2022 #NCWine Digital Media Summit Speakers

Bob Aycock: How Social Media and Websites Work Together

Bob Aycock has over 12 years of digital marketing experience, working with small and medium-sized businesses and nonprofits. He currently works full-time as a Social Media Marketing Manager, overseeing social media and digital marketing for three TV shows in 12 Designated Market Areas.

Bob and his wife, Jen, started Wine Carolinas in 2017, taking their appreciation of wine to explore the variety of wines in North and South Carolina. Bob and Jen have been attending the #NCWine Digital Media Summit since its inaugural year. It’s been Bob’s honor to be a summit speaker from 2019 to now.

Bob is a native North Carolinian. He and Jen live in Matthews with their four children, two rescued dogs, and a flock of backyard chickens. When Bob isn’t sipping on Rosé or Traminette in a vineyard, he enjoys lavender lattes at home and tending to his beehives.

Arthur Barham:Helping Bloggers Help You

Arthur Barham is the co-creator of Merlot2muscadine, media dedicated to promoting North Carolina’s vineyards, meaderies, wineries and tasting rooms. His passion for this venture was born from visits to nearly 140 North Carolina vineyards and wineries. With his wife and videographer Mary Barham, he developed a passion for wine from the Tarheel state.

Arthur has a social media presence on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram he touts himself as a “drum major” for North Carolina wine. Usually adorned in his trademark bowtie, this native North Carolinian is widely known and easily recognizable as he travels across the Old North State.

Arthur is also a contributing writer to the digital publication Screw it Wine. Arthur resides in Holly Springs NC with his wife Mary and 2 dogs Mikee and Monte (short for Montepulciano).

DeLauren Everett: Leverage Your Network to Grow Your Net Worth

A lover of creating experiences and wine education, DeLauren Everett, founder and curator of Blends & Bubbly (formerly known as Culture Wine Blogger), has worked as a corporate events professional and has been a lover of wine for over 12 years. 

DeLauren’s desire to bring people together in environments that engage and inspire has given her opportunities to manage a diverse portfolio of events including board of directors, grand openings, celebrity, learning and development, employee appreciation, vendor, and social events for well known and highly respected companies. 

DeLauren is documenting her experience via her blog and is partnering with vineyard owners throughout North Carolina to promote and highlight North Carolina wines and wineries. She also serves as a wine consultant that coaches her clients to utilize their senses to have an elevated wine experience.

Crista Guebert: Leveraging Diversity & Inclusion

As a proud Native Texan, Crista Guebert grew up in Houston and went to a small, private liberal arts school called Trinity University in San Antonio, TX. Crista participated in many cultural organizations and was president of the Chinese Culture Club where she led hosting Lunar New Year events. She was also the Vice President of Alumni membership at her International Co-ed Business Fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi, a role that involved extensive amounts of networking.

Crista moved to the East Coast right after undergrad and fell into her career in federal consulting. She has 15 years of professional experience in strategy, operations, and process improvement consulting. In addition, she held a leadership role in company sponsored Diversity and Inclusion at the International Business Resource Group (IBRG). While there, she coordinated events ranging from company sponsored Olympic events to coordinating and sponsoring the US Fulbright Program.

Fast forward to when Crista and Chad got married and decided to spend a year taking viticulture and enology classes in Charlottesville, VA area at Piedmont Virginia Community College (the Virginia equivalent of NC’s Surry Community College). They purchased Golden Road Vineyards July 7^th 2017 and immediately jumped into the NC wine industry. Diversity and Inclusion practices are foundational for their business and lead to a richer experience.

Anna Pendleton: Wineries, Vineyards & Digital Influencers Working Together in Virginia

Anna Pendleton is a Digital & Content Marketing Manager for the Virginia Wine Board Marketing Office. She joined the team in 2018 after graduating Summa Cum Laude from Virginia Tech with dual degrees in public relations and Spanish. Since then she has brought a new, digital-oriented approach to the Virginia Wine brand.

With an aptitude for photography, writing, design and data analysis, she was able to focus on creating content that brought Virginia Wine’s story to life. She’s focused on sharing these content pieces on social media, virginiawine.org and the Virginia Wine App, while seeking new opportunities to engage and connect Virginia Wine fans and industry influencers. Doing so, she has grown Virginia Wine’s Instagram following by 68% in under four years and has contributed to the 60% traffic increase of web users.

Anna now oversees Virginia Wine’s digital and content marketing efforts to deliver a consistent, approachable and exciting brand for all Virginia wines. Additionally, she prioritizes industry connections and communication to ensure Virginia’s wineries have access to resources and opportunities that will elevate their marketing and branding efforts.