Gary ’ s Wine & Marketplace opened its first west coast location in Napa Valley in late 2019 .
“ Whether it ’ s sharing ideas for preferred technology vendors , or sharing strategies for engaging with customers through today ’ s social media platforms , the idea sharing that occurs between Guild members is invaluable .”
– Gary Fisch , Founder and CEO , Gary ' s Wine and Marketplace .
says . “ That saying was , ‘ If you walk away with just one idea that makes you money , then it was worth it .’” For instance , Farrell recalls Holloway suggesting that members start selling ice . “ He said , ‘ We ’ re already buying it from the ice company , so why not sell it ourselves , too ?’” Farrell says . “ And he was right . We all made a lot of money selling ice . All these guys , they ’ re individual marketing geniuses . Idea sharing at the Guild has always been excellent .”
This is a common refrain among Guild members . Attending the organization ’ s twice annual conferences is an investment well worth the result , which is coming away with new ideas and information helpful for business . This has always been the primary purpose for the Guild ’ s in-person get-togethers : sharing best practices , along with what has not worked quite as well . And thanks to Zoom and our Digital Age , this invaluable information swapping can continue every day .
“ There are so many things that I have learned from attending meetings that have proven to me the value of being a member ,” says Chan Cox , owner of Wine World in Destin , FL . “ Whether sitting around the roundtable during meetings , or just talking at the breakfast table , everyone is communicating and continuing to learn .”
“ And there ’ s always opportunities later for a member who has questions to reach out to other members ,” he continues . “ If you ’ re changing your website or your POS , you can always ask someone else about their experience first . That ’ s a huge value in this business .”
In terms of improving his business using Guild suggestions , Cox brings up the two engraving machines he purchased at the urging of incoming Guild President Mitch Herman , of BottleBargains , Northport , NY .
“ Mitch was doing engravings in his store , and brought in the company that made the
10 Beverage Dynamics • January 2023 www . beveragedynamics . com