Update: The winery passports have been printed and were sent to participating wineries in December 2020. We will not be adding any new wineries to the passport until the next printing, which we don’t expect to do until late 2021. We will send out an email to all the wineries when it is time to renew. If you are a new winery that would like to be on the passport please sign up for our email list below. Thanks to all the wineries who participated!

 Introducing the Kansas Winery Marketing Program (KaWMaP)

1/11/2020

Dear Fellow Kansas Farm Winery,

It is hard to believe that so many people still do not know there are wineries in Kansas, but we all know it’s reality. The most cost effective way for us to increase exposure for our industry is for all of us to split the cost of industry marketing. Therefore, we will be beginning the Kansas Winery Marketing Program. The first step in this program will be an annual winery map to be reproduced at the beginning of each year. We’ve had success as an industry with these in the past, but they have only been produced about every 10 years. Many of our surrounding states have success producing these annually, and we should be no different. We have many customers that are proud to show us their annual maps and what wineries they have visited. Let’s do the same here in Kansas.

All of the funds collected for this purpose will be used to produce the winery maps. This will also be an important tool for CVB’s and tourist offices to help promote our industry. (I think they would be shocked to know there are currently 52 licensed farm wineries and 11 tasting rooms) We have committed to a minimum production of 50,000 maps, but we would love to see 100,000 or more produced. The more of us that participate, the more impact we can have.

All Kansas farm wineries and tasting rooms with hours open to the public are eligible to be on the map. New locations planning to open during the year can obtain a listing noting the month they plan to open so they can begin marketing in the current year versus waiting an entire year or more after they open.

The main highlights:

-Cost: $250 (averages to $20.83 per month) per entity for the 2020 map. (Locations housing multiple winery or tasting room entities or with the capacity to house multiple entities will pay $250 for each potential location, regardless of the occupancy level at the first of the year. Only one location name will be listed with one map marker in order to keep the map readable. This balances the cost with the potential economic benefit.) Please fill out the registration form with your winery’s information here.

-Deadline to be listed for 2020: 1/31/2020(We want to get them out ASAP)

-Who is eligible: All licensed Kansas Farm Wineries and Tasting Rooms open regularly to the public. Each winery must also be a member of KGGWA. (If you attend the annual educational conference you are already a member for 2020, if not membership starts at $25 annually. Our membership is open to everyone.)   

-Each location will be supplied with a stamp for use in marking the map.

-Each location agrees to display and handout copies of the map from their tasting room.

In future years, it would be nice to offer prizes, or incentives to our customers. This is the most uncontrollable expense and we need to start somewhere so we will be forgoing this initially. If you have any ideas on this topic for future years, please let me know.

A mockup of the map is below. It will be a manageable size of 11” X 17” which will be folded for convenient carry.