CONTENT DIRECTOR JEREMY NEDELKA Tel : 763-383-4400 ext . 2213 jnedelka @ epgmediallc . com

OFF-PREMISE EDITOR KYLE SWARTZ Tel : 763-383-4400 ext . 2225 kswartz @ epgmediallc . com

MANAGING ART DIRECTOR DODI VESSELS

ART DIRECTOR NICOLE SIEWERT

EACH YEAR , FALL SEEMS TO GET SHORTER . The bridge between summer and winter is but a fleeting few weeks — or so this season has felt in recent years .

Regardless of length , fall remains a time when we look both forwards and backwards . Summer may be in the rearview mirror , but its sundrenched experiences are still fresh in our minds . And winter with its cold weather and heart-warming holidays is imminently upon the horizon .

With winter on our minds , we inevitably start thinking about what gifts would be great for our family , friends and coworkers in 2019 . Holiday season is around the corner , and that means consumers are out searching for their perfect presents . For ideas on what you can point shoppers towards from your own shelves , check out our 2019 Holiday Merch Guide , beginning on page 27 .

Other aspects of the industry are more year-round . This includes the annual hard work and innovative ideas that it takes for control state operations to work efficiently while achieving growth . Nowhere is this more apparent than in our 2019 Best Practices Awards , which recognize the best of the best in the industry . These are the control organizations that have set the standard in excellence in the past year with their creative projects and difference-making programs .

Be sure to give the Best Practices a read , starting on page 6 with our coverage by Melissa Sherwin of the Best Overall Winner : the Ohio Division of Liquor Control . Congrats to all of the departments that earned recognition in 2019 !

And speaking of components of the industry with yearlong ramifications , don ’ t miss my feature article on page 22 , detailing some of the most important trends defining the beverage alcohol category . U . S . consumers can have fickle tastes , so I tried to zero in on 11 trends that are current while also remaining relevant as 2019 heads into 2020 — and beyond .

So grab a glass of your favorite wine , spirit or beer ( I personally cannot get enough of Jack ’ s Abby Framinghammer as the weather cools off ) and flip through this issue of StateWays to get a read on what ’ s driving the beverage alcohol retail industry as fall 2019 turns towards winter .

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS MAURA KELLER , MELISSA SHERWIN

REGIONAL SALES MANAGERS BRUCE KOSTIC Tel : 763-383-4400 , ext . 2215 bkostic @ epgmediallc . com

MARK MARCON Tel : 763-383-4456 mmarcon @ epgmediallc . com

DEBBIE RITTENBERG Tel : 763-383-4455 drittenberg @ epgmediallc . com

SENIOR PRODUCT MANAGER , DATA & INSIGHTS MARINA VELEZ

REPRINTS For more information on e-prints or reprints from StateWays magazine , contact Wright ’ s Media , MBrewer @ wrightsmedia . com - Marcia Brewer , 877-652-5295 .

LIST RENTAL KRIS GRAUER Tel : 203-822-7933 kgrauer @ npsmediagroup . com

StateWays is published by Beverage Information Group , a division of EPG Media & Specialty Information

EDITORIAL OFFICES 40 Richards Avenue , 3rd floor , Suite 300 Norwalk , CT 06854 Tel : 763-383-4400 | Fax : 763-383-4499

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4 StateWays | www . stateways . com | September / October 2019