IN THE NEWS
THE WINE SHOW JO’BURG CELEBRATES WINNING FORMULA
Despite the downturn in the economy and South Africa’s first recession since 1986, organisers of The Wine Show Jo’burg are delighted that the show once again showed its class this year both in terms of attendance and product sales. Feedback from show visitors and exhibitors has also confirmed that the unique formula of the show remains the biggest draw card.
 According to show organiser John Woodward, the initial response from exhibitors shows that actual sales would once again hit the R2-million mark. “Obviously orders taken during the show still need to be processed by the various exhibitors, but the feedback to date has been fabulous. We’ve had estates such as David Frost reporting sales valued at over R40 000, which is quite an achievement for a smaller producer over the three day period,” says Woodward.
In terms of footfall, the organisers were especially pleased with a record-breaking attendance on the last day of the show. “The Super 14 finals and in-bound tour from The British and Irish Lions definitely had an influence on attendance on the Saturday, but the convincing win by the Bulls led to gold-rush like sales for exhibitors in the last few hours of the show. We also experienced a record number of visitors on the Sunday with figures increasing by 100% on the previous year,” mentions Woodward.
The continued success of the show and its proven winning formula have prompted the organisers to already open bookings for the 2010 show. “From the initial enquiries we are receiving from current exhibitors, we will once again be seeing an encouraging number of repeat bookings for next year. Early indicators are that large producers are planning to use The Wine Show Jo’burg as their main platform for reaching the Gauteng market in future, which shows that the unique format of the show is paying off for exhibitors,” states Woodward.
Visitor feedback has once again been extremely positive with show visitors being impressed with the informal, fun atmosphere as well as the quality of the exhibitors. “Several visitors have remarked on the variety of producers represented at the show, especially the boutique producers that are not that well-known. This means that the visitors achieve a sense of exploration and discovery of the world of wine instead of the staid mega-tasting format employed traditionally by other shows.”
 This year’s show also attracted its share of celebrities, ranging from a royal visit from the Zulu queen Dlamini, first wife of King Goodwill Zwelithini, to TV presenter Macfarlane Moleli, radio personality Jeremy Mansfield and Vernon Koekemoer.
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