An incredible lineup of Speakers
An incredible lineup of SpeakersWinePRO is on in Blenheim from June 25 to June 27 and the Conference Programme offers more than 21 expert speakers and panellists including CE of Rewiring Aotearoa Mike Casey, Chief Transformation Officer at Ministry for Primary Industries Jenny Cameron, social scientist Professor Paul Spoonley, New Zealand Story’s David Downs, and Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year 2024 Dr Jim Salinger, a climate expert who’ll discuss the outlook for viticulture.
Full three-day early bird passes are $339.25 including GST.
Day passes are $166.75 including GST.
Get your tickets here: https://expertiseevents.eventsair.com/wp24/wp24conference/Site/Landing
Electric Cherries! What about electric wine?
Mike Casey from Rewiring Aotearoa
Tuesday. Stream 1: 11am – 12 noon
Mike will explain how he has electrified his entire cherry orchard down to the individual 21 machines with all the raw facts and figures around the gains and pains he's experienced. He is keen to share and is hoping to grow a new food category together. Electric cherries, and now electric wine.
Mike is an orchardist in Central Otago who believes he has created the world’s first fully electric farm. He has electrified 21 machines on his farm and in his home and powers them through New Zealand’s national grid, as well as through his on-farm renewable system.
Mike’s here to discuss capital and operational costs, pay back, and tell the story of how he made it all happen and why he is never going back. Transparency is the key to building trust, and you will get a truly authentic story with all the ugly bits included.
Mike is now the CE of Rewiring Aotearoa, a New Zealand charity dedicated to electrifying millions of fossil fuel machines in New Zealand as fast as possible. Why? It's a Win-Win. Everyone saves money, and everyone saves emissions. We now just have to figure out how to make it easy.
AI in Wine
Rachel O'Shea from Yabble
Tuesday. Stream 2: 11am – 12 noon
See global use cases for AI in wine from research and innovation to international markets and beyond.
Rachel has uniquely extensive experience in both wine and AI. Having worked globally in the wine industry for 15+ years she brings a deep understanding of the industry combined with running one of the world’s leading businesses using Generative AI for insights. As a co-founder of Yabble, she’s worked with Generative AI technology since it’s early commercial inception. Helping global companies drive efficiencies.
Current economic snapshot – Brought to you by Bayleys
Zoe Wallis, CFA, Forsyth Barr Investment Strategist
Tuesday. Stream 3: 11am – 12 noon and 3pm - 4pm
A snapshot of the current economic climate along with some educated forecasts for the future.
Zoe has significant experience across financial services and banking in New Zealand and London, specialising in financial market research and economics. Before moving to Forsyth Barr in 2023, she was the Chief Economist at Deloitte New Zealand and prior to that at Kiwibank. In her role as Investment Strategist at Forsyth Barr she is responsible for looking at the macro-economic landscape and what that means for financial markets, asset allocation and investment decisions. She is a CFA charterholder and has an Honours degree in Economics and Finance from the University of Canterbury.
Doubling Export Value
Jenny Cameron, MPI’s Chief Transformation Officer
Tuesday. Stream 1: 1 pm – 2 pm
What is the government's roadmap to doubling export value?
Jenny Cameron is the Chief Transformation Officer at Ministry for Primary Industries with a focus is on accelerating the productivity, sustainability and inclusivity potential of the primary sector to 2030. Prior to joining MPI, Jenny was the General Manager for Responsible Dairy at DairyNZ, overseeing a portfolio of work covering climate, water, biosecurity, animal welfare and workforce issues. Ms Cameron has also held roles as the inaugural Chief Executive of the Electricity Retailers’ Association of New Zealand, and the Director of External Relations for the Brewers’ Association of Australia and NZ. She spent ten years with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in various trade and legal positions, including a posting to Japan. Jenny gained an LLB/BA (Psych) from Victoria University of Wellington, holds a current practising certificate and membership of the NZ Institute of Directors. Shaped by experiences as a family lawyer in Palmerston North, Ms Cameron is motivated to understand the social drivers behind the big policy challenges, and how business, community and government can collaborate to bring better solutions to the table.
