Under The Influence

2026 - what a show, what a tribe!

The new Art of Storytelling course on Beverageintelligence.
Because every glass has a story. Your team just needs to learn how to tell it.

Picture this. A guest settles into their chair after a long day on Safari. The sun has set, and dinner is about to be served. The campfire flickers warmly. Your waiter approaches with a bottle of wine and says: "May I interest you in a Pinot Noir from Elgin?"

Accurate? Yes. Memorable? Not quite!

Now imagine the same moment, but this time the waiter warmly says: ""This wine comes from a family who have dedicated half of their farm to conservation, including the endangered Cape Leopard. Their farm is high up in the Elgin valley, a cooler climate, leading to perfect Pinot Noir. Could I interest you in a glass around the fire?"

Same wine. Completely different experience. That is the power of storytelling, and it is the reason we have built our newest course in the Beverageintelligence University: The Art of Storytelling.

Here is something our CEO Allister Kreft learned early in his career. He had spent years building his winemaking knowledge, working alongside his father at Belfield, studying fermentation, terroir, and viticulture. And then somebody told him something that changed everything: nobody cares about your wine knowledge. They care about the stories behind the wine.

It sounds blunt, but it is profoundly true. Guests do not come to a lodge in the Masai Mara, or a boutique hotel on the Seychelles, to hear about malolactic fermentation, or the flavour of the wine. They come for the experience. They come to be transported. And the most powerful vehicle for that transportation is a well-told story.

The Art of Storytelling is launching in Term 2 of 2026 in the Beverageintelligence University from 1 July. If your property is already part of the Under the Influence family, speak to your Education Coach about enrolling your team. If you are not yet working with us but want to bring this level of training and development to your operation, we would love to hear from you.

The Art of Storytelling A new course from Beverageintelligence University to help your teams transform from order takers to memory makers. Art of Storytelling Course Trailer | BeverageintelligencePicture this. A guest settles into their chair after a long day on Safari. The sun has set, and dinner is about to be served. Th...

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