The Vancouver International Wine Festival will be accepting proposals from Wine Organizations for Regional Tasting Stations to be located in the festival’s main Tasting Room. The purpose of these stations is to provide attendees to the festival an opportunity to learn more about wines from a regional prospective.

Tasting Room Location and Hours of Operation:

The 2014 Festival will take place in the Ballrooms at the Vancouver Convention Centre’s West Building.

The International Festival Tasting Room will be open the following days and times:

·         Thursday, Feb 27    1:30 pm– 5:00 pm (Buyers/Trade) and 7:00 – 10:00 pm (Public)

·         Friday, Feb 28        1:30 pm– 5:00 pm (Buyers/Trade) and 7:00 – 10:00 pm (Public)

·         Saturday, March 1   3:00 pm-5:00 pm (Public/Trade) 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm (Public)

Proposals for the 2014 VIWF open May 15.

Wines proposed for Regional Tasting Stations should be submitted to the Festival Administrator, Visnja Vukelich, visnja@vanwinefest.ca , no later than Thursday, September 20, 2013. These wines are to be arranged by the wine organization directly with wine agents (not the Festival) and can include;

·         Wines from participating wineries in the 2014 Festival, and 

·         may include additional wines from wineries not featured in the Tasting Room only if it is determined that the overall messaging and concept of  the “station” would be compromised otherwise. These wines must be sourced from wineries represented by participating agencies in the 2014 Festival.

Exhibit Space:

Exhibit spaces are 10’ x 10’ and include; black pipe and drape, one 6’ table, sign, spittoon, water pitcher, bus pan and ice. Please note your exhibit space must be fully staffed by your organization. The Wine Festival will provide volunteers for maintaining your space by emptying spittoons, filling water pitchers and providing ice in bus pans not for staffing your station. Power, food and or audio visual requirements are not included in the fee, but can be arranged for by the festival. You will be notified of your exact location by January 2014.

Benefits:

The Fee includes the following:

1.       One exhibitors pass to all five sessions in the Tasting Room
2.       ¼ page colour advertisement in the Festival Program
3.       Acknowledgement of Regional Tasting Stations in the Festival Brochure
4.       Link to Wine Organizations URL on Festival web site
5.       Workers passes for staff operating the exhibit space (max 2 per session)
6.       Exhibit space as outlined above

For Further Information please contact Trish Metcalfe at 604.727.1861 or via email at trishmet@shaw.ca