Board of Directors Meeting

January 17th, 2019 | 9:00 AM

Idaho Wine Commission Office | 821 West State Street | Boise, Idaho 83702

Present

Board: Mike Williamson, Williamson Vineyards; Jake Cragin, Skyline Vineyard; Crystal Potter, Potter Wines; Earl Sullivan, Telaya Wine Co.; Greg Koenig, Koenig Vineyards

Commission: Moya Dolsby, Brenna Christison and Ashlee Struble

Commission Via Google Hangouts: Sara Dirks

Other: Roger Batt, Legislative Educator; Dain Johnson, Legislative Educator Intern; Jeremy Pisca, Risch + Pisca, LLC; Jim Thomssen, DL Evans Bank; Sophie Sestero, Fahlgren/Mortine; John Curtis, Fahlgren/Mortine

Call To Order

Dolsby called the meeting to order at 9:00 AM.

Introductions

Dolsby welcomed everyone to the January Board Meeting. Dolsby announced Jim Thomssen is retiring Friday and sent him off with congratulations.

Approval of Minutes

Dolsby presented the December 2018 Board Meeting Minutes. With no need for discussion, Potter moved to approve the minutes as presented. Seconded. Motion carries.

Financial Report

Christison presented the December 2018 Financials. With no need for discussion, Williamson moved to approve the December Financials as presented. Seconded. Motion carries.

Legislative Report 

Legislative Educator, Roger Batt, gave a brief overview of the legislation the Idaho Wine Commission will be bringing forward for this year’s Legislative Session. The State of Affairs Committee is ready to hear legislation and waiting for Idaho Division of Financial Management (DFM) for the final draft. There is a meeting scheduled with Governor Little on February 6th and this meeting will be about the DFM process and how the Governor plans to proceed.

Batt went over the protection acts for farming and land zoning to the Board. Laws are in place to help preserve and protect farmland. It was suggested that Dolsby send Batt SCORIA’s information to have them get in contact with each other to go over these protect laws for land zoning in Canyon County.

Falhgren/Mortine Presentation

Sestero presented to the Board on Fahlgren/Mortine’s Communications Overview from projects in 2018. Those highlights included:

• Media Tours – hosted 8 journalists
• Southern Idaho – hosted 8 journalists
• Coverage on our industry as a result from these journalists
• Validating to a national audience our Idaho wines
• Speaker training to the whole Idaho Wine Commission staff and Board of Directors

Sestero finished the 2018 recap with a results video she presented to the Board. Sestero then presented on the 2019 projects they are partnering with the Idaho Wine Commission for. Projects included:

• Grower Incentive Program
• Creative and Advertising that includes advertising and updates to the tour brochure
• Marketing Automation – Awareness & Advocacy
• Website Revisions
• Media Missions
• Consumer 101 – Consumer Focused
• Idaho Wines on the Road – Idaho Wine Roadshow and Restaurant Support Program
• Ongoing Media Relations
• Continuing to Come Up With New Ideas

Sophie Sestero and John Curtis left the meeting

Executive Director Report

Membership/HR

• Annual meeting planning for 2019
• Grant management
• Staffing
• Budget
• Management of all projects
• Quarterly staff reviews
• Legislation Planning
• Wine Competition Brainstorm
• Sippin’ in the City Brainstorm
• Grower Incentive Plan
• Website – still issues
• Tour Brochure Planning
• Field Media Inquiries
• Consumer 101 Bootcamp Planning
• Trade Tasting Brainstorming

