2018 Best Practices Awards
Honorable Mention
We received so many entries for this year ’ s Best Practices Awards , it was very difficult to choose only one or two winners in each category . Below are examples of some agency programs that didn ’ t win , but are worth mentioning for the lessons they may provide to other control states .
BEST TRADE / LICENSEE EDUCATION PROGRAM Utah DABC
Earlier this year , the DABC developed a new training program for on-premise licensees . The training is mandatory to obtain a new license or renew a license , and covers four main topics : Statutes and rules that govern alcohol sales Requirements for operating as a licensee Using compliance assistance from the department Topics determined to be beneficial to a license manager During the first year , 37 trainings were held for 2,169 licensee managers . That covers about 50 % of licensees in the state , and feedback so far has been very positive , according to the DABC .
BEST CONSUMER EDUCATION PROGRAM New Hampshire Liquor Commision
In January , more than 60 of the world ’ s top winemakers came to New Hampshire for Wine Week , the NHLC ’ s annual weeklong celebration . The week features more than 100 events , including tastings , bottle signings , intimate wine dinners and a large wine expo . This year ’ s event also included “ Cellar Notes : Women in Wine ,” which featured a panel of female trailblazers in the wine industry . Customers asked the panelists questions while sampling four flights , as the panelists provided an overview of the grapes , tasting notes and historical background of the wines .
BEST RETAIL INNOVATION Virginia DABC
BEST DISTRIBUTION INNOVATION Idaho SLD
The ISLD was concerned that its warehouse would run out of capacity in the next five years , so it engaged colleagues within the state and selected the Boise State University ’ s Executive MBA program to help . The team provided three options organized by cost and complexity for management to consider . The agency chose a combination of those recommendations and reconfigured the aisles , changed the vertical picking sequence and organized pick locations differently . The changes provided a more efficient workflow and an increase in warehouse pick locations by 87 %, and the warehouse is on track to be functional for 15 more years .
The 2017 holiday season ’ s “ Bring Good Spirits ” campaign featured door buster specials , a Black Friday sale and Cyber Monday discounts . For the fi rst time , the agency had door buster sales in mid-November , featuring discounts of 15-20 % off select products ( limited to three bottles maximum ). For the three days of the sale , total bottle sales rose 11.7 % versus the prior year , and nearly 25,000 bottles of the door buster brands were sold .
26 StateWays | www . stateways . com | September / October 2018