This article explores the future of wineries and vineyards as event venues. The article was published in this month’s issue of “Smart Meetings”, an online event-planning magazine. The article is titled “Wine Not” and it is authored by David Vranicar, a regular contributor of the online publication. According to the article’s author, there are several vineyards and wineries across America that offer the perfect ambience for event destinations.
The article notes that vineyards and wineries offer refreshing, cheaper, and convenient destinations for events. The author of the article notes that there are several choices when it comes to event destinations. However, wineries and vineyards offer a specific atmosphere that is perfect for certain types of events. According to the article, events held at vineyards or wineries tend to be memorable and intimate. Therefore, the event’s participants can be able to form personal connections in a vineyard environment. The author also notes that a winery invokes creativity among event attendees. The article reiterates that there is a big difference between events held in conference rooms and those held in wineries. To illustrate his argument, the author then explores some options of winery venues that can act as suitable event destinations.
The article covers one of the latest trends in event management where event organizers are opting for more relaxing and creativity-inducing destinations. The boardroom and conference halls have been the popular destination choice for quite some time but events are shifting to alternative event destinations. This paper is a review on David Vranicar’s article about wineries being the new event destinations.
The first example of a winery venue is the Napa Valley look-alike region in the state of Michigan. The article notes that Napa Valley is famous for its world-class wine products. In the midst of Michigan is Blustone Vineyard. The vineyard is located in Leelanau County along the shores of Lake Michigan. The main attraction to Blustone Vineyard is its view, which is said to be similar to the ‘Napa Valley view’. Bluestone has two event venues one of which is a tasting room that is located on top of a hill overlooking a valley below it and a mountain on the other side. From the tasting room, one can see the nearby valleys adorned with vineyards. Another event destination within Michigan is Chateau Chantal.
According to the article, Chateau Chantal offers both event spaces and accommodation. The management of Chateau notes that “people can have their events in an environment where the boardroom meets the vineyard” (Vranicar 1). In addition, the management associates the beautiful scenery at Chateau with a flow of ‘creative ideas’. The main event venue at Chateau Chantal is the 2,000 square-feet hospitality room. According to the article, the hospitality room is suitable for a wide range of events including a fireside gathering or even a classroom-styled presentation. Furthermore, the winery provides an executive conference that accommodates a meeting of up to 15 people. The Chateau was also named as one of the most interesting wine-themed destinations in America.
The article explores the winery and vineyard options in Missouri. Even though Missouri is not synonymous with wineries and vineyards, the area has more than 120 wineries. The author also notes that Missouri lacks a reputation of being an outdoors area. However, the article notes that Missouri has impressive geography that is ideal for events. According to the article, Missouri’s vineyards provide an ‘ideal picturesque view. One expert notes that Missouri as an event destination provides “a great opportunity to work in a more relaxed atmosphere, where you get a different sense of place” (Vranicar 1).
The author remarks that when holding a meeting in the vineyards of Missouri, it is easy to focus on a certain topic and then enjoy the relaxing atmosphere when taking breaks. Examples of event destinations in Missouri include Les Bourgeois Vineyards in Rocheport and Hermannhof Winery. The author outlines other popular wine-themed destinations such as Napa Valley in California and the neighboring Oregon County. The article then concludes by noting that wineries provide a creative atmosphere for events and meetings.
Previously, wineries and vineyards only served as destinations where individuals went to sample wine. However, the author of this article notes that wineries provide a unique atmosphere that is great for event destinations. Before wineries were considered for corporate events, they were used for social events such as weddings. The main concern for wineries being event destinations is their association with alcohol/wine.
However, events that have nothing to do with wine can successfully take part in a winery. The popularity of wineries as top tourist destinations has also contributed to them being considered as suitable event destinations. Wineries offer an environment that is similar to resorts (Yuan 48). However, unlike resorts wineries provide cheaper and more relaxed event destination options. Investigating the suitability of wineries as suitable event destinations can form the core or part of my final project. There are various issues that need to be explored when it comes to the suitability of wineries as event destinations. Some of these issues include exploring which events are most suited for the winery scene and exploring which improvements can enhance the wineries’ event destination suitability.
Works Cited
Vranicar David. “Wine Not”. Smart Meetings. 48.1 (2014): 1-2. Web.
Yuan, Jingxue. “An Analysis of Wine Festival Attendees’ Motivations: A Synergy of Wine, Travel and Special Events.” Journal of Vacation Marketing 11.1 (2005): 41-58. Print.