“Six of the seven cities visited by the TOPS at SPAR Wine Show are located outside of the Cape, and this year, the customer experience we are aiming to deliver is one which allows our guests to experience the beautiful landscapes of the winelands, drink in the rich aromas, meet the colourful characters and, most of all, indulge in our globally celebrated wines. At the same time, the show is the ideal platform to showcase wine tourism and to support the industry holistically,” says Shon Kumar, co-owner of the TOPS at SPAR Wine Show.
Comments Debbie Combrink, CEO of the TOPS at SPAR Wine Show, “When we reviewed the existing creative we realised that the theme had become the hero, and we were missing the opportunity to harness the natural beauty, feeling and wine lifestyle of the Winelands. This prompted the move to a design which features dramatic South African vineyard landscapes, overlaid with punchy phrases that use words associated with wine lingo that also have positive lifestyle associations. The feel is sophisticated and aspirational, yet still accessible and fun, and is immediately identifiable as uniquely South African.”
Kumar adds, “We are encouraging people to visit the Winelands in a bid to educate them and get them closer to wine and wine lifestyle and the culture of pairing wine with food - not just drink wine. We’ll be also promoting the fact that there are nearly 20 different wine regions in South Africa – each very different in terroir and the wine they produce. And we’ll be promoting the "home grown and proudly South African” angle to win the hearts and minds of consumers looking to expand into wine.”
The success of the 2019 show lays a firm foundation for the 2020 tour, offering unparalleled opportunities for wine producers to showcase – and sell – their wines around the country. The numbers speak for themselves:
- A year-on-year growth in number of bottles purchased/consumed of 68%. (This figure excludes Pretoria and East London, which were not part of the 2018 Tour).
- Footfall grew by a phenomenal 26% (excluding Pretoria and East London as above).
Without doubt, the convenience of the show’s free ‘sip ‘n ship’ service on full cases is a huge contributor to the exceptional sales figures recorded at the show.
On the marketing front, organisers have once again negotiated strategic media partnerships with key media players within both the online and print space, and radio will be negotiated on a regional level, with curated wine content reaching a diverse audience across the country. “We have engaged with expert wine writers to curate stories that support our focus on wine education and delivering a quality wine experience,” comments Kumar.
Relationships with a variety of content partners have been renewed in 2020 to ensure the show retains its status as a quality show that carries the endorsement of major wine players, and facilitates the educational experiences that have come to be associated with the show. These include Proudly South African, the DTI, the Old Vine Project, Jean Vincent Ridon, Jon Meinking, SA Sommelier Association, and JP Rousseau, publisher of the Platter’s Wine Guide. The Wine Show’s continued focus on their #DrinkSmart campaign will ensure that safe driving options are available.
Mark Robinson, The SPAR Group Liquor Manager, says, “With its refreshed identity and renewed enthusiasm for bringing you a taste of what the winelands has to offer you are guaranteed a quality wine experience! Following the success of the 2019 show, The SPAR Group will be expanding its presence to include a food element, which we’ll be launching at the Durban event.”
Stands are selling fast and are expected to reach the same sold-out levels for each leg of the tour. Commenting on the Cape Town leg of the show, Kumar says, “Cape Town presents a unique opportunity for wine-lovers to try a variety of wines under one roof. For any wine estate that hasn’t exhibited at the show before, Cape Town is the most cost-effective way to dip your toe in the water, given the reduced costs of transport and logistics.”
The opportunity to be part of WINEderland awaits in 2020, in a show that has grown from strength to strength each year, and shows no sign of resting on its laurels.
The Tour kicks off in Durban from 7 to 9 May, followed by 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 ending off in Nelspruit from 26 to 28 November.
For more information or to book your stand contact Heinrich Wielligh on 082 812 1112 or go to www.wineshow.co.za.