(Wines&Vines) - These days, companies have the means and the power to use data to their full advantage.

Data collection and analysis was a recurring theme at the recent Wine Industry Technology Symposium (WITS), which took place June 14 in Sonoma. Organized for the past 11 years by co-founders Lesley Berglund and Smoke Wallin along with the Wine Symposium Group, the annual event was acquired by Wine Business Monthly in June 2015, and the show has been refocused to serve as a networking and educational opportunity for primarily winery employees.

The event, held at The Lodge at Sonoma, drew more than 200 people who attended seminars, met with vendors taking part in a “sponsor showcase” and participated in small roundtable sessions focused on specific subjects related to technology.

One of the day’s general sessions concerned data and how analysis can be used to increase direct-to-consumer (DtC) and wholesale wine sales. Jon Moramarco, founder of the market-research and data-collection firm BW166, moderated the panel discussion of experts from different sized wineries.