Held at Hemingways Casino from 7 to 9 November, the TOPS at SPAR Wine Show has toured to six cities this year and will round off the year in Nelspruit later this month. To date, the show has surpassed projected figures for both exhibitor and visitor numbers, with waiting lists for many of the cities and confirmed support for 2020.
Comments Andrew Douglas, co-owner of the TOPS at SPAR Wine Show, “It’s always a little nerve-wracking taking a show to a new city, firstly from an exhibitor sales perspective and secondly in terms of attractiveness of concept to consumers who haven’t yet experienced the unique experiences the Wine Show delivers. We are delighted to have received exceptionally positive feedback from exhibitors, who were pleasantly surprised at the volume of sales as well as interest shown from East London wine enthusiasts”.
Says John McGregor, General Manager of Hemingways Casino, “It has been an absolute privilege to partner with the TOPS at SPAR Wine Show and, based on the resounding success of the inaugural show and positive feedback from visitors and media, we look forward to continuing our partnership with the show, which assists in entrenching our position as the premier entertainment destination in East London.”
Douglas continues, “On the visitor front, we were delighted at how thirsty the East London audience is for knowledge, with all the theatre sessions being fully subscribed on all three days. Feedback from social media platforms indicated that visitors were grateful to have a show of this quality being brought to the region.”
Sponsor of the Wine Show, Mark Robinson, Group Liquor Manager of SPAR, says, “It was an exceptionally positive first showing of the TOPS at SPAR Wine Show in East London, which has great potential to build on. The success of the Buffalo City show reinforces our decision to extend our current partnership with The Wine Show until 2022.”
Exhibitor Ruan Willers of Stellenbosch Vineyards comments, “The clientele really showed great interest in quality products, with our premium wines reaching its highest sales rate compared to any other region for the TOPS at SPAR Wine Show series. I’m sure the East London show will only grow onwards.”
Destinations and dates for TOPS at SPAR Wine Show in 2020 are: Durban from 7 to 9 May; Johannesburg from 4 to 6 June; Cape Town from 9 to 11 July; Port Elizabeth from 30 July to 1 August; Pretoria from 1 to 3 October; East London from 5 to 7 November; and Nelspruit from 26 to 28 November.
Exhibitors interested in securing their space for 2020 should contact Exhibition Sales Manager Heinrich Von Weilligh at Heinrich@wineshow.co.za or P: 021 824 3132.