What is a Product Consultant?
LCBO Product Consultants are leaders in product knowledge in our retail stores. They are responsible for supporting the VINTAGES program within the store and are experts in a full range of beverage alcohol products. They are a resource for serving solutions as well as food pairing ideas for our customers. A day in the life of a Product Consultant involves the following:
• Customer Service
• Merchandising
• Product Knowledge
• Development Day Tastings
Product Consultants are among the most passionate wine, spirits, and beer professionals within the industry and many hold their WSET Advanced or above, as well as other accreditations, including Prud’homme, Sommelier and Spirit Ambassador programs etc.
Presenting to this group is an excellent way to give your brand exposure to Retail Product Consultants who in turn act as your Brand Ambassador with our customers.
Product Consultant Development Days
Every year, we collaborate with the trade industry to deliver product knowledge education to our network of Retail Product Consultants across the province. These informative Supplier Meetings take place at 13 different locations throughout the province, occurring once or twice a month. They are strategically slotted into one-hour segments during our Product Consultants’ Developmental Days. It's important to distinguish these sessions from our annual conference.
The allocation of presentation slots depends on availability, as we strive to offer a fair and equitable opportunity to all agents and suppliers involved. Please note that the primary purpose of these Supplier Meetings is to impart educational insights and knowledge. Consequently, it's essential for each session to have well-defined objectives, and any proposed content will be evaluated to ensure alignment with these criteria.
Before applying to conduct a supplier meeting with the LCBO, we strongly encourage you to review and comprehend the following guidelines carefully:
To facilitate a seamless and enriching experience, we kindly request your
attention to the following Supplier Meeting Guidelines:
• A comprehensive application is mandatory for LCBO's approval of supplier meetings.
• Presentations are to be approximately an hour long, commencing at 2:30 PM and concluding
by 3:30 PM. Please ensure setup is completed at least thirty minutes before the scheduled
start.
• For tasting purposes, LCBO will provide tasting glasses and spittoons at each venue.
• The tasting session can feature up to six products.
• While we strive to avoid disruptions, please understand that LCBO reserves the right to make
necessary changes to the presentation schedule.
• Structured presentations with strong educational components are imperative.
• Content can span various aspects including wine, beer, spirits, and regions, and may even
incorporate food-related elements. Interactive and diverse teaching methods are highly
encouraged
• Audience-tailored content is key. As our Product Consultants are well-versed in beverage
alcohol, advanced-level educational content is preferable. Presenters who hold critical roles
within the company are especially valued.
Thank you for taking the time to familiarize yourself with these guidelines before submitting your application for a supplier meeting with the LCBO.
Application Dates:
We have modified our application submission process to address recent challenges with the submission process. Leveraging Microsoft Office 365, the application process will open on
Wednesday, April 24th, 2024 at 9:00 am and will close on Friday, May 24th, 2024 at 5:00 pm. The application period for which we are considering your proposals will be July - October 2024.
Please take time to familiarize yourself with the proposal criteria before submitting your application(s).
Proposal Overview & Acceptance Criteria:
A comprehensive proposal must be submitted using the application link for LCBO's approval of supplier meetings. Please note we strive to ensure fair and equitable acceptance based on the quality of the proposal submission.
Please consider the following:
• A maximum of 5 presentation topic proposals per supplier can be submitted; we cannot
guarantee allocation as availability is limited.
• Clearly define the learning outcomes to ensure presentations are well-structured with
advanced product knowledge and educational components.
• Content can span various aspects, including beer, wine, spirits, regional and varietal themes,
and food-related pairing exercises. Interactive and diverse teaching methods are highly
encouraged.
• Audience-tailored content is key. As our Product Consultants are well-versed in beverage
alcohol, advanced-level educational content is preferable. Presenters who hold critical roles
within the company (such as winemakers/principles) are especially valued.
Supplier Meetings Overview:
• Presentations are to be approximately one hour long, commencing at 2:30 PM and
concluding by 3:30 PM. Please plan to arrive by 2:00 PM for successful set-up
• LCBO will provide tasting glasses and spittoons at each location.
• The tasting session can feature up to six products
Application Review Process
Once applications are reviewed, you will receive an email confirmation from the Customer Engagement Group with your assigned dates, locations, and approved proposal topics.
Proposal confirmations will be sent out between June 3rd and 21st, 2024.
Application Submission:
Please click on the link below to submit your proposal via Microsoft Forms. You will find the dates organized by location. The form is simple and intuitive to use.
Please answer all questions as thoroughly as possible.
Thank you for considering this partnership opportunity, and we look forward to continued collaboration.
Diana Ruscetta
Senior Manager, Customer Engagement Group