What's Going to Happen Next?

Right about this time of the new year we're wiping off the gravy from the corners of our mouths, sending thank-you notes to those who sent us Holiday Gifts[i], trying to figure out how to quickly get rid of the dry tree on the side yard that's become a fire hazard, and feeling guilty about the fact the outside lights are still up on the house. You at least turned them off on January 2nd so that’s something I guess.

Me? I’ve got all but one of those details checked off my list and I STILL managed to write the Annual SVB Wine Report which is now in the final stages of production. Those of you with lights up on your house still: You should look ashamed! That’s right. Put your head down and look ashamed. OK now you can look up because it’s time to look out to what's in store for the wine business in 2014 and beyond.

We will be releasing the SVB Annual State of the Industry Report next Thursday January 16^th, and will be hosting a live Video Conference same day from our Silicon Valley Bank Studios where we will discuss the findings of the report which include things like, predicted sales growth in the wine business in 2014, changes in consumer spending, bulk wine supply, expectations for wine and grape supply, financial performance of the business, expected impacts from Mergers & Acquisitions, and updates on the digital and direct world.

Joining me this year in studio for the show will be Glenn Proctor from the Ciatti Company, Paul Mabray from Vintank, and Mario Zepponi from Zepponi & Company. There will be a live chat room set up in which you can participate and share your own thoughts, comments, insights with the others watching, as well as throw digital rotten tomatos at the pannel. Or if you want, you can ask follow-on questions which we will get to at the end of the broadcast, or answer right here on the Blog following the event.
 

Last year we had people from about 12 states and 5 countries[ii] participate, most of whom stayed on for the full hour, so it seems to be a successful and engaging format. Please note you may need to set your computer up with a download to view the telecast beforehand, so please don't wait until the last minute to sign up.

Now for gawds sake, go take those lights down! 

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[i] I didn’t get to my thank you notes this year yet. So .... herewith I would like to publicly, enthusiastically and with complete sincerity - albeit a complete lack of protocol or form, thank Merryvale Winery, Twomey Cellars, Switchback Ridge, Ferrari Carano, Ziata, the Napa Reserve, and Duckhorn for their lovely holiday contributions which helped offset the impact of my tryptophan overdose, helping end my writers block and appropriately focus. Without their support, this page would be blank. If there were others who I left out, please let me know as my team has a tendency to raid my office while I’m away writing and ‘forget’ to tell me.

[ii] I’m being lazy and not looking up the exact participation by region, but I did note that there were 2,000 separate log-ins last year when I did recently check, so it’s a pretty popular format. Its like going to an industry seminar but you can stay in jamies, join in around a conference room screen as I know many do, or sit at your desktop while you multi-task.