FIRST SIP ® May 2012
Job Opportunities in the Drinks Business
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them on a weekly basis, trying to prepare them for the concept of a "lifestyle business," full of great personalities, superb travel opportunities and access to an incredible amount of food and drink ideas and inspiration. I have tried to advise some of these brilliant,
here do young, open-minded executives go when they have fallen in love with our industry? I talk to
young financial types that our working hours and pay structure will be different than what they have often experienced. They mostly approach me with their desire to be drinks writers. It is hardly the only path in our field. I would personally welcome many of these passionate professionals into our business; however, it is sometimes hard to convey what we in the drinks business value and why we adore our colleagues and associates. Our industry, in a tough economy, continues to prosper and sometimes suffer, so entry-
Vol. 23 No. 4
Executive Vice President, Group Publisher Charles Forman Tel (845) 426-6072
cforman@m2media360.com Editor-in-Chief
Liza B. Zimmerman Tel (415) 994-0130
Lzimmerman@m2media360.com
Managing Editor Jeremy Nedelka
(203) 855-8499 ext. 213 jnedelka@m2media360.com
Art Director Kathleen Sage
ksage@m2media360.com
Production Director Mary Jo Tomei
Tel (760) 318-7000 ext. 220 mtomei@m2media360.com
Michelle Paolillo Lockett, Kelly Magyarics,
Contributing Editors Sandy Block,
Lucy Saunders, Amy Sherman, Thomas Henry Strenk
Monica Kass Rogers,
Vice President of Sales, Associate Publisher Anthony Bongiovanni Tel (248) 253-0108
tbongiovanni@m2media360.com
Senior Regional Sales Managers Mark Marcon
Tel (248) 761-6231
level access is harder than ever. The best access to our business, in recent times, has always been working in retail (you can taste several dozen wines a day) or in sales (for a wholesaler or producer). They aren't always perceived as the most glamorous jobs, but they provide a great foundation in terms of tasting and market access to personalities, brand profiles and the drinks and restaurant world. I always recommend them to newcomers. So how shall we mentor the next generation in the drinks business? What advice can we
mmarcon@m2media360.com Jeanette Sims
Tel (415) 383-1762 jsims@m2media360.com
Debbie Rittenberg Tel (215) 860-0306
drittenberg@m2media360.com
provide them with about long-term opportunities, where it will lead them and how to best go into our business? Thankfully there are a lot more academic classes on these topics than there have been in the past, including Sonoma State University's wine program and the MBA program at the Bordeaux Business School. However, I believe it is important for all of us, as executives, to fill in the blanks about education, opportunities and career paths to the best of our abilities (to intrigue and fortify the next generation). We have to cultivate the following generation as it will soon fall to them to be the ones
to promote the civilized pleasures that our business strives to convey: eating well, drinking well and lodging in classic accommodations.
Cheers!
Liza B. Zimmerman Editor-in-Chief
List Rental & Reprints Cheryl Naughton Tel (678) 292-6054
cnaughton@m2media360.com
M2MEDIA360 President/CEO Marion Minor
Vice President, Finance and Operations Gerald Winkel
Vice President, Circulation and Collateral Services Joanne Juda-Prainito Tel (630) 543-0552 jjuda@m2media360.com
Corporate Conference Director Cheers Beverage Conference Katie Smith
Tel (440) 625-0597 ksmith@m2media360.com
Production & Operations Director Mary Jo Tomei
Cheers®
Information Group, a division of M2MEDIA360
is published by The Beverage Tel (203) 855-8499 • Fax (203) 855-9446
Editorial and executive offices at 17 High Street, 2nd Floor Norwalk, CT 06851
6 | MAY 2012 www.cheersonline.com
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