CWU To Host Wine Marketing And PR Conference

April 18, 2005

Contact Amy Mumma (509-963-1754/ fax 963-1690/e-mail: mummaa@cwu.edu)

ELLENSBURG, Wash. - Washington State is the nation's second largest wine producer, with nearly 30,000 acres planted with wine grapes. Production of Washington wine has more than doubled over the past decade, making wine grapes the states fourth largest fruit crop, according to the Washington Wine Commission.

How to most effectively market Washington wine, along with that produced throughout the Pacific Northwest, will be the focus of the "Wine Industry Marketing and Public Relations Conference," to be hosted by Central Washington University on May 9-10.

Sponsored by West Coast - Vineyard and Winery Management of Windsor, Calif., the two-day conference is expected to attract attendees from Washington, Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia and will include seminar on topics such as:

• Strategies For Clear and Consistent Marketing;
• Communicating With The Press;
• Marketing for Export;
• Internet Insights -- Increase Awareness and Sales For Both Consumer and Trade;
• What Sells -- A Retailer's Point of View;
• Guerilla Marketing Techniques for Small and Medium Sized Wineries; and
• Writing a Good Press Release.

The featured speakers will include:

• Ted Baseler, president and chief executive officer of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, in Woodinville, Wash.;
• Stephen Carroll, wine retail specialist;
• Phil Cline, general manager for Yakima Cellars Winery;
• Ingo Grady, director of Sales for Mission Hill Family Wine Estate, located in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada;
• Paul Gregutt, who writes two weekly wine columns for the Seattle Times, Yakima Herald-Republic and Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, in addition to his monthly column for Pacific Northwest Magazine;
• Marie Gewirtz, a public relations specialist who has worked for wineries in Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino, Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara, Calif.; and in Argentina and Italy;
• Sid Morrison, CWU board of trustees member, who also served as a representative and senator in the Washington Legislature, as the U.S. House of Representatives member from the 4th Congressional District and state secretary of transportation. A Yakima Valley native, Morrison was also actively involved in the management of Morrison Fruit Company;
• Amy Mumma, who developed and is the coordinator and instructor for the CWU World Wine Program;
• Andy Perdue, editor of Wine Press Northwest; and
• John Schultz, founder of WineSquire.com and producer of the industry publication "SquireGuide."

The $345 per person registration fee includes seminar participation, two served lunches, two continental breakfasts, a blind tasting contest and a yearlong subscription to "Vineyard and Wine Management" magazine.

Attendees may also participate in a Northwest Wine Celebration, where they can taste "Best of the Northwest" wines paired with regional hors d' oeuvres.

For more information the Wine Industry Marketing and Public Relations Conference, or for persons of disability to arrange for reasonable accommodation, call the CWU World Wine Program at (800) 720-4505, or (for the hearing impaired) TDD (509) 963-2143.

More information is also available online at www.cwuce.org/wine-education/vwm.asp.