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Snapshot: 32nd Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival

 

• April 19 to 25, 2010
• Regional theme: Argentina – Unique Diversity & New Zealand – Pure Discovery
• Global focus: Rosé
• Canada’s premier wine event offering a wealth of public events and a comprehensive Trade Days Conference
• Events include the International Festival Tastings (the hub of the festival), Bacchanalia Gala Dinner+ Auction, various winery dinners, lunches, brunches, wine seminars, wine minglers, wine grazings with 10 trade-only seminars and tastings.
• Venues: Vancouver Convention Centre (headquarters) and some of Vancouver’s top restaurants and hotels. During the festival more than 70 of Vancouver’s most celebrated restaurants, caterers and specialty food suppliers participate.

 

2010 projections: 1700 wines - 193 wineries - 14 countries - 63 events - 25,000 attendees

 

Consumer Demographics

Urban professionals discover new wines at Playhouse Winefest

The 25,000 wine lovers and trade who flock to the Playhouse Winefest, widely regarded as “the best wine show on the continent,” are young, affluent professionals who spend an average of $152 per month on wine. Their primary reason for attending the festival is to “discover new wines.” The average age is 39 while 29.3 percent are 30 or younger. Vancouver has a highly developed, educated wine market that is considered to be three to five years ahead of North American wine trends.

 

Age

• Average age is 39
• 13.5 percent are 19-25
• 15.8 percent are 26-30
• 29.2 percent are 31-40
• 22.1 percent are 41-50
• 15.1 percent are 51-60
• 4.3 percent are over 60

 

Gender

• Females – 58 percent
• Males – 42 percent

 

Household income

Average household income: $107,000

• 12.1 percent - $200,000 and up
• 10.5 percent - $150,000 to $199,000
• 19.4 percent - $100,000 to $149,000
• 14.6 percent - $75,000 to $99,999
• 21.9 percent - $50,000-$74,999
• 21.5 percent, under $50,000

Education and employment

• Highly educated; 80.5% post-secondary degree
• 41.8 percent professional
• 27.7 percent executive/senior management

 

Marital status

• 59.5 percent are married
• 40.5 percent are single

 

Where do you get your information about wine?

(Multiple choice; does not total 100 percent)

• Newspapers – 37.4 percent
• Wine websites – 32.8 percent
• Canadian wine & food magazines – 32.8
• International wine & food magazines – 32.8
• Other – 39.4 percent (books, wine courses, friends)

 

Spending habits

• Average monthly expenditure on wine $152
• 31.3 percent spend between $51-$100
• Dines out seven times per month, spending an average of $426
• Spends $194 per month on entertainment, including films, sports, theatre, opera, art galleries and other activities

 

Onsite wine sales

• 23% attendees buy wine onsite, spending $177 each
• Average price $31.61 per bottle
• Average sold per winery $2,192
• Total sales onsite $767,422

 

Most popular wine regions

(Multiple choice; does not total 100 percent)

• 53.8 percent BC
• 48.6 percent Australia
• 25.9 percent Chile
• 23.1 percent France
• 22.6 percent California
• 21.2 percent Italy
• 17 percent South Africa
• 15.6 percent Spain
• 12.3 percent Germany
• 11.3 percent New Zealand

 

Primary reasons for attending

(Multiple choice; does not total 100)

• 40.1 percent “to discover new wines”
• 21.4 percent “wine education”
• 11.8 percent “for the fun of it”
• 8 percent “learn more about food & wine pairing”

 

Trade Days Conference Demographics

Trade professionals discover new wines at Playhouse Winefest

The Playhouse Wine Festival Trade Days Conference is one of the country’s can’t-miss opportunities to conduct wine business.  The 7,500 trade professionals from across Canada who regularly attend the Playhouse Wine Festival are always looking for new wines to influential their buying process. Their primary reason for attending the festival is to “discover new wines.” The majority of the Trade Days Conference attendees are owners or managers with purchasing power. 52 percent of Trade Days attendees are owners or managers, executive chefs, sommeliers or wine buyers.

Age

• Average age is 36
• 12.7 percent are 19-24
• 16.7 percent are 25-29
• 19.4 percent are 30-34
• 14.3 percent are 35-39
• 11.9 percent are 40-44
• 10.3 percent are 45-49
• 7.5 percent are 50-54
• 4.8 percent are 55-59
• 2.4 percent are 60 or over

 

 

Gender

• Females – 59.3 percent
• Males – 40.7 percent

 

Origin

• 38 percent Vancouver
• 9.7 percent Vancouver Island
• 8.1 percent Burnaby
• 8.1 percent Fraser Valley
• 7 percent Other Lower Mainland
• 5.8 percent Richmond
• 3.9 percent  North Shore
• 3.5 percent Other BC
• 3.1 percent Okanagan
• 3.1 percent USA
• 3.1 percent Alberta
• 2.7 percent Other Canada
• 1.2 percent Whistler

Household Income

• Average household income: $83,300
• 34 percent Under $50,000
• 25.4 percent $50,000 - $74,999
• 16 percent $75,000 - $99,999
• 13.7 percent $100,000 - $149,999
• 5.5 percent $150,000 - $199,999
• 5.5 percent $200,000 and up

 

Place of Employment

·          21.1 percent Restaurant

·          13.3 percent Private Wine Retailer

·          11.7 percent Hotel

·          9 percent Government Monopoly

·          7 percent Bar

·          6.6 percent Winery

·          5.9 percent Wine Agency

·          3.5 percent Winery Association

·          0.8 percent Nightclub

·          21.1 percent Other: (includes caterer, airline, event manager, private club)

EMPLOYMENT POSITION

• 26.4 percent Owner
• 11 percent Manager
• 8.7 percent Customer service
• 7.5 percent Accounting
• 6.7 percent Chef
• 5.9 percent Server
• 5.1 percent Sales
• 4.7 percent Viticulturist
• 2.4 percent Food/wine writer
• 1.6 percent Other kitchen staff
• 1.6 percent Bartender
• 1.6 percent Hostess
• 1.2 percent Marketing/PR/Promotions
• 1.2 percent Food/wine educator
• 0.8 percent Sous chef
• 0.4 percent Wine buyer
• 0.4 percent Winemaker
• 0.4 percent Sommelier
• 6.7 percent Other (includes cellar/vineyard worker, flight attendant, concierge, researcher, tour guide)

 

ATTENDANCE MOTIVATION

• 69.3 percent to discover new wines
• 61.4 percent Wine education
• 48.5 percent to buy wine
• 34.2 percent to network with colleagues
• 31.2 percent to learn about current status and/or future trends of the wine industry
• 16.8 percent to learn about pairing food with wine
• 13.9 to sell wine

 

 

“It's considered by many in the industry to be the best wine event in

North America … and the festival's reputation is well-deserved.”

Peter Rockwell, The Halifax Daily News

 

 

“There isn’t a better-organized, more in-depth wine festival in Canada

than the weeklong fundraiser for the Playhouse Theatre Company.”

Michael Vaughan, The National Post (Toronto)

 

 

“Everyone agrees it is the best consumer wine show on the continent …

for nearly three decades, the festival has energized our region’s food and

wine culture.” Anthony Gismondi, The Vancouver Sun