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finbers of the Press Entertained at Vegas ifoice Staff Photo for Santa how [to create more holiday pack- Df the Yuletide pice Staff Photo fees some of the |an (center) and and president. Voice publisher S. Fred Brody arid other members of the press from the Western States were entertained by Schenley Industries Inc,, at Las Vegas, Sunday for the showing of the 1965-66 Schen- ley Merchandise Mart in the Sands Hotel. * For many industries it is model changeover time yet few will offer such dramatic new appearances as the al- c o h o 1 i c beverage industry, which this year is shooting for some $250 million in extra sales from specially designed five, eye-appealing packaging and pre-wraps. The quarter of a billion dol- lars represents a business bonus, based solely on attrae- tice, eye-appealing packaging for th e October-December holiday season, according to Bernard Goldberg, president of Affiliated Distillers Brands Corp., marketing subsidiary of Schenley Industries, Inc. Mr. Goldberg, at the open- ing of a forum for Schenley distributors at the Sands Hotel here today, said Schenley this year is introducing its holi- day line a month earlier than ever before in a bid to capture a larger share of this major seasonal market. ?╟ ?╟ Schenley is not only the first distiller to introduce its line, but it will also have the widest variety ever offered by any company in the industry. Mr. Goldberg explained that public tastes were sampled in a series of marketing research studies and many of the sug- gestions offered have been in- corporated in some of the packages. ?╟úTo summarize briefly some of the features the public looks for in de- canters, for example, we must consider an* unusual design, something that is different, unique, modern, contempor- ary, streamlined, ^lender, tall, tapered ?╟÷ and graceful. A package must be elegant-look- ing, with broken lines, inden- tations, notches, yet be plain and uncluttered and, of course, easy to handle. i ?╟úIt is impossible to bring all these features into one package yet we have come up with what we believe is the most dramatic holiday pack- aging program in the history of our industry,?╟Ñ he continued First Decanter in *39 Reviewing the history of special holiday packaging, Mr Goldberg recalled that the first decanter was introduced by Schenley in 1939, but dis- continued on account of the war. In 1948 Schenley brought out the first decanter for a bourbon. The product was I. W. Harper. In 1953 Schenley introduced the first postwar decanter for a blended whis- key, Schenley Reserve. Mean- while, the use of cartons was becoming widespread in the industry. The next develop- ment in the late ?╟╓fifties was gift-wrapped cartons processed at the distillery before de- livery to' the retailer. In the trade these are known as pre- wraps. Mr. Goldberg said ?╟úthere can be no doubt that the de- velopment of holiday packag- ing has been a substantial aid in boosting retail sales* of the alcoholic beverage industry.?╟╓* Mr. Goldberg, said 1950 was picked as a base year because it marked the start of the first ?╟únormal?╟Ñ postwar decade for consumer spending. That year also marked a return to peace- time packaging and the begin- ning of widespread use of de- canters and gift cartons for holiday sales. Gift packaging, according to the Schenley sales executive, has been a boon to package stores in their competing with other mer- chants for the customer?╟╓s gift dollars. It also allows the re- tail dealer to offer a specific package for a specific need. Another advantage, for the retailer is that gift packaging reduces considerably the cler- ical expense for wrapping and expenditures for paper, rib- bons and other packaging materials. But above all, Mr. Goldberg said, attractive holi- day packaging enhances the ?╟ image?╟Ñ of alcoholic bever- ages in terms of being ideal, appropriate and acceptable gift merchandise. From the consumer view- point, Mr. Goldberg said, gift-packaging makes alcoholic beverages easy, quick and simple to buy. The headline of the extra- vaganza was a stage produc- tion ?╟úTHE DIAMOND JUBI- LEE YEAR?╟Ñ which stared Norma Crawford, Millie Sla- vin, John Boni, and Tom Urich. Written and directed by Fred J. Pullen, Jr. The press were invited to a special luncheon in the new conven- tion headquarters. Bill Maher convention sales m a n a g e r made the press very comfort- able and the session ended with the press receiving a sample of a couple of the Schenley products. Many thanks from this reporter also go to Leon Brin, Dick Wright, and Jim Palatore who made the showing very enjoyable as well as informative.