Press Releases
Welcome to the Press Room
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Richard Leahy (rleahy@vwm-online.com)
Wineries Unlimited 2008: Most Successful in 32-year History
Santa Rosa, California (April 1, 2008) -- Wineries Unlimited, the largest vineyard and wine trade show and conference east of the Rocky Mountains, and the second largest in the country, completed the most successful program in its 32-year history by setting new event records in attendance and scholarship fundraising. The event was held March 4-7, 2008 at the Valley Forge Convention Center, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania in suburban Philadelphia.
Over 1,500 wine industry personnel from 36 states as well as Washington, D.C. and four Canadian provinces participated in four days of seminars and two days of trade show exhibits. Three concurrent seminar tracks (viticulture, enology and finance/management/marketing) were conducted by a seasoned lineup of wine industry educators, consultants, association directors and executives. The trade show presented 727 exhibitors, 330 exhibitor booths and over 100,000 square feet of exhibitor space, bringing total attendance to over 2,200.
One hundred of those participants also enrolled in the full-day focus seminar "Sustainability Issues in Winery Layout and Design" moderated by Dr. Bruce Zoecklein of Virginia Tech. Exit evaluations by attendees indicated that 85% "would strongly recommend this session to others".
"The trip up here was worth it just for this presentation alone," said Fred Mindermann of Arrington Vineyards, Tennessee about the session "Advantages of Accrual Accounting Systems for Wineries" by speaker Dennis R. Urffer, CPA of Blue Bell, Pennsylvania.
The eighth annual Best of the East Grand Tasting and Gala was celebrated by a sellout crowd of 330. It featured gold and double gold medal winners from the 2007 International Wine Competition and a live auction benefiting the American Society for Enology and Viticulture, Eastern Section scholarship fund. Nearly $18,000 was raised in conjunction with a silent auction at the trade show, surpassing the 2007 record of $16,000. The single largest cash donor was Arthur Roberts of Arton Glass (Lively, Va.) who presented a check for $1,000 during the auction.
"This has by far been the best Wineries Unlimited we have attended in the last 10 years," said exhibitor John McClain of McClain Ozone, Inc. of Napa, California. "Our sales were significantly higher than in previous years, and we were very pleased with the quality, politeness and effectiveness of the staff. We participate in several shows each year, and this is one of the best."
Veteran marketing and communications consultant Steve Burns of O'Donnell Lane LLC delivered the keynote address "How to Brand a Wine Region as World-Class" at a Wine Theme Luncheon on Wednesday, March 5 that showcased chardonnay, rosé/blush wines, and apple wines/cider. "I was impressed with the enthusiasm of the eastern vintners and the quality of their wines," said Burns.
Wineries Unlimited returns to the Valley Forge Convention Center (www.vfconventioncenter.com) in King of Prussia, Pa. March 10-13, 2009. Visit www.wineriesunlimited.com for updates.
Wineries Unlimited was launched in 1976 to provide eastern wineries with a regional venue to network and source equipment. It is a division of Vineyard & Winery Services, the publisher of Vineyard & Winery Management magazine (www.vwm-online.com), Wine Industry Index, and Wineries of the Index on compact disc, and the producer of seminars, conferences and trade shows (Tasting Room Profitability Conference, Wine Club Summits East and West, Managing the Winery Laboratory, and Marketing & Public Relations Conference) as well as three wine competitions (Grand Harvest Awards, International Eastern Wine Competition, and West Coast Wine Competition).
Registration contact: Executive Events (866.483.0172)
Seminar contact: Richard Leahy (rleahy@vwm-online.com)
Exhibitor contact: Bob Mignarri (401.885.8788 x11, bmignarri@vwm-online.com)
General information: Leda Wagner (800.535.5670 ext. 106, leda@vwm-online.com)
Wineries Unlimited Projects Record Number of Exhibitors
Santa Rosa, California (February 11, 2008) -- The producer of Wineries Unlimited, the largest vineyard and wine tradeshow and conference east of the Rocky Mountains, projects a number record number of exhibitors and booths this year. Wineries Unlimited 2008 will be held March 4-7, 2008 at the Valley Forge Convention Center (www.vfconventioncenter.com) in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania near Philadelphia.
As of February 6, exhibitor reservations have nearly reached the 2007 volume of 327 booths and 231 companies, the highest totals in the event's 32-year history. The convention center will accommodate up to 348 booths. "More firms want to be part of Wineries Unlimited as the Eastern wine industry flourishes," said exhibitor sales representative Bob Mignarri.
The tradeshow offers two full days and 100,000 square feet of exhibit space: 10am to 5:30pm, Wednesday, March 5, and 9:30am to 4:30pm, Thursday, March 6. The popular Grazing Lunch returns to the floor of the exhibit hall noon to 1:30pm, Thursday, featuring wine service at every booth and a mega buffet produced by the convention center. "As a trade show exhibitor, I can say with confidence that Vineyard & Winery Management presents the most vendor-friendly trade show I've ever attended," said 2007 exhibitor Shannon Waller of Team Dynamics, Inc. "The wine tasting segment of the show is pure genius; it is a perfect icebreaker as buyers visit each booth to sample wine."
Wednesday's portion of the tradeshow features Exhibitor Technical Presentations in a designated area on the exhibit hall floor with audio-visual connections: "Point of Sale Systems for the Wine Industry" by J & M Systems, "Hosted Services Model for Winery Websites and Ecommerce" by Wine Web Enterprises, "Do-it-yourself Barrel Repair" and "Barrel Tasting Comparing Different Oak Sources" by Barrel Builders, and "Presentation of Sensory Evaluation Results of a Barrel Trial with Pindar Vineyards Chardonnay" by Canton Cooperage.
Participating winery associations are invited to reserve the facility's 2,659-square foot Gettysburg Room on a complimentary, first-come first-serve basis.
Wineries Unlimited 2008 offers four days of seminars (see www.wineriesunlimited.com for a complete schedule). Seminars will be conducted by an all-star lineup of nearly 70 wine-industry educators, consultants, association directors and executives.
Attendees may register for a variety of packages via Executive Events (866.483.0172) or www.wineriesunlimited.com. Leda Wagner (800.535.5670 ext. 106, leda@vwm-online.com) is the contact for information about the auctions and donations.
Wineries Unlimited is a special project of Vineyard & Winery Services, the publisher of Vineyard & Winery Management Magazine (www.vwm-online.com), Wine Industry Index, and Wineries of the Index on compact disc. Based in Santa Rosa, California, it conducts seminars, conferences and trade shows (Tasting Room Profitability Conference, Wine Club Summits East and West, Managing the Winery Laboratory, and Marketing & Public Relations Conference) and produces three wine competitions (Grand Harvest Awards, International Eastern Wine Competition, and West Coast Wine Competition).
###