Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/912565
20 / the tasting panel / december 2017 20 / the tasting panel / december 2017 INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT W ine Market Council announced last month that industry veteran Steve Burns has been named President of the nonprofit trade association. Burns replaces former President John Gillespie, who retired from the position at the end of November after 20 years. "We have incredibly compelling research in the pipeline now more than ever, and I look forward to working with the Wine Market Council team to provide our members with wine market insights and data that are essential to their marketing and brand positioning goals," Burns says. For two decades, Burns has specialized in re-align- ment, board development, and management for asso- ciations. Most recently, he was the owner of O'donnell Lane LLC, a marketing, public relations, and strategic planning firm, and also served as the Executive Director of the Washington Wine Commission from 1996–2004. "Steve's record of strong and successful leadership of wine trade associations makes him the perfect match for Wine Market Council," says Gillespie. "The growth and success of Wine Market Council over the years has been driven by a hands-on board of wine industry leaders who value ongoing market research and its benefits to our membership. I know they will continue to support both Steve and the council's mission in the years to come." Wine Market Council provides its proprietary research to association members only. Upcoming research projects include the Occasional Wine Drinker Survey (January 2018) and The Changing World of Retail Wine Shopping Survey (March 2018). More information can be found at winemarketcouncil.com. O penTable, the world's leading provider of online restaurant reservations, in November announced "Let's Raise the Glass," a national campaign in partnership with prominent restaurateurs to support those impacted by the devastating California wine country wildfires. Let's Raise the Glass was inspired by the efforts of Charleston Grill Sommelier Rick Rubel and General Manager Mickey Bakst, who are donating a portion of the proceeds from every glass or bottle of California wine sold at their restaurant. "Throughout my career, the wineries have always been there to help us with our chari- table efforts," says Bakst. "Now, it's time for the restaurant community to step up and support the industry that is so essential to our businesses." Bakst, Daniel Boulud, Sean Brock, Suzanne Goin, and Danny Meyer are part of the coalition of res- taurateurs and chefs participating in Let's Raise the Glass. They're encouraging restaurants to donate a portion of their wine sales through the end of December to the Let's Raise the Glass Fund, which will then benefit the Sonoma Resilience Fund and Napa Valley Community Disaster Relief Fund. The coalition is also being supported by WPP agencies MiNY, Wavemaker, H+K, and Kantar. "Restaurants are integral to the fabric of every community and play a unique role in bringing people together in times of joy and crisis," says Scott Jampol, OpenTable Senior Vice President of Marketing. "By building a national coalition of restaurants, chefs, and other industry sup- porters, we hope to make an impact on helping the Napa and Sonoma communities reclaim their lives and livelihoods." OpenTable will be building awareness for the campaign by promoting it to millions of diners. All restaurants are invited to participate and can sign up at LetsRaisetheGlass.com. OpenTable and Restaurateurs Launch Campaign to Support Victims of Napa and Sonoma Wildfires Steve Burns Named President of Wine Market Council