Building Culture

This past weekend was the 25th anniversary of La Paulée, a festival that originated in Burgundy during Medieval times to celebrate the annual harvest.?I have been involved in The Paulée for 15 years, which is held annually between NYC, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Burgundy is a region that is near and dear to my heart for many reasons, namely, the rich history and stunning wine and cuisine, but mostly because of the people. It might seem counterintuitive, but the most expensive wine in the world is made by the most laid back, generous and open-hearted people on the planet. The best winemakers in the world are in attendance, Daniel Bouloud is always the headlining Chef. This year, Jeremy Seysses, owner and winemaker of Domaine Dujac, gave the keynote. He spoke about community, which got me thinking about the communities we find ourselves in and the role that we play in them.

Community is defined as those that share common goals, identity or interests. We live in an ever evolving world, one where we spend the majority of our time online, getting to know one another through the images projected through our tiny screens. Communities are no longer simply defined by the people we are raising our children with or who live next door. Our communities are limitless. The wine business has long been a global community, one where we tie ourselves together through an intricate network with wine and shared meals as the binding force. Why, in the wine business, do we feel so connected, even when we only see each other once a year? I can't help but be reminded of the difficulty many of our clients face trying to build community with their teams that work remotely. How do we connect deeply when we are not regularly together?

Shared experiences bring people together This is likely not the first time you've heard me say that food and wine are the connective tissue for building authentic community. THAT is why I love restaurants and events. THAT is why they are important. I learned in the early days of Acquire that it doesn’t take a brick and mortar restaurant space to make people feel that connection. The food and wine are the tools, the shared experience, that bring people together to connect deeper.

Create experiences for the introverts in the room I remember my first Paulée. Being asked to participate in this event is a wildly coveted invitation. I arrived, in my Banana Republic suit, to a room filled with the best sommeliers in the country, siphoning and double decanting magnums and jeroboams of the most expensive and highly sought after wine in the world. The male energy hung like a dense fog in the room. In my career I have often found myself in rooms that feel foreign, where I feel like I don’t belong. The reality is that I did belong there, I just felt intimidated and out of place. When crafting experiences, I think of the people that feel like they’re on the outside looking in. If you can make that person have a great time, you've won. When you’re in the business of taking care of others, that means everyone.

Look for opportunities to go deeper so much of our lives operate on the surface. I measure the success of our events by how real and authentic it feels. There is honestly nothing worse than small talk. If someone starts telling me a personal story about their grandma, or an emotional connection is created, that is what makes mundane interaction extraordinary.??

Bring people up, look for opportunities to mentor The Paulée is all about the wine, but for me, in those early years, I was just excited to share space with the people that knew more than me. I observed the leaders: how did they connect with guests, with their team members? How did they deliver hospitality? How did they set the tone for deep connection? Now that I am one of those leaders, connection remains the cornerstone: with guests, with each other. I found myself being asked so many times this weekend ‘what was your wine of the night?’ to which I struggled to answer. My younger self was so excited to taste, to have access to wine that was so far out of my reach. Today, my role is to steward in the next generation, to watch them taste and have those ‘ah ha’ moments that they will never forget. ‘There are 50 sommeliers back there, if we all tasted, there would be no wine for you!’ became my answer. Shepherding others into this space, making it feel warm and inclusive is now my focus.

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What we sell at Acquire is food and wine experiences, but it is so much more than that. What we really sell is connection. People need community, which can be also created and sustained online, in a virtual environment. We’ve created a strategic model that helps our clients connect deeper with their customers and prospects remotely, but what about their internal teams? As leaders in the virtual events space, we've seen the impact a well executed virtual event can have on company culture and community building. By applying the same principles from live events to the virtual space, we empower your team by giving them a sense of inclusion and belonging.?