The Enhanced Tasting Events program provides customers with an exciting and dynamic shopping experience that is designed to engage them in a discovery of the world of beverage alcohol.
An Enhanced Tasting Event is an ideal opportunity to promote your products directly to consumers in an informative and entertaining fashion. You can integrate your event to an in-store promotion, team up with a licensee or bring in your own chef to prepare inspiring culinary dishes, or offer a hands-on cocktail-making session or a bottle-signing by a special guest winemaker, brewmaster, or master distiller…the possibilities are endless.
Goals of the Enhanced Tasting Event program:
- Increase sales of featured products and related product extensions.
- Integrate events with ongoing promotional themes and programs.
- Create a dynamic and engaging shopping experience for customers.
- Up-sell customers to more premium products.
- Provide customers with inspiring serving suggestions and food pairing ideas.
- Increase time spent in the store.
- Encourage frequent visits to stores.
- Attract new customers.
- Promote products in a socially responsible manner.
Integrated Events
Please consider the Promotional Turns and the seasonal nature of your products when booking your events. The LCBO strives for integration at all points of customer contact. Enhanced Events that
integrate with the Promotional Turns will receive priority over those events that do not feature a participating product. The LCBO reserves the right to schedule events to ensure supplier product promotions integrate with the in-store programming.
Rate information
A fee of $100/tasting will be invoiced at the end of the period along with the cost of the product used at landed cost.
The fee includes a $25 donation to the Spirit of Sustainability program.
Supplier Signage and Creative
Pre-approval of custom creative is not required; however, artwork must be in keeping with the LCBO’s brand and social responsibility standards. A store manager, at his or her discretion,
may instruct a supplier to remove signage if it does not adhere to LCBO standards. Suppliers seeking advice regarding LCBO standards or review of specific creative may contact events@lcbo.com
Tasting components will consist of only:
A maximum of two products (unless otherwise approved)
Each customer is allowed one sample of each product to a maximum of two samples (unless
otherwise approved)
Portable Tasting Bar
Poster Insert Specifications: 40-pt. board, 21.9”w x 32.5”h
Creative should be clean and simple with an occasion, lifestyle and/or solution focus
Table runner (2.5’ w x 6’ l) -- may not obscure tasting bar poster insert. Easel-back table sign (max. 12” w x 15” h)
Table-top bottle glorifier Recipe cards
Small props displayed on tasting bar; i.e. ingredients for product education (e.g. botanicals), bar tools, fruit bowl, flowers.
Themed attire (Note: Applies only to Enhanced Activations conducted by third-party demonstrators.)
Key Event Days
Thursday & Friday evenings
Saturday afternoons and evenings
Times vary depending on location.
Participation Guidelines
Food Match
Enhanced events must have a food match in sufficient quantities for the expected attendance. If the food match is depleted, the tasting must end.
An appropriate food match pairs your product with a chef, licensee, or caterer and provides one-bite, pre-plated appetizers. Peanuts, pretzels, and chips are not considered appropriate food
matches. Please avoid common allergens such as shellfish and nuts.
Maximum Serving Sizes
(Based on alcohol content by volume)
Your product must be listed at the store where the sampling is taking place.
Supplier Code of Conduct
- The supplier is responsible for ensuring that all Special Events are conducted in a socially responsible manner.
- Suppliers or their sampling representatives are not to consume alcohol while the tasting is taking place.
- The sampling station must be staffed at all times during the event. Open product must not be left unattended at any time.
- Use of cell phones during the scheduled event period is not acceptable.
- Suppliers who repeatedly miss events or start their scheduled events late are subject to review of future bookings.
- All servers or product representatives are expected to arrive in business/business casual attire. Jeans, shorts and t-shirts/tank tops are not acceptable.
- Product demonstrators should arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the event and allow 30 minutes after the event for clean-up.
Attire Standards
It is important that your staff appear professional when working in our stores.
Below are some guidelines.
Both men and women must wear slacks that cover the ankles.
No cleavage or midriffs should be visible
No excessively tight-fitting clothing
No spaghetti straps
No yoga pants
Accessories should be conservative.
Close-toed shoes must be worn.
* Details regarding special attire should be discussed with the Events team.
Suppliers are responsible for providing the following items:
Where an external product demonstrator is used the demonstrator must be SMART Serve certified and have completed the Customer Service Standard training module, as required by The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), the server must also hold a current
food handling certificate.
Enhanced tasting events require an appropriate and meaningful food match for the estimated number of guests. Agents should confirm product listings and availability at each of the locations they wish to hold events. Only stores that list the product may be applied for. The store manager may use their discretion when considering the quantity needed for the event and we encourage agents to discuss this with the store 2 weeks prior to the event.
The LCBO is not responsible for any delays in shipping or short-stock situations. Should the product not arrive in the store in time for the tasting the store manager may approve an alternate product from the same agent in its place.
Permitted Promotional Material
All requests should be included on your application form and are subject to approval. Components must be brought to the store on the day of the event and must be removed at the conclusion of your event. Any unused items will be recycled or disposed of.
Photography
Advanced approval must be given for any photography in-store. Please email all relevant details to Colette Pividori at Colette.pividori@lcbo.com, and copy events@lcbo.com.
Applications
Please submit your request with details of your event to events@lcbo.com 9 weeks prior to the begining of the period.
Enhanced Events tastings are booked via the In-store Tasting System. To access the system, agents must complete the Access Request Form. When submitting please place a note indicating that this is an enhanced tasting with the application or it may be declined.
Corporate/Private Events (Currently on hold until further notice)