Completed Webinar
Webinar Title: Your Voice, Our Future – Vintage Relief Program Town Hall
Date: Thursday, May 15, 2025
Presenter: Jeff Guignard, CEO, Wine Growers BC
Description: With another short crop forecasted -driven in part by replanting efforts following the 2024 winter damage- many wineries are asking about possibly extending the Vintage Relief and Support Replacement Program. As this issue impacts our entire industry, WGBC hosted a virtual Town Hall event to hear directly from winery professionals.
Presenter File >
WGBC Crafted in BC Communications & PR Plan Progress Report >
Wine Grape Industry Task Force ERP Recommendations to Government >
Completed Webinar
Webinar Title: Wine Club Managers Webinar
Date: Wednesday, May 7, 2025
Presenters: Krissy Neilsen (Krissy Neilsen Communications), Heather Weber (MNP), Geoff McIntyre (MNP)
Description: Building on the momentum and success of our in-person Wine Club Roundtable session at the BC Wine Industry Insight Conference (March 2025), Wine Growers British Columbia is pleased to welcome back Krissy Neilsen to moderate this event. This follow-up webinar will dive deeper into key wine club challenges and opportunities. Guided by informal survey results and shared experiences, we’ll explore practical strategies and actionable solutions to help you grow and refine your club. Sponsored by MNP, Heather Weber will also be on hand to provide attendees with an informative presentation on navigating interprovincial tax structures and compliance in direct-to-consumer shipping.
Completed Webinar
Webinar Title: TikTok for BC Wine Brands – a Wine Growers British Columbia Member Webinar
Date: February 16, 2023
Narrator: Kelly Josephson, Communications Manager, Wine Growers British Columbia & MILA Media Co.
Description: Wine Growers British Columbia has partnered with MILA Media Co. to bring full member wineries this valuable and timely webinar on building your brand on TikTok. TikTok is the sixth most-used social media platform in the world and attracts a typically younger audience. It is clear this channel is fast-growing and here to stay. This webinar will focus on best practices for BC wine brands in terms of building and posting content on TikTok. Ahead of the webinar, review the WGBC Social Media Guide which includes our TikTok strategy.
Completed Webinar
Webinar Title: Wine Growers BC Member Portal Virtual Tour
Date: December 2, 2022
Narrator: Kelly Josephson, Communications Manager, Wine Growers British Columbia
Description: This video features a virtual tour of the new member portal launched on WineBC.com/Industry. The tour covers where the member portal is located, how to access it, how to customize your account details, and where to find member exclusive opportunities and resources. For additional member portal support please email info@winebc.com.
Completed Webinar
Webinar Title: The Singapore Wine Market – Trends and Opportunities
Date: Monday June 27, 2022
The Panelists: Richard Hemming (Head of Wine, 67 Pall Mall), Marcus Lai (Importer/Distributor – Asian Wine Cellar), Jonathan Siah (Consultant, Fluid Enterprise)
Description: This webinar features three experienced wine industry who shares their insight on trends and opportunities in the Singapore market. They discuss pricing, mark ups and potential sales channels, along with procurement processes and how sommeliers and F&B buyers curate their wine lists. Open to all producers currently in or interested in learning about the Singapore wine market.
Presentation Links:
Richard Hemming (Head of Wine, 67 Pall Mall)
Completed Webinar
Webinar Title: The UK Wine Market
Date: Tuesday May 3, 2022
The Panelists: Sue Harris, MD of Westbury Communications, Jamie Wynne-Griffiths, MD of Propeller, Donald Edwards, Head Sommelier of La Trompette, and Ben Franks, CEO of Novel Wines
Description: This webinar will focus on Canada’s potential and place in the UK market, open to all producers currently in or wishing to enter the UK market so please share this information with others who might be interested.
Completed Webinar
Webinar Title: Wine Exporting 101
Date: Thursday, February 24 (10:00 AM)
Webinar Host: Allison Boulton, Export Navigator
Guest Speakers: Amber Piché, Export Advisor Thompson Okanagan region, B.C.’s Export Navigator program
Janet Dorozynski, Trade Commissioner, Canadian Wine, Beer and Spirits
Laura Kittmer, Communications Director, Wine Growers British Columbia
Description:
– If you are interested in the Canadian Wine Initiative, please email Janet directly to learn more
– CanExport SMEs funding for international growth – the FAQs and applicants guide are very useful!