Succession Planning - Brought to you by Bayleys
Andrew Martin (Marty) from Strategic Specialists Group
Tuesday Stream 2: 1 pm – 2 pm
Discussion followed by an open Q&A session on everything you need to know around succession planning in the viticulture and rural industry
Andrew Martin (Marty) is Regional Director for Strategic Specialists Group. An Australasian Consultancy, Strategic Specialists Group has assisted hundreds of companies with their growth, new market entry, and Exit / Succession ambitions. Marty is a Certified Exit Planning Advisor from the Exit Planning Institute with a passion for helping owners rewarded for the years they have dedicated to building their business. A successful Exit / Succession is a team game, so they work with clients’, lawyers, wealth advisors, insurance brokers, accountants and funders to ensure success.
Disrupting the Commodity Apple Market
Julian Smith from Rockit Apple
Tuesday. Stream 1: 3 pm – 4 pm
Rockit Apple case study on disrupting the commodity apple global market with a consumer led brand.
Julian is one of New Zealand’s leading global marketers with over 20 years experience in creating, building and growing international brands through differentiated marketing.
Julian combines both global marketing and brand experience in developing some of New Zealand’s leading brands Les Mills International, Orca, PushPay, Fisher&Paykel, Steinlager Pure and ACC.
Julian is the GM of Global Marketing at Rockit Apple connecting Rockit to milliions of new consumers across international channels and platforms and has led the significant growth of the Rockit brand in 32 global markets.
Housing Crisis
Sam Stubbs from Simplicity
Tuesday. Stream 2: 3 pm – 4 pm
Why the future is better than many think, and how to fix our housing crisis.
Sam Stubbs is the co-founder of Simplicity, one of NZ’s fastest growing KiwiSaver plans. Simplicity is a nonprofit KiwiSaver and Fund Manager that gives 15% of all fees to charity and invests with a conscience.
Sam was previously CEO of Tower Investments. He was MD of Hanover Group and worked for Goldman Sachs in London and Hong Kong. He has also worked for NatWest Markets, Fay, Richwhite and IBM.
Sam has an MA (Hons) in Politics from the University of Auckland.
Sam is a father of 4 children, and has no time for any hobbies! He dreams of Simplicity and sailing around the world.
New Zealand - we are a superpower
David Downs of the New Zealand Story
Wednesday. Stream 1: 11 am – 12 noon
NZ’s international reputation is one of our core strengths, and for more than you’d expect. However we also have to work to retain (and earn) the reputation we have in the world. Hear what we know about other’s perceptions of NZ, and what we can all do to build on those perceptions, while we tell our uniquely New Zealand Story.
David has had a successful career in the private and public sector and is now CEO of The New Zealand Story, an ambitious government-funded organisation marketing New Zealand to the world.
He also acts as a consultant and is a director on several boards, including as Chair of The Icehouse, and the Hi-Tech Trust. David is an ex-comedian, TV and radio actor, semi-finalist for New Zealander of the Year, cancer survivor and a published author of the books No.8 Re-wired, No.8 Recharged, A Mild Touch of the Cancer, and Silver Linings.
David founded SOS Business, a hugely successful not-for-profit initiative to help cafes and other small businesses during covid-19.
Vineyard redevelopment - Brought to you by Bayleys
Stuart Dudley and selected viticulture industry panel
Wednesday. Stream 2: 11 am – 12 noon
and
Wednesday. Stream 3: 3 pm – 4pm
Everything you need to know around the vineyard re-development process. Guideline of the do’s and don'ts.
Stuart is a viticulturist based in Marlborough, where he has been practicing for 18 years. From 2006-2020 he worked as a viticulturist at Delegat and then later Villa Maria. Stuart was named as both the New Zealand Young Viticulturist and Young Horticulturist of the year in 2010.
In 2021 he set up his independent consultancy service End Point Viticulture Ltd, local contracting company Vit Management Limited, and was involved in the start up of recycling business Repost Ltd.
He spends his time supporting clients with their viticulture needs, looking to improve their operations and grow their business. Stuart has been involved in numerous large and small scale development and redevelopment projects in the region and enjoys the process of creating vineyards.
In his spare time Stuart can be found either hunting animals in the hills or chasing his two children around the sports fields.
Reinventing Fining
Jonathan Engle of amaea joined by; Panelists:
Duncan Shouler, Director of Winemaking at Giesen Group
Torey Arvik, VP of Applied Research at amaea
Guy Rutledge, Managing Director at Vintech Pacific
Dean Boyce, Winemaker at Indevin
Wednesday. Stream 3: 11 am – 12 noon
Learn about the latest in sustainable alternatives for fining and the technological advancements empowering winemakers to tailor the sensory of their wines, with precision – and, without the excessive waste.
