Club Management - May/June 2008 - (Page 14)

Feature Wine Society By Tim Stein Quenches Thirst for Knowledge, Camaraderie the Club Foundation. Today, the IWS, with a current membership of 409, shows no signs of slowing down. W 14 • CLUB MANAGEMENT When Warren Arseneaux, CCM, Red Steger, CCM, and Bob Fudge got together to form the CMAA International Wine Society (IWS) in 1987, they did it right. Developed on the concept of creating a CMAA Chapter of Les Amis de Vins, the original concept was to gather managers to enjoy and appreciate wine with other club managers and, in the process, learn more about wine. Over the years, the IWS has grown to become a microcosm of CMAA. Through the thoughtful leadership of a succession of boards, led by host (President) Peter Tunley, CCM, Burt Ward, CCM, John Spidalette, CCM, Dolly Ammann, CCM, Terry Gilmer, CCM, and Sandy McGaughey, MCM, the focus has mushroomed to include the education of local chapters, pre-conference workshops, at-conference business sessions with nationally known speakers, and online educational offerings. Winery workshops both in the U.S. and abroad offer workshop education. The IWS also has taken on a fundraising role by overseeing wine auctions that support Wine Workshops The IWS has hosted wine workshops that have taken groups all over the globe. The workshops are offered to IWS members ﬁrst, then to the CMAA membership at-large and are usually sold out in advance. Charles “Chuck” Walter, CCM, and Michael Robinson, MCM, have guided many workshops. Asked what makes the wine workshops so successful, Walter said, “We’ve always tried to give the attendees good value, staying at quality hotels, visiting premier wine producers in any given region and having great meals along the way.” One attendee, Kirk Reese, CCM, said of the workshops, “When you go on a workshop, you get to know many of the managers very well. In a way, it is like a Business Management Institute (BMI), in that you learn together and keep in touch with many of the attendees after the workshop.” Wine workshops have taken place throughout the United States and Europe. Members also have toured emerging wine regions such as New Zealand, Australia, Argentina and Chile. The ﬁrst workshop led by Walter in Australia was in the early 1990s when very few labels were available from smaller wineries. Walter said, “The wineries always wanted to pull out their best, or limited-production wine.” Walter also provided unique experiences while on workshops. Highlights include one of the largest simultaneous hot air balloon launches in France (21 balloons), gondola rides in Venice, harvesting live mussels in New Zealand and eating them out of the shell, visiting a wine school in Bordeaux and a side trip to the Savannah in South Africa.

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Club Management - May/June 2008

Club Management - May/June 2008 Contents President’s Message Accounting & Financial Management Board Governance Wine Society Quenches Thirst for Knowledge, Camaraderie Building & Facilities Management Tennis Pro Education Increases Your Bottom Line Cover Story: BMI Golf Management Golf/Sports & Recreation Management Human & Professional Resources Relationship Building in the Internet Era The Ultimate Cellar Raid Products and Services Marketplace External & Government Influences HFTP Insight: HITEC 2008 Features Latest in Club Technology New Directions Global Outreach Advertiser Index/Advertisers.com Club Wrap

Club Management - May/June 2008

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