"I had very productive meetings and was able to meet some new manufacturers I was unaware of, and some that had really innovative products that I think will work well for us. I wouldn’t have found these without participating in the ECRM program this week. I will definitely be back and look forward to it."
Tara Anderson
Holiday Stationstores, Inc.
"The ECRM Adult Beverage Program has been absolutely incredible. I found so many new, cool, exciting things that I would not have found if I did not participate this week. And the ECRM Connect platform makes things extremely efficient and keeps meetings moving! It’s been a great week!"
Keith Janosik
Central Market
"These are pioneering times in the industry we all play in. Your company’s role is setting new standards and it’s great to be both a participant and a partner in it’s development."
Jonas Rempel
Giant Tiger Stores Ltd.
"ECRM Connect is a user-friendly platform, with a dedicated team guiding the process and top buyers invited. You only focus on what you need…your products, the sales pitch and closing deals."
Cristobal Fernandez
Via Pacifica Selections
"We’ve been going to ECRM now for three years and have experienced both their in-person and virtual programs. In either scenario, the community of buyers has always been considerate of our products for their programs. The ability to establish meaningful relationships has prevailed into long-term cooperative partnerships that have been incredibly valuable to our business."
Fisk Biggar
Firehouse Can Co.
"I signed up for this virtual program very last minute and I am glad I did. I have attended many in-person Adult Beverage Programs in the past and I found that the virtual session was much more effective. For me, I was able to really focus in on the retailer’s business. The ECRM platform for conducting the meetings was exceptional. All the retailer’s information was available to me as I presented. I was able to address exactly what the retail buyer was looking for and I could tailor my presentation to the buyer’s requests. The notes section on the platform provided me a location to note the next action steps requested by the buyer and it also provided me an opportunity to create historical documentation for future meetings. I am looking forward to the follow up with the buyers in securing new business and on-going sales for our wines. Personally, I feel that I was a better presenter because I slept in my own bed, I didn’t have to travel, I didn’t have to set up, and I didn’t have to tear down. All my time was spent in preparation and most importantly, on the presentation!"
Sandra Pacheco
Southwest Wines
"Every year, ECRM saves my company time and money. Connecting with new buyers is the top goal, but a very close second is meeting so efficiently with buyers with whom my team already works -- all in the course of just a few days!"
John Dorminey
That Dog'll Hunt
"The virtual platform ECRM built in 2020 must have been based on their years of experience keeping their live events highly organized and always running on time. Corbin walked me through their platform and kept me up-to-date before and throughout the event. My team was in NC, NY and Spain while we met with buyers across the USA and South America. Not one glitch, this Program was seamless!"
John Dorminey
That Dog'll Hunt
"The difference between "costs a lot" and "expensive" is the results a trade show brings. I've participated in over a dozen ECRM Programs and every single one had an ROI that more than covered the costs and always brought additional sales later on through the connections I made at each session."
John Dorminey
That Dog'll Hunt
"I can't recommend doing an ECRM On-Premise Program enough! This has been our 2nd time attending one of these, and we've always been so impressed with how everything is set up and how incredible the appointments go! The staff is so helpful and has each company's success as their #1 focus. The meetings are always so great, and the entire setup of the event is catered to allow buyers and sellers to network and market with one another. We wouldn't have ever had the opportunity to meet and share our products with so many incredible companies if it wasn't for these events! Thanks again for allowing us to attend - we look forward to next year!"
Hanna Mathis Bridge
Vibe, LLC
"We had a great show! It was a great way to meet retailers, distributors, & operators in the alcohol space. This is a cool & active way to expand into the U.S. market."
Dan Beach
AWARE Beverages Inc.
"Excellent show!! CSR’s were attentive & very helpful. Meetings progressed on time, excellent supplier teams, and great details for all events!"
Chris Gross
BevTrade Solutions, Inc
"The format is a lot more respectful to suppliers’ time and efforts. Instead of trying to catch a retailer as they are speeding by your booth at a trade show, ECRM brings them right to you for a private, pre-scheduled meeting. It’s much less stressful. ECRM is a great way for emerging suppliers to grow their business, and I would recommend to any supplier looking to get into retail and foodservice. ECRM sets you up for success!"