Jonathan’s extensive business experience and commercial acumen is shaped by his curiosity and acute understanding of the value of technology and its application to the unit economics for companies, consumers, and clients.
With over thirty years of experience, Jonathan has held several senior and executive positions within the technology sector. As the Market Development Lead for amaea, he is focused on ensuring technological developments not only align to business performance and product quality but are deeply rooted in its respect for the nature, science and art of wine.
Climate and viticulture
Dr Jim Salinger, Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year 2024
Wednesday. Stream 1: 1 pm – 2pm
Seasonal changes in climate and how this affects viticulture: Building resilience.
2024 New Zealander of the year, Dr. Jim Salinger CRSNZ, is a distinguished international climate scientist, has dedicated almost fifty years to advancing climate science. Recognised as one of the first scientists to address global warming. Jim’s contributions include ground-breaking research on Southern Hemisphere climate change, earning him the prestigious NZ Science and Technology Medal in 1994. With over 190 publications and counting, Jim is an influential communicator on climate change, addressing audiences nationwide. He was a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which earned the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. More recently, Jim has garnered multiple accolades, including the 2018 World Meteorological Organization Award and the 2019 Jubilee Medal, in recognition of his lifetime achievements in climate and agricultural science. He has also researched extensively in how climate affects cropping, including viticulture.
Understanding the wine industry's workforce
Amanda Reid, Principal Consultant, BERL
Wednesday. Stream 2: 1 pm – 2pm
A national wine industry research project has discovered common themes in wine industry workforce trends across NZ and Australia. Project lead, Amanda Reid from BERL will discuss the findings and draw on her experience about the skills the industry needs more of.
Amanda Reid, a Principal Consultant at Business and Economic Research Ltd (BERL), a New Zealand-owned and operated consultancy providing a broad range of economic research, analysis, advice, and consultancy services to a diverse client base. This includes business enterprises, iwi, community groups, industry associations, and public sector clients. Amanda is a seasoned professional with a keen interest in workforce development strategies, retention, attrition, and a deep focus on labour market and workforce issues. She has several years’ experience researching viticulture labour supply issues, and her research at BERL extensively explores labour market supply and demand and the skills mismatch, providing valuable insights into the dynamics of the workforce and informing strategies to bridge the gap between industry needs and available skill sets.
Future Labour Challenges
Distinguished Professor Emeritus Paul Spoonley
Wednesday. Stream 1: 3 pm – 4pm
The future demography of regions will continue to change with implications for labour supply. What will New Zealand's population look like in 2038 and are New Zealand's rural and primary sectors prepared for this?
Distinguished Professor Paul Spoonley stood down as Pro Vice-Chancellor of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Massey University in 2019. He was then appointed as an advisor to the Commissioner of Police and in 2022, was appointed as the Co-Director of He Whenua Taurikura (National Centre for Countering Violent Extremism) by PM Jacinda Ardern. Paul is a Fellow of the Auckland Museum and a Board member, a Visiting Researcher at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity, Göttingen, Germany and he was a Fulbright Senior Scholar at the University of California Berkeley in 2010. He was awarded the Science and Technology Medal by the Royal Society in 2009 for cross-cultural understanding. He is the author or editor of 29 books, the most recent being The New New Zealand. Facing Demographic Disruption (2021) and Histories of Hate. The Radical Right in Aotearoa New Zealand (2023). He was Ranginui Walker’s biographer (Mata Toa. The Life and Times of Ranginui Walker). He has researched and written on social cohesion, racism, Pākehā identity, demographic change, white supremacism and antisemitism, immigration policy and settlement and the impacts of diversity.
What's the Buzz with Circular Economy?
Jim White, Cloudy Bay and Chair Circular Wine,
& Tracey Marshall, Pernod Ricard, New Zealand
Wednesday, Stream 2: 3 pm – 4pm
What is the circular economy and what does it mean for the wine industry? What behaviors is it driving, internationally and locally? What do consumers think?
