Adam Knoerzer is a wine educator and consultant who pre-COVID taught in-person consumer and private and corporate classes on all sorts of subjects in the world of wine. He went independent in November with ‘Burghundy LLC—aptly named as the company hails from Pittsburgh, PA—teaching wine history and education classes to the public at different venues throughout the city and working with chefs to do wine/dinner pairings.

As a wine expert, he even represented the US in a wine competition in Cape Town last September (US champion South Africa Sommelier Cup 2019). His focus is on under-the-radar regions and grape varieties, as well as marginalized communities within the world of wine, in the hopes of making the industry more accessible and inclusive.

In mid-March, he knew things were going to be different. As such, he quickly searched for an affordable solution that would allow him to transition his in-person offerings to an online platform. It's been a seamless transition to BlueJeans for Adam, who says:

“BlueJeans gave me what I needed to just plug and play and go. Although this will never replace face-to-face learning, it still allows me to create community in wine -- affordably for myself as well as my students. Moreover, BlueJeans has allowed me to welcome a worldwide audience, and my students hail from all across North America, as well as places like the UK, Switzerland, and South Africa.” —Adam Knoerzer, Founder, ‘Burghundy LLC

Through using the perfect blend of technologies, Adam has been able to grow his business during the global pandemic. Where he used to cap in-person classes at 20-22 attendees to balance out material costs and maximize profit, he’s now able to welcome up to 45 people in his classes, and he’s taught over 100 classes (public and private) since March 19 on the platform—totaling over 2,500 public tickets sold, 30 public sold-out sessions, and 9 fundraisers. Adam also hosts corporate virtual wine classes for companies large and small over BlueJeans.

Using Square/Stripe for payments and registration, Adam creates an attendee roster and sends a template email to each user with join and engagement ‘how to’ instructions for accessing the class over BlueJeans. A few hours before the class starts, he then sends out the BlueJeans invite to all users and provides an outline of what to expect for each class on his website, which includes notes on what he’ll be drinking (as well as alternatives for those unable to get the specific wine).

To learn more about how Adam has been able grow his business and share his love of wine with a global audience, tune into our "Master the Virtual Handshake" webinar on Wednedsday, November 11, at 10am PT / 1pm ET.

In Part 2 of 3 in our SMB webinar series, Adam will discuss how he utilized technology to gain competitive advantage and win in a time when business relationships are built and maintained virtually. Topics will include:

  • Awkward silences, body language, cultural barriers... Tips to make a lasting, positive impression with an online audience
  • How to ensure your message is being heard and understood
  • Why making the switch from audio-only or outdated video software will help you win new business fasterWho’s joining from what and where? How to remain secure with features like passcodes and meeting lock

Don't forget to register for Wednesday's webinar here! To learn more about how we support customers of all sizes, visit our Customer page, and download your free trial of BlueJeans today.