2023 CLD Conference & NextGen Summit

A strong and healthy workplace culture enhances company performance, attracts and retains talent, and influences the internal and external brand conversation. This session will discuss the importance of culture, the role and impact of the leader on culture, and explore paths to strengthening workplace culture.

Speakers:

• Laura Piotrowski, President and CEO
• Jill Desmond, Ed.D., Consultant

Following the interactive workplace culture session, NextGen wholesaler leaders will have the opportunity to engage in peer-to-peer discussions on elements of their workplace culture, the alignment of company leaders and culture, and strategies to strengthen leader modeling of company culture.

All registered attendees of NextGEN are invited to meet-up for an after dinner drink at the Saint Kate.

Today’s workplace environment and talent pool require leaders to question their company’s and their personal approaches to employee engagement and management. This workshop session will seek to help industry leaders/managers evaluate themselves and their current company cultures and discuss how they might pivot to better engage with their employees. Key Leadership Traits, dynamics of Organizational Cultures and the impact each has on the other will be reviewed and debated.

Speaker: Marc Strachan, Head Coach, Coach Marc Strachan Consulting

Join WSWA’s lobbying team for an interactive workshop to understand why your involvement in state advocacy is more important than ever. This hands-on session will explain the best ways to build relationships with your state representatives, become involved in your state wholesaler association, concisely and effectively express your position, and role play your “elevator speech” with other attendees – it’s harder than you think!

Whether it be the significant deceleration in Wine sales pre-COVID with now continuing Wine volume declines, or the slowdown in Spirit growth since their rapid growth during COVID, times are tough(er).   But are there pockets of optimism?  Where is the business shifting to/from?   As we enter the summer season and with OND just around the corner, the balance of this year will be critical.

Join Dale Stratton and Danny Brager as they take a fact-based view through the lens of SipSource and other supplementary sources in examining past and present trends, and offer their thoughts on what lies ahead.

Are your team members staying engaged and productive or do you see them experiencing burnout or is quiet quitting occurring? Mental health and emotional well-being is top of mind for the workforce, and it's reshaping our roles and responsibilities as leaders and managers. This discussion will highlight some of the most pressing issues we're encountering in the wine & spirits wholesale sector, such as workplace burnout and quiet quitting, and offer solutions and tactics that leadership can utilize to create a working environment that supports the mental health and growth of their teams.

Speakers:

• Laura Louise Green, LPC, Founder, Healthy Pour 

• Jessica Pomerantz, Consultant, Healthy Pour

This year, alcohol industry members had their first chance in nearly 30 years to comment on how TTB’s trade practice regulations might be updated to reflect changes in technology and the marketplace.  In this session, hear a breakdown of what the industry said, what’s going to happen next, and what it could mean for your business. 

Moderator: 

Alan Rosenberg (RNDC)
 

Panelists: 

• Luis Gonzalez (RNDC) 

• Mike Wittenwyler (Wisconsin Wine & Spirits Institute)

• Jake Hegeman (WSWA) 

In this talk, we will dive into the world of ransomware defense, equipping you with essential knowledge and practical strategies to prepare your organization against cyber threats. Three wholesaler peers will share their own stories and have a discussion on how they navigated a ransomware attack and key lessons that they learned through the process. Cyber security expert and consultant, Lucas Morris will lead the discussion and include his pro tips to help ensure the industry stays as safe as possible!

Panelists:

Lowell Goldman, President & COO, RSL Holdings (Lipman Brothers)

Lee Hastings, Vice President, Moon/Central Distributing

Joseph Rodriguez, Assistant Director of IT, Allied Beverage Group

Lucas Morris, Security Risk Advisors (Moderator)

As next-gen owners, we have an opportunity to recruit, retain and advance diverse teams and portfolios of brands, both of which have real positive commercial upside when put into action.  Dia Simms, co-founder of Pronghorn and CEO of Lobos 1707 Tequila and Mezcal, will describe how to turn vision into action as we lead diverse practices for our companies.

Speaker: Dia Simms, Co-Founder of Pronghorn and CEO of Lobos 1707 Tequila and Mezcal

Boat leaves the dock promptly at 5:30 pm - don't be late! It is about a 10 minute walk from the St. Kate - The Arts Hotel.