Jim White is the Technical and Sustainable Development Director at Cloudy Bay Vineyards in Marlborough, where he has worked for the past 14 years. Hailing from Melbourne, an interest in horticulture lead to studying agriculture from which Jim’s started his career in viticulture, working across several Australian regions before joining to Cloudy Bay in 2010. Today Jim’s role encompasses vineyard and winery technical matters plus a broad range of responsibilities including H&S, sustainability, engineering, major capital projects and CSR programs. Jim chairs the Circular Wine Group Marlborough Steering committee, a joint industry, MDC and Wine Marlborough initiative to improve the environmental performance of Marlborough’s wine industry and is a trustee of the Village to Village Charitable Trust.
Tracey Marshall is the Sustainability Manager for Pernod Ricard Winemakers New Zealand, and has worked for the organisation for the past 17 years, covering environmental sustainability in depth. She holds an Honors Bachelor Degree in Agricultural Science from Lincoln University and a Diploma in Environmental Management. Growing up in New Zealand on a sheep station, she has always worked closely with the land and made the move from the meat industry to the wine industry in 2007. Her interests are strongly focused on soil, water, biodiversity and broader sustainable primary production worldwide.
NZ Wine Industry Overview
John Wilson of JPEW
Thursday. Stream 1: 10.30 am – 11.30 am
and
Q&A Thursday Stream 3: 12 noon – 1 pm
An overview of the challenging landscape of NZ wine.
The planting of vines in Marlborough had a significant influence on John’s career. When growing up in Marlborough he witnessed the emergence of NZ wine, its growing international reputation, and the positive impact on the local community. As a Chartered Accountant, he decided to trust his instinct and develop a career in the wine industry. This led to many senior management roles from the 28 years of wine industry experience. Including experience working in Australia, USA, and New Zealand. John has a depth of knowledge in sales, marketing, financial planning and analysis, operations finance, strategic planning, sales and operations planning, and business integration. Due to his broad range of FMCG experience, he believes that the alignment of key business functions, through planning and collaboration, are key ingredients to optimise financial success.
Australian Grape and Wine Industry Research Priorities
Dr Samantha Scarratt, Wine Network Consulting and Dr Tony Robinson, AWRI
Thursday. Stream 3: 10.30 am – 11.30 am
This presentation will provide an overview of the research priorities that are guiding the industry’s efforts to address industry challenges and ensure the long-term sustainability and competitiveness of Australian wine.
Dr Samantha Scarratt – Director AWITC and Senior Consultant, Wine Network Consulting
Dr Samantha Scarratt is a highly respected expert in Australian and New Zealand viticulture, holding a PhD in Vineyard Ecology from Lincoln University. In her current role as a Senior Consultant for Wine Network Consulting, Samantha works with wine businesses on a range of projects across Australia and New Zealand. Her extensive experience includes roles as Accolade’s Director of grape supply across Australia and New Zealand, as well as various positions at Wither Hills (Lion) in Marlborough, ranging from technical viticulture and vineyard management to leading the viticultural department. Samantha’s research focuses on sustainable winegrowing practices, and she actively contributes to the Australian Wine industry through her involvement in the Research Advisory Committee for Australian Grape & Wine, the Wine Industry Mentor program, and as a regular speaker at industry events. As a Director of the Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology (ASVO) and the Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference (AWITC), Samantha plays a key role in shaping the future of the Australian wine industry.
Dr Tony Robinson – Director AWITC and GM Business Development, The Australian Wine Research Institute
Dr Tony Robinson is a highly accomplished wine industry professional with over two decades of experience in research, industry policy, viticultural management, and winemaking. He holds a PhD in Science (Oenology) and is recognised for his integrated industry perspective, passion for research, and collaborative drive. As a winemaker, Tony has produced wines for innovative and award-winning brands, while as a researcher, he has published peer-reviewed papers on wine chemistry and sensory science. In his current role as the General Manager of Business Development at the Australian Wine Research Institute, Tony actively contributes to the industry through his involvement in various Australian wine industry forums and committees. He has served as a Director of the Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology (ASVO), the Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference (AWITC), and as a Councillor for the Royal Adelaide Wine Show, demonstrating his commitment to the technical advancement of the Australian wine industry.
Automation in Agriculture
Josh McCulloch, Autonabit, Andrew Kersley, Smart Machine & Brock Campbell, Cloudy Bay
Thursday. Stream 1: 12 noon – 1 pm
What is the problem trying to be solved? Where are we now with automation? Does it reduce our labour needs? What are our expectations, what is the big dream, and where could it go?
