Harpers launches conference and campaign for independent wine merchants
Posted on Mon 16th Feb 2015 at 12:04
Here at Signature we primarily deal with independent wine merchants, and know that the challenges they face whilst trying to bring an interesting, high-quality selection of wines to their local community are significant.
hilst trying to bring an interesting, high-quality selection of wines to their local community are significant. We are therefore delighted that industry magazine Harpers has launched ‘March for the Independents’, a two month long campaign to highlight the issues affecting independent retailers, which culminates in a trade conference on 3rd March 2015.
The campaign prior to the conference centres around ‘action weeks’ in February, which merchants can opt into if they feel the topics are important to their business. Issues identified thus far include: • How merchants can form better relationships with local MPs and the media; • The most effective way to import wine from around the world; • How to deal with the latest business regulations; and • How to finance business growth through new methods such as crowdfunding. A dedicated area on the Harpers website will allow independent retailers to download supporting materials, discuss issues with each other and provide access to expert business consultants. The conference itself features a packed programme that provides independent wine merchants a chance to hear from experts, discover vital business tips and tricks, and meet each other in a welcoming environment. Speakers include representatives from independent merchants, the Wine and Spirit Trade Association and wine experts such as Angela Mount and Joe Wadsack. These expert speakers will be supported by the latest data from within the trade, meaning that the opportunities for learning and discovering new ideas are huge. There will even be a special tasting of wines selected specifically for the independent sector.
Signature is delighted that March for the Independents also gives suppliers such as ourselves the chance to show support for the wine merchants we love. We’ll be shouting our support from the rooftops, as well as using the campaign to listen to your views and learn how we can better support you in future. Signature Wines Business Development Manager Dominic Thranum commented: “Here at Signature we feel this really will be a very important conference. We deal predominantly with independent wine merchants, so we understand how important it is for them to have one voice and it will help us learn how we can support their businesses going forward. There are some notable key speakers with years of experience within the trade and will be backed with the latest trade data, so will be a very informative event.”