Given the Brexit battering, plunged pound, horrible harvests and retailer rationalisations, it seems odd that so many folks at the LWF 2018 seemed to be having quite a fun time.
 
It’s almost as if we’re masochistically enjoying the challenge, enjoying using our brains a bit more, enjoying the pressure and enjoying catching up with old friends to swap news and horror stories.
 
For the Broadlands team, we saw LWF 2018 as an opportunity to showcase our new larger portfolio of brands and wines, our smart new logo and livery, our “Minivino Tower”, our impressive consumer insights and a few new product and packaging innovations. 
 
But, instead, the Fair ended up being a series of fantastic conversations where we heard our customers latest needs and issues, and brainstormed solutions with them - exclusives, tiering, matching, pull-through, upsize/downsize, bundle, extend, test. And a series of great conversations with our new young recruits, some of whom witnessed their first LWF - their perspectives and insights so refreshing. And watching our most experienced wine sales pros literally write new business on scraps of paper.
 
Our evenings were fun too. Showing Italian Producers a proper London pub. Reminding our PR lady why her client should be kept well away from journalists. And reminding ourselves why we never made it as professional singers.