2025 NAWR SUMMIT AGENDA
Wednesday, May 7
8:00 am – 9:00 am
BREAKFAST
9:00 am
WELCOME
Dave Parker, CEO Benchmark Wine; President NAWR
9:15 am
PLATINUM INTRODUCTION
Marc Goodfriend, CEO, WeShip Express
9:25 am
KEYNOTE
Karen MacNeil
10:10 am
BREAK
10:25 am
THE STATE OF THE FIGHT
Tom Wark, Executive Director, National Association of Wine Retailers
NAWR Executive Director Tom Wark will provide his annual “State of the Fight” address at the Summit. Wark, a keen observer of the wine marketplace and unflagging proponent of retailer rights will outline the challenges faced by NAWR and its members and the response the organization has and will provide.
11:00 am
HOW CAN I GET THAT?—ALTERNATIVE INVENTORY PROCUREMENT FOR RETAILERS
Cheryl Durzy, Liberation Distribution
Justin Hammer, B-21 Wines
Jacob Moynihan, Merchant 23
How can wine retailers diversify their offerings beyond the selection provided to them and their competitors by local wholesalers? Is there a better way to procure inventory that sets the retailer apart? These three panelists provide and practice alternative inventory procurement to the traditional three-tier system.
Noon
LUNCH
1:30 pm
EVERYTHING FINE WINE RETAILERS MUST KNOW ABOUT NO/LO ALCOHOL WINES
Nick Bodkins, Boisson
Rachel Martin, Oceano Wines
Anthony Scotto, Scotto Cellars
Tracy Sweeney, Tomorrow Cellars
All three panelists are deeply involved in the production, distribution, and sales of No/Lo Wine, which is growing and appears to be here to stay. From growing the grapes to producing the wines, to the technology involved, to crafting the products, to wholesaling and selling, and to the unique compliance requirements of the category, all this and more will be covered in this wide-ranging session that will include a sampling of No Alcohol wines.
2:30 pm
THE REALITY AND THREATS OF TARIFFS: WHAT’S A WINE RETAILER TO DO?
Ben Aneff, Tribeca Wines, President of the U.S. Wine Trade Alliance (USWTA)
Harmon Skurnik, Skurnik Wine & Spirits, Director USWTA
Kate Laughlin, CEO Martine’s Wine, Director USWTA
What is the current state of tariffs? How long can they last? Are more coming? Most importantly, how can a retailer respond? These and other critical questions will be addressed in a timely panel made up of members of the United States Wine Trade Alliance which has been pushing back against the threat of tariffs since 2019.
3:15 pm
THE FUTURE OF WINE RETAIL: FORGET ABOUT TODAY, WHAT’S COMING?
Jon Moromarco, managing partner, bw166,
Robbie Stevens, Head of Broking, LivEx
Jonathan, Cristaldi, Decanter Magazine
Yes. Today there are headwinds. Some are severe. Some are systemic. Some are manufactured. Some we don’t yet know how they will impact wine retail. But what about tomorrow? What about 2 or three years from today? What will the industry look like then? In this panel, we bring together three very different presenters with different perspectives to look into their crystal ball and bring clarity to what’s to come. Panelists to be announced.
7:00 pm
BYOB DINNER
University Club
Thursday, May 8
8:00 am – 9:00 am
BREAKFAST
9:00
WELCOME
Dave Parker, CEO Benchmark Wine; President, NAWR
9:15
A DOCTOR’S PERSPECTIVE: THE SURGEON GENERAL, WINE AND CANCER
Dr. Vinay Prasad, MD, University of California, San Francisco
A hematologist-oncologist and Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of California San Francisco. Dr. Prasad runs the VKPrasad lab at UCSF, which studies cancer drugs, health policy, clinical trials, and better decision-making. Dr. Prasad is also an outspoken and public intellectual on matters of public health. Dr. Prasasd will address the meaning and substance behind the Surgeon General’s Advisory on alcohol and cancer. There is more than meets the eye.
10:15 am
WINE, HEALTH AND WHAT RETAILERS SHOULD KNOW
John Hinman, Founding Partner, Hinman & Carmichael
W. Blake Gray, U.S. Editor, Wine-Searcher
Can a retailer safely comment publicly on alcohol and health issues? What kind of liability is there when they speak out? What about the media and how they have addressed the issues of wine and health? Is it accurate? Are there ways concerned wine retailers can respond to news reports that might lump wine with spirits and beer? What can we expect in the future? This panel consists of two of the most prominent members of the legal and media community to answer these and other questions about one of the most important topics facing retailers and the entire wine industry.
11:15 am
ASK ME ANYTHING: THE EXPERTS RESPOND
Ben Aneff, Tribeca Wine Merchants; President U.S. Wine Trade Alliance: Tariffs
Nick Bodkins, Boisson: No/Lo Alcohol Wine
Robert Epstein, Attorney: Constitutional Law
Gillian Garrett, Attorney: Alcohol/Retailer Law
Marc Goodfriend, CEO, WeShip Express: Wine Shipping
Steve Harrison, CEO, VinoShipper: Compliance
This is your last and best chance to ask a question of the experts. Compliance, legal, constitutional, taxation, Technology, Marketing, tariffs, wine shipping. It’s all on the table. In the last session of the Summit, we present a battery of experts to respond to any of your questions either left over from previous sessions or brand new. It’s your opportunity to ask them anything.
Noon
FINAL THOUGHTS
Dave Parker, CEO Benchmark Wine; President, NAWR
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