Board Meeting – Dec. 2014

Beth Costa on Jun 26, 2015

Full Board Meeting Minutes

December 10, 2014 11:00

Vintner’s Inn

 

In Attendance:  Renae, Ross, Beth, Stacy, Aaron, Carri, Carla, Kathleen, Derek, Jeff, Sue, Robert

Absent:  Kevin, Robin

 

11:05  Meeting Called to Order  by Renae

  • Prior Meeting Minutes
  • Motion to approve prior meeting minutes:  Ross / Seconded by Sue / unanimously passed

 

11: 20  Treasure Report

  • Line by Line review
    • New things tried this past year that did not work out will be taken out of 2015 budget
      • Eventbrite will not be used for assessments
      • Season Pass will not longer be offered
      • No television ads
      • No Wine Road on the Road
      • No cookbooks or Calendars
      • Pick of Vine donation to be reduced by $500
    • Increases/New items
      • Part time staff will be a full time position (Megan)
      • 40th Anniversary  will be $10,000 and if WR is awarded 10K grant for film that will be added in
  • Motion to approve budget: Derek / Seconded by Sue / unanimously passed

 

11:40  Events

  • Wine & Food Affair
    • Recipes are being edited for online book
    • 2015 ideas
      • redesign online / maybe offer print versions for easy print out
        • add in a rate/review section
        • allow for serving sizes to be adjusted
  • Winter WINEland
    • Comparing to last year, we are up in sales by at least 200 tickets
    • Still missing over 30 descriptions from wineries
  • Barrel Tasting
    • Timeline
      • posters ready to be handed out at Winter WINEland
      • Sign-ups to participate start this week
      • Ticket Sales will launch Winter WINEland Weekend
    • Pricing
      • $40 pre-event
      • $60 at door
      • $5 for designated drivers
  • Season Pass
    • Not offered for 2015 / no future plans for any type of VIP tickets
  • 40th Anniversary
    • A 2016 event – plans still pending
    • Need a large area to host a gala type event – possible looking at Sara Lee Kunde’s Grove (Now owned/operated by Kendal Jackson)
    • Ideas include:  local celebrity chefs / 40 wineries / documentary film / 5 founding wineries / food stations
    • Big push in press will be needed
    • Will form a special committee just for this event
  • Wine Tourism Day
    • No update
  • Miscellaneous Event News
    • “How To” video for Barrel Tasting on track to premiere first week of January
    • Up to vote:  Pre-event meetings to be mandatory and tied to reimbursements for Barrel Tasting and future events in 2015
      • Motion to approve;  Robert / Seconded by Ross / Unanimously passed
    • Tracking supplies
      • Here on out, wineries will be charged ticket price for every missing wristband
      • Up to vote:  Allowing every winery 4 wristbands free of cost to give to employees for Winter WINEland and Barrel Tasting
        • Motion to approve:  Kathleen / Seconded by Robert / Unanimously passed

12:40  Marketing & PR

  • Marketing Committee Report – Robin Absent
    • Beth reported that Megan will be writing  press release every 2 weeks
  • New York
    • Disappointing trip in regard to SF travel
      • press breakfast was big mess – audio visual did not work / no powerpoint
      • No offers as a big draw
  • Wine Tourism Conference
    • Food for thought – Mutineer Magazine founder as keynote speaker to focus on good marketing
  • San Diego
    • great festival
    • 4 winemakers for lunch / 18 for grand tasting
    • App is updated and allows notes to be written next to the wineries
  • Seattle
    • February 22nd – goal is to have 5 wineries total
  • Wine Road App
    • All updates are complete
  • SF Chronicle Ad
    • Turned out great / best ad that has been done on behalf of WR
      • Included full page with the QR code with beautiful landscape picture
  • Grant for Sonoma County Advertising / SoCo Tourism
    • 2 applications submitted – one for advertising and one for the documetnary film
  • Tasting Tips Video Released
    • Good feedback

 

12:50  Technology

  • New website as of December 30th
    • Everything is being switched over so completion is mandatory
  • Wine Road App Updates
    • Updates of links as events unfold

 

12:50 New Business

  • Printed quarterly update for members – instead of online
    • There was only a reported 37% open rate with the previously monthly updates, so those updates ceased
    • New idea is a printed and mailed quarterly updated

 

1:10:  New Logo

  • Review of options of new logo
    • Plan is to have 6 people come in and brainstorm with current logo ideas and possibly new ideas before moving forward with a vote for a new logo

 

1:20  Meeting Adjourned

 

Posted by Beth Costa