– To find HS codes, we used the Canada Tariff Finder to explore tariff information of countries when Canada has a free trade agreement in force
– Tariff information by country, when Canada does not have a FTA in force
a. Free Trade Agreements list of Canada’s Trade and Investment Agreements
b. To learn more about Incoterms 2020 Know Your Incoterms (trade.gov)
c. Market research
- Interprovincial regulations – direct shipping chart on slide 16 is from WineLaw.ca Contact Mark Hicken mark@winelaw.ca
- Country and sector information for international business (tradecommissioner.gc.ca)
- International agri-food market intelligence – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)
Completed WGBC Webinar
Webinar Title: WGBC Excise Tax Webinar
Date: Thursday, February, 10 (10:00 AM)
Presenters: Dan Paszkowski, President and CEO of Wine Growers Canada, Kristian Hui, Managing Partner, CSL Consultants
Dan Paszkowski, President and Chief Executive Officer, Wine Growers Canada
Dan has been with Wine Growers of Canada (WGC) since January 2006. Well-known and respected in federal circles, Dan has extensive experience in senior roles in government relations, policy and politics for 30 years. Throughout his career, Dan has led major advocacy campaigns and built alliances on key policy issues.
Dan’s been instrumental in the development of industry’s proposed Wine Growers Quality Enhancement Program (WGQEP) excise tax exemption replacement program and will provide an update on its status with government.
Kristian Hui, Managing Partner, CSL Consultants
Kristian has over 20 years of experience working with the Canada Revenue Agency specializing in excise duty. He has held various key positions within the Excise Department, including Officer, Technical Advisor, Team Leader and Regional Manager for the Pacific Region. In 2002, as a small business auditor, he was chosen to be part of the implementation team for Excise Act, 2001. In addition to Cannabis Kristian has vast audit and compliance experience in the liquor industry auditing breweries, wineries, and distilleries on excise duty compliance.
Kristian is widely respected in the liquor and cannabis industries for his technical knowledge and deep understanding of the complexities of all the federal and provincial regulations and will provide an overview of what wineries should be considering in advance of the pending loss of the excise duty exemption scheduled for July 1, 2022.
Completed WGBC Webinar
Webinar Title: Email Marketing Best Practices for BC Wine Brands
Date: Thursday, September 9 (10:00 AM)
Webinar Host: Wine Growers BC is pleased to present Marie Hunter of Hunter Digital
Description: Wine Growers British Columbia welcomed digital marketing professional Marie Hunter of Hunter Digital to present on Email Marketing Best Practices for BC Wine Brands. Marie is an independent consultant who has contributed to Small Business BC and Destination British Columbia (DBC). She has presented at the BC Tourism Conference and at DBC’s Grow with Google workshops, delivered webinars for tourism industry associations, and teaches regularly at DBC’s Digital Tourism Academy on email marketing and lead generation.
What was covered in this webinar:
- Best practices for email marketing campaigns for wine brands; Dos and Donts
- Examples of email marketing tips and tricks to help you convert and sell wine
- The power of a welcome email with template examples
- Segmenting your audience. How and why
- Frequency of email marketing; how much is enough?
- Affordable and effective email marketing platforms for small- to medium-sized businesses
Completed WGBC Webinar
Webinar Title: 6 Steps to Painless Accountability Improvement
Date: Thursday, June 22, 2021 | 10:00AM – 11:00AM
Webinar Host: Renée Safrata, CEO & Founder, Vivo Team Development
Description: Does your team avoid conflict? Is being liked more important than being respected? This can be a sign of lack of accountability, which may result in low-quality work, missed deadlines, and passive-aggressive conflict.
Learn and discuss how to hold people accountable so that it inspires and motivates them to perform, increasing the strength of your team in the process and creating a sense of belonging.
Accountability leads to higher engagement, increased satisfaction, and a huge ROI.
For more than 30 years, Renée Safrata, CEO and Founder, Vivo Team Development, has worked with thousands of companies and executives throughout North America and Europe, helping them to connect, adopt new behaviours and become confident members of highly functioning teams.