Leah Caplanis
SOCIAL Sparkling Wine
"This was my first time attending ECRM and it completely exceeded my expectations. I attend events all over the globe, such as Prowein and Vinexpo, and this is the best event in the US to meet buyers and decision-makers. I made over a dozen great leads."
Justin Moran
Limestone Coast Wine (LCW)
"The ECRM Global Wine, Beer & Spirits EPPS exceeded my expectations. We are a very small startup and the cost of the event was beyond what our budget allowed but after seeing the list of retailers attending the show we felt like we had to try it. We were blown away on how well the ECRM team was organized and in addition we’ve ended up with many hot leads that we hope to convert in the next few weeks."
Rick Martinez
Senor Sangria
"My company has been to ECRM before but this was my first experience and I found the event to be great, had quality meeting with buyers. The ECRM staff did a phenomenal job running the event and helping during pre-event preparation. The Connect software on the iPad was also great to support our efforts at the event"
Katie Pelowski
Fetzer Vineyards
"This was the first time for my company to attend the ECRM Global Wine, Beer & Spirits EPPS and found it to be great. The event was well run and the buyers we met were decision makers – very good quality meetings overall. The Connect software on the iPad was amazing to support my efforts at the event: taking notes and checking off items that buyers were interested in and wanted samples."
Barbara Ruppel
Casa Perini
"A great event for meeting buyers that would take weeks or months to see. The quality of buyers is very good. The ability to create downloadable notes for follow-up is a great use of technology. The ECRM staff has been extremely helpful with any issues that came up."
Andrew Mello
Mango Bottling, Inc.
"The ECRM meetings & format is an efficient channel through which the process of sourcing new products & new sellers to international markets has become easier. It has allowed us to find new, innovative, & quality products, as well as learn about trending global tendencies. We, at Cencosud, appreciate the opportunity they give us to continuously participate in these events. They are all well-organized & structured, ran in a very professional environment. Thank you for letting us be part of these events!!"
Susana Coloma
Cencosud Peru
"If you are looking for national partners, innovative new strategies or maybe just wish to consider expanding your retail offerings, ECRM will give you the result you’re looking for. Their events are packed with specific, pre-coordinated meetings that will allow buyers the maximum amount of viable contacts in the least amount of time. And, ECRM does all the work for you by screening your specific needs to allow you make decisions on products that will directly impact your business. We walked into ECRM with a hope for an expanded wine program and consistent assortment and walked out with a national partnership and universal distribution that will triple our number of wine locations in the near future."
John Deichler
Murphy USA, Inc.
"ECRM continues to be one of the greatest resources that link the Walgreens buying team to diverse number of suppliers available worldwide. As a team we find the ECRM process highly productive, it’s a very effective use of our time to meet with all the participating vendors of all scale and size. The Global Wine, Beer & Spirits events have proven to be a very effective use of our time and as a company our Adult Beverage team will continue to make the ECRM meetings and format an integral part of our review and selection process throughout the year. To date approximately 20% of the planogram items have been discovered during the ECRM events."
Dale Johnson
Walgreen Company
"In 2011, I suggested to my supplier that they attend the ECRM meeting in Napa, California. Although this seemed rather expensive initially, I can verify that the contacts and sales made from these meetings more than paid for any and all expenses. The meetings were done professionally and without interruption. It allowed my clients to open multiple states with various buyers and eventually led to a national chain launch."
Carl Folkman
Florida Wine & Spirits
"We attended our first ECRM wine event last September in Napa, California. Because we registered only a few days before the event, we didn’t have a lot of time to prepare and we didn’t know what to expect. But, the event ended up being a HUGE success for us and we were completely impressed by ECRM’s format and professionalism. We were able to network with several customers during the show and business started picking up as soon as we left. Our business has shown double digit growth from the relationships that we developed at the event - our sales went through the roof! In addition, we are now the primary wine provider for a prominent, North American restaurant chain. We don’t typically attend trade shows, but ECRM’s private-meeting format is so efficient, you can’t afford not to attend! We can’t wait to see what happens at your next wine event in May. See you then!"
Eric Guerra
Summerland Wine Brands