Marketing

• Kicking off all our Falgren/Mortine Projects

Meetings

• 12/13 Amanda Watson
• 12/14 Caterpillar-Jesikah CFO
• 12/14 Wine Competition – Eric D.
• 12/14 WineAmerica Call
• 12/17 Steve Burns Call
• 12/17 Sara Quarterly Meeting
• 12/17 Lejo BSU Researcher
• 12/18 Beer Commission Talks
• 12/18 Rizen and Falgren/Mortine Website
• 12/18 ISDA/Tourism
• 12/18 Idaho Preferred
• 12/18 DBA Board Meeting
• 12/18 SWITA Board Meeting
• 12/19 VISTAGE
• 12/120 From the Ashes – Northern Idaho Event
• 12/20 VISTAGE Chicks
• 12/21 Karen Sander HDR
• 1/3 Falgren/Mortine Kick off
• 1/4 VISTAGE 1-2-1
• 1/7 IACI Reception
• 1/8 Distributor’s Council Meeting
• 1/8 Fahlgren/Mortine Consumer 101
• 1/8 John Curtis Fahlgren/Mortine
• 1/9 Savannah – Capital Press
• 1/9 Idaho Preferred Annual Meeting
• 1/9 Garden Event Committee
• 1/10 Leah Clark
• 1/10 Alli Tuzinksi
• 1/10 DBA Board Ops
• 1/15 DBA Board Meeting
• 1/15 Fahlgren/Mortine Marketing Automation
• 1/16 VISTAGE

Education Report

Grants

2016/2018 Grant: $5,867.43 Remaining (Extended Through July 2019)

• $4,417.33 – UC Davis Seminars
• $1,450.10 – Vineyard Project

2017/2019 Grant: $32,574.77 Remaining

• UC Davis Seminars - $8,950
• Annual Meeting Travel - $3,592.85
• Vineyard Consultant Travel - $1,125.92
• Winery Consultant (Annual Meeting) - $6,906
• Grower Incentive - $12,000

2018/2020 Grant: $47,750

• Economic Impact Study - $35,000
• Consumer Wines 101 - $12,750

Idaho Wine Competition

• August 20, 2019
• Koenig Vineyards – confirmed

Vineyard Consultant

• Next visit will be at the Annual Meeting – round table session on Tuesday, February 26th 1 PM – 2 PM
  • 6 individual meetings confirmed at this time

Annual Meeting 2019 – February 26th – 27th, 2019

• Speakers confirmed
• Speaker Fees and Speaker Travel covered by Grant
• Agenda can be found on website and Campaign Monitor emails

Wine Field Trip

• Grant Funds to offset some costs
• Dates changed to May 8th and 9th
• Full day in the vineyard on May 8th
• Canopy Management and Your Irrigation System
• Board suggested that we should move forward to a Wednesday and Thursday
• Educational focused

UC Davis

• 2016 Grant Funds Expire July 2019 (Extension) – 4 Registrations Remaining
• 2017 Grant Funds Expire September 2019 – Currently 6 Registrations Remaining

Brand Loyalty Report

Grants

2017/19 Grant: $31,584.55 Remaining

• $15,728 PR Contractual – Southern Idaho Media Tour, Media Relations Fee, Video Promotion
• $10,795.50 Marketing Contractual – Website Platform, Education Page, Event Sites
• $5,061.05 – Journalist Travel for Visits and Media Tours

2018/2020. Grant: $122,510 Remaining

• Marketing Automation - $75,000
• San Francisco Media Mission - $21,510
• Advertising - $26,000 

Savor Idaho – Sunday, June 9th, 2019– Tickets on sale March 1, 2019 – Registration open – 15 Sponsors, 7 Wineries 6 Exhibitors

Savor Idaho North – Saturday, August 10th, 2019 – Tickets on sale June 1, 2019 – 4 Sponsors  

Idaho Wine Month – Met with distributors and received contact information for store chains – emailed store chains – tool kit will be updated

San Francisco Media Mission

• April 9-12
• Partnership with Idaho Tourism
• Fahlgren/Mortine Grant Project

Go West Tour

• Thursday, February 28th
• Partnership with SWITA
• Bringing a group of 30 people to Sunnyslope
• Visiting 3 wineries