Completed WGBC Webinar
Webinar Title: Social Media Video Strategies for 2021
Date: Thursday, June 10, 2021 | 10:00AM – 11:00AM
Webinar Host: The Wine Growers BC, Presenter Connor Galway, Junction Consulting
Description: Wine Growers British Columbia is pleased to welcome Conner Galway, President of Junction Consulting and Marketing News Canada’s 2020 Marketing Leader of the year.
Conner has been teaching digital business strategy with some of North America’s most well-loved brands in tourism, retail and tech since 2010.
Junction first embraced video as a pivotal marketing tactic back in 2012 when they introduced live streaming to Vancouver Fashion Week, which was one of the first large scale productions of its kind. Since then, they’ve helped brands like lululemon, Article, and even the Vancouver Mayoral election as they built their abilities to take advantage of video as a communication channel.
The Team at Junction have provided a unique level of support as the world locked down in early 2020, producing over 100 hours of support and instructional video, much of it live-streamed, to help travel and tourism businesses across Canada to adapt to the sudden changes.
Currently, Conner and his team are leading a research project in partnership with Creative BC to study the shift to video that music and arts festivals across Canada were forced to make as a result of the global pandemic. In the coming weeks they’ll be publishing a set of best practices that we can all use in our ongoing video strategies.
What was covered in this webinar:
• Where video fits in your marketing strategy
• Best practices. Creative social videos that will help you get noticed AND help you sell wine
• Examples of different social video formats; Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin
• LIVE video. The value, how to start, and how to not freak out
• Virtual tastings and social video; Facebook, Instagram
• Q&A (15 minutes)
Completed WGBC Webinar
Webinar Title: Norwegian Wine Market
Date: Thursday, June 3, 2021
Description: The Canadian Trade Commissioner Service invites you to join a webinar to learn more about the Norwegian wine market. Joining us will be a local expert on the Norwegian market and representatives from the Norwegian Wine Monopoly (Vinmonopolet). The presentations will be followed by an opportunity to ask questions. Please note that this webinar will be presented in English only.
*Webinar Password: Norway101
Completed WGBC Webinar
Webinar Title: Vintage 2020 Media Preview | Part II
Date: Tuesday, May 18, 2021 | 11:00 AM
Webinar Host: The Wine Growers BC, Facilitator Barbara Philip
Description: Please join Wines of British Columbia for part II in a two-part virtual preview of BC’s 2020 Vintage. Streaming to you in the comfort and safety of your home, please join Barb Philip MW and a panel of top BC winemakers from across the province as they welcome you into BC’s diverse wine regions to discuss the 2020 vintage directly from the vineyards where the grapes are grown. Every vintage has a story to tell. We invite you to step into BC’s breathtaking wine regions to find out what makes the 2020 story so special.
FEATURING BC WINEMAKERS:
Fraser Valley: Andrew Etsell, Winemaker, Singletree Winery
Lillooet: Eckhard Zeidler, Winemaker, Cliff and Gorge Vineyards
Kootenays: Wes Johnson, Winemaker, Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery Please register for Part II below.
Completed WGBC Webinar
Webinar Title: Vintage 2020 Media Preview | Part I
Date: Tuesday, May 11, 2021 | 11:00 AM
Webinar Host: The Wine Growers BC, Facilitator Barbara Philip
Description: Please join us as we explore the 2020 vintage and why are some are calling it the vintage of the decade. BC’s newest 2020 releases are showing excellent flavour concentration, ripe tannins and great acidity and structure – it’s a vintage not to be missed.
Building off the success of last year’s first-ever virtual event, we are excited to once again bring you a virtual two-part webinar preview of BC’s 2020 Vintage. Please join Barbara Philip MW and two panels of top BC winemakers from across the province as they welcome you into BC’s diverse wine regions to discuss the 2020 vintage directly from the vineyards where the grapes are grown.
FEATURED BC WINEMAKERS:
Kelowna: Graham Pierce, Winemaker, Kitsch Wines
Naramata Bench: Kathy Malone, Winemaker, Hillside Winery
Oliver: Val Tait, Winemaker/Viticulturist, Gold Hill Winery
Completed WGBC Webinar
Webinar Title: WGBC Member Media Training Final 3.0
Date: Thursday, March 29, 2021 | 10:00 AM
Webinar Host: The Wine Growers BC, Presenter Jackie Asante, Senior Vice President of global public relations agency Fleishman Hillard HighRoad
Description: Technical skills and techniques in delivering a media interview or presentation. Attendees learn the importance of owning and knowing when NOT to own questions; understanding the “three D’s” (Defer, deflect and deliver), tips for interview preparation, messaging techniques and effective message delivery, developing your own ‘bridges’ from any questions you are faced with and more. Mock interviews, professional coaching and group discussion are conducted.