Dr. Josh McCulloch has a decade of experience in automation in agriculture, particularly in the field of robotics in viticulture. After earning a PhD from the University of Canterbury, he was part of the team developing an automatic vine pruning robot. Four years ago, Josh founded Autonabit, a company that specializes in creating autonomous bird scaring robots for vineyards and orchards.
Andrew Kersley, one of the founders and CEO of SmartMachine is a pioneering leader in the field of Agricultural Robotics. To date he has guided SmartMachine through the startup stages of its journey from product conception now through to early global commercialisation.
Andrew has a Masters degree in technology and years of experience developing products alongside businesses large and small in a diverse range of industries including, medical, marine, aeronautical, consumer products, industrial automation and now agricultural robotics.
A love of wine and tractors led Brock to study viticulture in Marlborough 20 years ago. Since then, he has worked in Central Otago and Marlborough continuing to educate himself while moving from a Vineyard Operator through to his current role as the Vineyard Sustainability and Operations Manager at Cloudy Bay Vineyards. An insatiable curiosity for learning about new technologies that help produce fruit to be proud of has meant a leading role in the business’s technology journey including looking to help articulate the company’s autonomous vineyard machine future.
Pathways of Leadership
Lisa Rogers from the New Zealand Rural Leadership Trust
Thursday. Stream 1: 1 pm – 2 pm
We need a steady pipeline of leaders coming through in all areas of a business if we want to maintain a vibrant and thriving sector.
Born and raised in Canterbury, Canty University Alum. Extended family in the Arable industry in Canterbury.
I have had a busy career and the common thread throughout has been leadership.
A background in Policy, Finance, event management and programme design and delivery, things have always been kept varied and interesting.
Some roles have been supported by formal qualifications- others learnt on the job, I don’t see formal tertiary education as a prerequisite or a barrier.
My passion is seeing people develop towards their true potential – it might not be all at once -as long as they are moving in the right direction.
Other than my role at Rural Leaders, I enjoy golf, skiing, catching up with friends (while sampling wine 😊), and being part of a busy family.
I am also (slowly) learning to fly helicopters as a passion project on the side.
The Frugal Bottle Revolution
Video from Frugalpac with Malcolm Waugh CEO supported in person by Mother of Pearl and Mothers Ruined to explain their story
Thursday, Stream 2: 1 pm – 2 pm
Learn about the Frugal Bottle – the world’s first paper bottle for wines and spirits that cuts carbon by 84%
British sustainable packaging company Frugalpac creates and supplies recycled paper-based products with the lowest carbon footprint that are easily recycled again and don’t need to go to landfill.
Frugalpac is looking to save the planet one bottle at a time by cutting the carbon footprint of wine and spirits bottles by 84%.
Based in the Ipswich, the company launched the Frugal Bottle - the world’s first and only commercially available paper bottle for wines, spirits and olive oils - in June 2020 and now has 35 brands around the world using it, including New Zealand’s Mothers Ruined Gin and Australia’s Mother of Pearl Vodka, who have also agreed to buy Frugalpac’s Frugal Bottle Assembly Machine to produce them Down Under.
The Frugal Bottle is made from 94% recycled paperboard with a food grade pouch to hold the liquid, is five times lighter than a glass bottle and crucially uses six times less carbon and energy to produce and dispose. This means it has a carbon footprint 84% lower than glass bottles.
Mother of Pearl Vodka Director: Nicola Thompson Hancock, Co-Founder & CMO
Nicola has for more than twenty years thrived in the world of fashion and luxury, acquiring significant expertise, and a strong knowledge of national and international market trends.
Her career has led her to specialising in business development and increasing market positions for Australian fashion brands in the global marketplace, by presenting them at international fashion weeks in New York, London and Paris.
She sees a holistic view of a brand’s current and future market position for new opportunities while continuing to grow the brand’s existing markets and reviewing the channel resources to produce optimum sales results.
Nicola’s experience and expertise speaks to the multifaceted approach necessary to succeed in today’s domestic and global alcohol spirits marketplace.
Before launching Mother of Pearl ~ Vodka of the Sea, Nicola has spent two decades working in house with iconic Australian designers such as Collette Dinnigan, camilla and marc, Rachel Gilbert and We Are Kindred.
Dr Jo Davy is the co-founder of Wellington-based craft distillery Mothers Ruined Gin, which launched a range of award-winning gin in 2023. The company was the first in Australasia to bring the Frugal Bottle to market and is working with other New Zealand and Australian companies to raise the profile of this packaging option.