Social Media & Website – October - November 2018

• Facebook – 5,414 Followers
• Twitter – 5,969 Followers
• Instagram – 5,499 Followers
• Website – 2,621 Page Views

Event Participation

• Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry Legislation Reception – January 27th
• Unified Grape & Wine Symposium – January 29th – 31st
• Destination Beer – February 23rd
• Beer Conference – March 26th and 27th
• Coeur D’Alene Food & Wine Festival – April 12th – 14th

Possible Event Glass Sponsorship

• Lewis-Clark Valley Wine Alliance Inaugural Event
• Eagle Plein Festival
• Sunnyslope Wine Trail Festival
• A Chef’s Affaire
• Festival at Sandpoint Taste of the Stars
• Caldwell Chamber of Commerce Farm to Fork

Brand Loyalty Meeting Focus

Idaho Wine Commission and Board went through each event and asked the following questions:

• What should we keep doing?
• What do you dislike?
• How can it be better?

Savor Idaho

• Would like to see more trade at the event
• Walk around the event and pour?
• “Exit through the gift shop”
• Continue handing out bread
• Looking at moving Savor Idaho in 2020 for two-day event
• Work on getting all wineries there
• List of volunteers to pour for wineries that can’t staff
• Deliver the sales
• Savor Idaho Merchandise
• Make sure we have merchandise at Savor Idaho
• Bigger tables for the wineries
• Open additional check in – multiple entrances
• Be cautious to not dilute the event by going to two-days

Savor Idaho North

• Fun event
• Lack of distribution for Northern Idaho
• Important for Northern Idaho Wineries
• Advertising heavily in Spokane
• Talk to tourism departments to market event

Sippin’ in the City

• Liked venue
• Looking to make the event two-days
• Maybe hold one day in November and another day in January/February
• Draw traffic to the wineries in January/February – wineries want this
• Perhaps do Sippin in CDA

Roger Batt and Dain Johnson left the meeting

Idaho Wine Month

• Move Idaho Wine Month to earlier in the year to increase sales?
• Like how it’s in the same month as Savor Idaho

Boot Camp

• Work on not having repeat people
• Number of attendees was good
• Make sure there was room in booked tasting rooms
• Spread the word more – Distributor help
• Focus on having buyers as attendees
• Have the same event but focus on Tasting Room Staff (January and February) 
• Tailor the invitation list to focus on buyers

Jeremy Pisca left the meeting

Idaho Wine Competition

• Keep the level of judges high
• Continued creditability
• Continue with touring judges after the competition
• Go to other competitions to see who is judging
• Create list of judges as an option and send to Eric

Media Tours

• Continue to do more

Merchandise

• Put merchandise in the Buy Idaho Shop
• Hats, tumblers, etc – anything to show local
• Clearly stated that merchandise goes to educational fund/scholarship fund
• Stickers
• Mission behind the merchandise
• Stick to non-sized items
• Potentially take off the website
• Airport

Trade Tasting

• Looking at having this event in April
• 10-15 wineries, perhaps more if there’s interest
• Buyers and distributors
• Don’t limit wineries
• Having wineries send out the information to their buyers

Advertising

• Social media boosts
• Targeted mailings
• Call to action targeting other cities (Example: Salt Lake City, Denver)
• Tourism and Real Estate Agents

Discussion

1. Next Meeting – March 21st, 2019 – IWC Office  - 5 Year Plan/Budget Review  

Adjourn

Potter moved to adjourn the meeting at 11:00 AM. Seconded. Motion carries.

Respectfully Submitted,

Ashlee Struble, Industry Relations,

Idaho Wine Commission

Next Board Meeting: March 21st, 2019 at 9 AM at the Idaho Wine Commission Office 

Join in for the Board Meeting! We have moved forward with a virtual meeting via Google Hangouts. You will just need a gmail account and let us know you would like to join so we can add you to the call. This way, you will be able to hear and see our presentation!