DEBBIE EVANS

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Debbie assisted with marketing for a private winery in North Vancouver. The winery owner was also a partner in a larger commercial winery venture that had leased a downtown Vancouver space with plans to develop an urban wine tasting room and hospitality destination.

The proposed project experienced lengthy delays while working through the Development Permit and licensing process required for the wine tasting room. During this time, the owner continued meeting with potential investors in the unfinished leased space to present the vision for expanding the commercial winery.

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Recognizing the potential of the project, Debbie offered to develop a conceptual design proposal to help communicate the vision. She believed investors would better understand the opportunity through professional plans and renderings than by touring an empty, unfinished space. Having previous experience with the Development Permit process, she also felt a more detailed design package would strengthen the overall proposal.

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The proposal included concept development, space planning, floor plans, interior elevations, renderings, and a professional business presentation. Together, these materials supported marketing initiatives, investor presentations, and discussions related to the proposed wine tasting room.

Working closely with the private winery also provided Debbie with a unique opportunity to gain firsthand insight into the wine industry. She learned about vineyard practices, grape growing, winemaking, bottling, storage, hospitality, distribution, and the customer experience, giving her a broader understanding of how thoughtful design can support both winery operations and visitor engagement.

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Inspired by the project, Debbie completed the internationally recognized Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Levels 1, 2, and 3. These qualifications expanded her knowledge of viticulture, winemaking, wine regions, hospitality, tasting methodology, and wine service, providing additional insight that informed the conceptual design.

Although the downtown wine tasting room was ultimately not developed because of the prolonged approval and licensing process, the project demonstrates Debbie's ability to recognize opportunities, combine marketing, business strategy, hospitality planning, and interior design, and communicate a compelling vision for a commercial hospitality project.