During this session, attendees will have the opportunity to meet and hear from WSWA’s new President & CEO, who will officially start at the association later this fall.
2022 Forum on the Hill
2022 Forum on the Hill
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What’s New? This year, we purposefully combined two meetings into one to provide maximum value our members and are excited to now offer the opportunity for attendees of the annual membership meeting to meet with their Members of Congress during a Fly-in/Capitol Hill Day to discuss issues impacting American family-owned wholesalers.
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Who should attend? WSWA Board of Directors, Council Chairs and Vice-Chairs, company executives, owners and leadership, next generation and rising leaders, state association leadership, and government affairs teams.
Agenda
Board of Directors & New CEO Lunch
Board of Directors Meeting & Other Business
Fireside Chat with Tom Cole, WSWA Chairman & New WSWA CEO
Ray Hermann HERO Award Launch
Chad Stone, Vice President of Business Transformation & New Frontiers at Breakthru Beverage Group, will introduce the new Ray Hermann HERO Award to WSWA membership which will be presented for the first-time next year at Access LIVE. This award honors the late Ray Hermann, Breakthru Beverage Chairman Emeritus, who was not only a beverage alcohol industry titan, but a man of great character, ethics, and philanthropy. Ray’s engaging, inclusive, and humble demeanor enabled him to build and foster deep, honest, and respected relationships. He was a friend and mentor to many, developing some of the best talent across the industry.
Sponsored by Breakthru Beverage Group, the HERO Award recognizes an industry professional (from any tier) that exemplifies Humanity, Ethics, Respect, and is One-of-a-Kind. Recipients will receive $20,000 to donate to a charity of their choice and a Medal of Honor.
Round Table Association Hot Topic Discussions
WSWA has several initiatives currently in the works. During this 45-minute session, WSWA will provide an overview of three projects and ask specific questions for our members to focus on and discuss with their tables. At the end, attendees will report out with their thoughts and ideas. The topics to be discussed include:
Sustainability Initiative: WSWA is committed to elevating the sustainability efforts of wine and spirits wholesalers and the important role they play in assisting supplier and retail partners in achieving theirs. In the year to come, WSWA will highlight the ways in which wholesalers are reducing their environmental impact with energy efficiency, waste reduction, recycling, fleet and facility modernization, and other opportunities to collaborate with industry partners throughout the alcohol industry.
Minority-owned Wholesaler Initiative: This year, WSWA has begun a thorough research project gathering data to understand the scope of minority-owned, women-owned, and/or veteran-owned distributors in the US. Our goal is to grow WSWA membership by creating a diverse community of wholesaler members. Ensuring there are no barriers to entry for new members within this sector, better understanding their specific business needs with the goal of joining the association and attending Access LIVE, our premier event.
Networking Reception & WSWA CEO Meet-and-Greet
Networking Breakfast
Catch-up and network with fellow attendees and industry peers for breakfast. There will be no programming during this event. Enjoy breakfast at your leisure.
Finance & Audit Committee Meeting
Only open to Finance & Audit Committee Members.
Access LIVE Update
Hear from the WSWA team about all the exciting changes in the works for the launch of the reimagined, WSWA Convention, now called Access LIVE!
Networking Break
Cyber Security and Your Business
Hear from and engage with the Honorable Michael Chertoff, Executive Chairman of The Chertoff Group and former Secretary of Homeland Security on the current state of global cyber security as well as the current environment your business is operating in – from threats to best practices.
Break
Morning Consult Session
Listen to and engage with WSWA's EVP for communications and marketing Michael Bilello and Morning Consult's food and beverage analyst Emily Moquin as they speak to the results of a poll conducted between Aug 3-8 with 3,200 mothers on; awareness and perception of alcohol laws and regulations; DTC shipping of spirits; DTC messaging; Change in opposing DTC interstate shipping.
Lunch with Speakers from UBER
During this lunch, attendees will hear from Jaci Flug, General Counsel and Industry Affairs at Drizly, Cathy Lewenberg, Chief Operating Officer of Drizly, and Beryl Sanders, Director of Sales and Partnerships at Uber. This panel will co-present virtually and update us on the path of beverage alcohol delivery for Drizly and Uber and the evolution of the market.
Legal and Legislative Update & Public Policy Committee Meeting
WSWA’s government affairs and legal teams will provide an update on priorities and emerging legislative, regulatory, and litigation developments impacting wine and spirits wholesalers in the states and federally. This session will also serve as the first meeting of the new Public Policy Committee.
Break
Fly-In Briefing
WSWA’s Federal Affairs team will provide background information on the policy issues members will discuss with Members of Congress during Capitol Hill meetings.
Access Craft Update
Reception featuring Access Craft Brands
Dinner with Speaker
Media Reception
Breakfast
Depart Hotel for Lobbying on the Hill
Lunch with Speaker Tim Wu
Tim Wu, antitrust advisor to President Biden, will be speaking to all Forum attendees during lunch. Wu was key to the creation of Biden’s economic policy agenda and is helping drive the administration’s push to rein in large corporations with tougher antitrust enforcement.