Additionally, it takes place at the same time as the global wine industry is reeling from the smallest global wine harvest since the 1960’s. Now is the perfect time to meet the major players within the bulk wine and spirits industry, and find out how bulk wine and spirits can play a key role in driving the future growth of your business.

What to expect at this year’s IBWSS in San Francisco

This is the second year of the IBWSS San Francisco and based on the phenomenal success of the inaugural show in 2017, expectations are high. Attendees at this year’s show will be looking for ways to leverage the bulk wine and spirits market for their own respective business models.

Companies such as Ciatti Wine Company will be discussing the latest trends and opportunities in the global bulk wine market, while noted wine industry leaders will be discussing how they built entirely new wine brands nearly overnight by taking advantage of the bulk wine market. And, of course, given the nature of the bulk wine market, a talk will naturally include discussion of topics such as shipping techniques, logistics, customs and regulatory concerns.

What makes the IBWSS San Francisco distinctive is that it is a part business conference and a part exhibition. At the same time as hundreds of people are gathering on the trade show floor at any time, hundreds more are attending presentations, workshops, and tastings. During the two-day event, there is plenty of time for impromptu business meetings and time to catch up with other peers in the industry.

Unique insights into the bulk wine and spirits market

The IBWSS San Francisco is also distinctive for the insights that it provides into the end consumer. For the distributor, retailer or on-premise establishment looking for ways to boost sales, improve profitability and sell more bottles, these types of insights can be remarkably important. That’s where the all-star speaker lineup plays such an important role – they are sharing their insights, observations, and experiences from their daily work within the industry.

Wine drinkers today want more than just varietal-driven wines at competitive price points – they want to be able to sample wines from around the world. And wine buyers, too, want to be able to switch their supply from country to country, based on external factors such as currency exchange rates and the size of local harvests. That’s where the bulk wine market offers so much flexibility.

This year’s IBWSS San Francisco is being hosted by Beverage Trade Network (BTN), which organizes events, conferences, and exhibitions for the alcohol beverage trade around the world. In fact, in February 2018, the BTN hosted a similar event in London, which attracted media attention and exposure for bringing attention to one of the most dynamic sectors of the global wine industry.

Who Attends

Each IBWSS event attracts a diverse group of wine industry participants – including retailers, distributors, negociants, contract bottlers and companies offering private label solutions. The event in San Francisco is especially relevant because California is one of the most important wine regions in the world, and certainly the highest profile wine region within the United States.

Attendees include wineries looking to meet their demand, importers looking to diversify their portfolio, retailers thinking about creating their own private labels, and brokers who are looking to meet new growers and producers. There are plenty of opportunities to meet all of them at IBWSS San Francisco and make your mark on the rapidly growing U.S. bulk wine market.

What to expect at IBWSS San Francisco

The speakers and panelists appearing at the business conference component of IBWSS San Francisco 2018 will offer their insights based on in-depth market studies and perspectives gained from successful careers within the industry. Having the chance to meet and interact with these speakers during the two-day business conference will be invaluable.

Attendees will have a unique chance to learn about every aspect of the bulk wine industry, including:

• How to build a national private label brand
• How to effectively merchandise and price private label wines
• How to set up a sales channel to double your revenue
• How to crack the code of national account sales
• How to build a brand that scales

Whether you are looking for insights on how to optimize an already-existing business model, or how to create a new business model and strategy from scratch, you will walk away with real, tangible insights that you can use to grow your business.

Speakers and panelists

This year, the strong lineup of speakers at IBWSS San Francisco includes;

• Kathy McGrath, Technical Sales, Scott Laboratories
• Kevin Boyer, President & CEO, Custom Vine
• Jeffrey P. Cody, Wine buyers for Whole Foods
• Steve Dorfman, Partner at Ciatti Company
• Eric Guerra, Chief Sales, and Marketing Officer, Terravant Wine Co.
• Kevin Mehra, President, and Founder, Latitude Beverage
• Ben Salisbury, President, Salisbury Creative Group
• Maria Peterson, Filtration Specialist, Scott Laboratories

As you can see, participants at the IBWSS San Francisco will be hearing from some of the biggest and most influential names in the industry. According to Sid Patel, CEO, and Founder of Beverage Trade Network, “No show offers greater opportunity to meet the producers and suppliers that are driving the growth of the bulk wine industry. That’s especially true given the fact that California plays such a central role in not just the bulk wine industry, but the global wine industry as a whole.”