Completed WGBC Webinar
Webinar Title: WGBC Member Media Training Workshop Session 2.0
Date: Thursday, March 11, 2021 | 10:00 AM
Webinar Host: The Wine Growers BC, Facilitator Leeann Froese, Townhall Brands
Description: Time to level up! This two hour online session with questions builds on the training skills and information covered in session 1.0 and digs deeper into key message development. Attendees will learn how to develop and use ‘sound bites’, key messages, and interview strategies and how to behave on camera. Facilitated by PR and media expert Leeann Froese, co-owner of Townhall Brands, this session will also cover best practices and practical tips on how to address VIP visitors, how to put your best face forward on a live chat, and how to command winemaker events, panels, or guided tastings.
Completed WGBC Webinar
Webinar Title: WGBC Member Media Training Workshop Session 1.0
Date: Thursday, February 25, 2021 | 10:00 AM
Webinar Host: The Wine Growers BC, Facilitator Leeann Froese, Townhall Brands
Description: Watch Part 1 of a three part media training workshop webinar series for Wine Grower British Columbia members. Refine your role as spokesperson with the storytelling tools and information to effectively communicate with media and present your stories on behalf of wineries and industry. Open to all member wineries including proprietors, winemakers, viticulturists, marketers and communicators, the workshop benefits all levels of media relations experience. Experienced or not, all members can benefit from a refresh, or first-time professional training. Spokespersons are often needed to participate in our Wines of British Columbia media programs, initiatives, and panels. Learn how to be a spokesperson and brand ambassador for your winery and for our industry! The first two media training sessions will be facilitated by PR and media expert Leeann Froese, co-owner of Townhall Brands, and will teach wineries and their teams how to be their best at presenting and getting their story out into the public realm.
Completed WGBC Webinar
Webinar Title: Top Instagram Advice for BC Wine Brands in 2021/22
Date: Thursday, January 14, 2020, | 10:00 AM
Webinar Host: The Wine Growers BC is pleased to be collaborating with Instagram specialist Jenn Herman on delivering top Instagram advice for BC wine brands through 2020/21.
Description: Learn how best use Instagram to drive consumers to your online wine shops and wine sales platforms within a growing, changing and competitive online environment.
What was covered in the webinar:
- Best tag lines
- Top calls to action
- Leading visuals to help sell your wines; both for organic posting and for professional Ad marketing purposes
- And more…
Q&A to follow.
Completed WGBC Webinar
Webinar Title: Influencer Marketing for BC Wine Brands
Date: Thursday, November 19, 2020, | 10:00 AM
Webinar Host: The Wine Growers BC is pleased to partner with Instagram specialist Jenn Herman on influencer marketing best practices for BC wine brands.
Description: The Wine Growers BC partnered with Instagram specialist Jenn Herman on influencer marketing best practices for BC wine brands. The webinar covered: – The importance of working with influencers as part of your BC winery marketing mix; what to look for and how WGBC can assist – How to work with influencers to create and amplify your brand message on Instagram; the difference between branded content and sponsored posts – How to tag a business partner in an Instagram post and Instagram stories post – How to best manage and evaluate.
What was covered in the webinar:
- The importance of working with influencers as part of your BC winery marketing mix; what to look for and how WGBC can assist
- How to work with influencers to create and amplify your brand message on Instagram; the difference between branded content and sponsored posts
- How to tag a business partner in an Instagram post and Instagram stories post
- How to best manage and evaluate Instagram influencer partnerships or ROI
Short Q&A to follow.
Completed WGBC Webinar
Webinar Title: How to use Facebook’s Ad Platform to Sell Wine Direct-To-Consumer. Part 2
Date: Wednesday, Oct 28, 2020, | 10:00 AM
Webinar Host: Join us to learn how to use Facebook’s Ad Platform to Sell Wine Direct-To-Consumer (Part 2) with Facebook Advertising and Training Expert, Amanda Robinson.
