Suite |
| Leaders from the C-Suite will share their perspectives on critical financial and operational challenges facing their businesses. This session will delve into a variety of timely topics, including benchmarking success, strategies for navigating high interest rates and the impact on capital allocation and operational costs, as well as the current landscape of funding availability and how it affects growth and investment decisions. Other key topics may include inventory management, supply chain disruptions and further reflection on OND. Moderator: Terry Lease, Cal Poly Wine Business Professor Speakers: Anuj Girdhar, CFO, O'Neil Vintners & Distillers Joe Ruiz, CFO, Presqu'ile |
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| 11:45 am - 1:00 pm | Networking Lunch |
| 1:00 pm - 1:30 pm | Central Coast Wine and Grape Supply |
| A cold and rainy spring led into a summer marked by a record number of hot days and resulted in a 2024 harvest that was both a bit early and a bit lighter than expected. But how is the 2024 vintage shaping up and what’s the outlook for bulk wine and grape supply levels? Speaker: Glenn Proctor, Global Wine & Grape Broker, Ciatti |
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| 1:30 pm - 2:15 pm | Mergers and Acquisitions – The Last Sip: Strategic Insights for Wine Industry Asset Sales and Exits |
| Explore the motivations behind wine industry divestitures and learn about the issues that impact the assets that can be involved in a sale—from vineyards and production equipment to brand rights and inventory. This program equips wine business owners with strategic insights to maximize value during their divestiture or exit, covering key considerations that may drive a sale, how to generate stakeholder consensus for exits, as well as post-closing risks and contingent liabilities. Speakers: Greg LeSaint, Partner, Farella Braun Martel Jenny Heinzen, Broker & Owner, Vineyard Professional Real Estate |
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| 2:15 pm - 2:30 pm | Afternoon Break |
| 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm | Big Box Store Insights from The Wine Buyer |
| What insights can we gain from big box stores? What current trends should producers be following? Learn from top wine retailers what is selling and what is sitting on shelves and how to navigate the ever-changing beverage market. |
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| 3:30 pm | CLOSING REMARKS | Eric Jorgensen, President - WineBusiness Monthly |
| Thank you for Attending! | |
| 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm | Bottle Bash Central Coast |
| Join WineBusiness Monthly for the Central Coast edition of Bottle Bash—a night of networking, collaboration and celebration. WineBusiness Monthly is bringing Bottle Bash, the party that kicks off each year’s Unified Wine & Grape Symposium, to Paso Robles as part of the Central Coast Insights and WiVi Central Coast events. Hundreds of local winemakers, growers, speakers and sponsors will gather following the Central Coast Insights conference. | |