Description: This webinar will offer a live demo with actionable takeaways to help members start implementing new advertising strategies. A longer Q&A to answer any specific questions is included.
What is covered in the webinar:
- Pro tips for Facebook and Instagram advertising
- Creating Ads in the Facebook Ad Platform
- How to retarget and create custom and look-alike audiences
- Balancing advertising spend between warm and cold audiences
- Measuring the effectiveness of your digital ads
Completed WGBC Webinar
Webinar Title: Maximize WGBC’s New App for Your Winery: Wines of BC Explorer
Date: Wednesday, May 6, 2020 | 10:00 AM
Webinar Host: Darcen Esau with TasteAdvisor on behalf of the BC Wine Institute. Introductions and updates provided by BC Wine Institute Marketing Director, Kim Barnes.
Description: The WGBC has partnered with TasteAdvisor to release the Wines of BC Explorer app. This webinar provides an overview to learn more about using the Explorer platform and how to take advantage of this unique tool to reach more ideal customers and sell more wine. Access to the PPT and a Q & A session follows.
*Link to Powerpoint Presentation
What is covered in the webinar:
- Get a sneak peek into how the app increases sales of BC wine
- Easily set up your winery profile so people can find you and plan their next trip
- Ensure your wines are recommended to the ideal consumer
- Increase the attendance at your events and exposure for your brand
Completed WGBC Webinar
Webinar Title: How to use Facebook to Sell BC Wine Direct-To-Consumer
Date: Wednesday, April 8th, 2020 | 3:00 PM
Webinar Host: Amanda Robinson on behalf of the Wine Growers BC. Introductions and updates provided by Wine Growers BC Content Marketing Manager, Ashley Spilak.
Description: WGBC presented a marketing webinar entitled How to use Facebook to Sell Wine Direct-To-Consumer with Facebook Advertising and Training Expert Amanda Robinson. This webinar covered the basics on Facebook and Instagram marketing. Relevant examples and scenarios on audience targeting, budget and the mechanics of selling BC wine using the Facebook Ad Platform is shared. A hand-out for members and a Q&A session follows.
What is covered in the webinar:
- Launching your Ad Platform
- Creating Facebook and Instagram Ads using the Facebook Ad Platform
- Audiences & Targeting
- Budgets & Strategy
- Reporting & Results
Completed WGBC Webinars
Webinar Title: Optimize your BC Winery on Google Business. Get online!
Date: Tuesday, March 10, 2020
Webinar Host: Consultant Katt Stearns on behalf of the BC Wine Institute. Introductions provided by Wine Growers BC Content Marketing Manager, Ashley Spilak.
Description: A Get Your Business Online Workshop – Learn about Google My Business, a free tool for local BC wine businesses who want to connect with customers on Google Search and Maps. Get help creating or updating your business profile or a simple website.
Now, more than ever, it’s crucial to let consumers know how to connect with you and ensure they’re aware of any changes to your winery including new operating hours, closures, key contact information and more. By updating your Google My Business information you’ll communicate with consumers on how best to purchase your wines and the status of your tasting room. You can also make use of a new COVID-19 update within Google Business which allows you to message consumers about your business operations.
Learn more by watching this webinar!
Completed WGBC Webinars
Webinar Title: Understanding the Instagram Algorithm to Build Audience and Engagement
Date: Thursday, January 30, 2020
Webinar Host: Jenn Herman on behalf of the Wine Growers BC. Introductions provided by Wine Growers BC Content Marketing Manager, Ashley Spilak.
Description: This webinar delivers relevant and practical information on harnessing the power of the Instagram channel for wine marketing purposes. The WGBC provide a one-page reference guide at the completion of the webinar to assist with the application of the “secret sauce” hashtag formula.
What is covered in the webinar:
- The Power of Instagram explained
- How Instagram is different from Facebook
- The Hashtag Algorithm; a secret sauce
- Hashtag searches, stories and feed
- Instagram frequency – how often should you post
- Top Instagram content specific to the wine industry
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Members of the WGBC are proud of their wines and are committed to ensuring their wines are promoted and enjoyed responsibly by those adults who choose to consume them for the continued enjoyment and prosperity of the BC wine industry.
To explore more and access resources visit resources.therightamount.ca
To explore more and access resources visit resources.therightamount.ca
