The UK’s leading on-trade wine and drinks exhibition, Imbibe Live, has reported a record attendance of 9,893 (ABC Audit pending) at its 2014 exhibition, held last week at Olympia on 1st & 2nd July.
Education from the best in the business
The buzzy, energetic show returned with an unrivalled programme of over 80 sessions dedicated to education, training and all-important tastings across all drinks categories. Imbibe’s team of experts worked closely with the show’s ambassadors Ronan Sayburn MS (RS Wine Academy), Ryan Chetiyawardana (White Lyan, Dandelyan) and Mark Dorber (Boudica Inns, Beer Academy) to ensure the quality of the exhibition content was second to none: led by and featuring the industry’s finest and most cutting-edge figures.
Imbibe Live 2014 continued 2013’s strong wine focus to produce the show’s most successful year yet for on-trade specific wine content. Central to Imbibe Live’s wine programme were packed out sessions led by the likes of Ruth Spivey (Street Vin, Rotorino), Michael Sager-Wilde (Sager + Wilde) and Xavier Rousset MS, which made wine relevant and accessible to a younger and broader trade audience. Alongside industry innovators, wine’s big names such as Ronan Sayburn MS, Gearoid Devaney MS, Stéphane Derenoncourt and Charles Thuillier headed up sessions designed exclusively for sommeliers and wine buyers. Highlights included Imbibe Live’s£5,000 Sommelier Challenge, the exclusive film premier of Jason Wise’s SOMM and rare food and wine pairings such as the Union des Grand Crus 2011 Tasting.
Similarly, many exhibitors offered education and training on their stands, demonstrating the huge respect they have for the education-hungry Imbibe audience – varying from workshops with Gerard Basset MS MW OBE at French Wines with Style to Stolichnaya’s interactive lemonade laboratory and Beer Academy’s ‘Beer Safaris’.
The bottom line…
Simon White, CEO quoted, “Imbibe Live is about the bottom line, the business of making money from selling drinks in an on-trade business. It is not about taste in isolation, it is about taste, serve and margin in relation to sales and profit. Drinks professionals are busy people and want Imbibe Live to be focused and dedicated to the wet side of their business.”
Sonja Van Praag, show director said: “Building on four strong years, this year’s Imbibe Live truly felt like a celebration of the drinks industry, balancing that fine line of providing a serious business show with the excitement and enthusiasm which the drinks trade encompasses.
Imbibe Live truly sits on its own as a unique content-led show – crafted through the creativity of the Imbibe team, and bolstered through our community of industry experts – there is simply nothing else like it. Across the board both visitors, exhibitors, sponsors and speakers have agreed that we are pushing the boundaries of how the drinks trade does business, providing a show where serious drinks buyers can come to learn, taste, meet and buy from the leading on-trade companies.”
Exhibitors from all areas of on-trade drinks and associated products
New exhibitors for 2014 included Heineken’s craft beer brands including Krusovice and Monteiths; Stolichnaya; Pregel and Ravifruit syrups & purees; JTI Plume e-cigarette, Ian McCloud Distillers, Wines From Rioja, Armand de Brignac,, Berkmann Wine Cellars and Frizzenti to name a few. Visitors also met representatives for associated product brands such as Add-Olives, Bespoke Barware, Danmade Candles and Party Pearls.
A Who’s Who of the hospitality industry
Senior buyers attended from a wide range of premium establishments, including restaurants (Bills, Burger & Lobster, Chiltern Firehouse, D&D London, Dinner By Heston Blumenthal, Galvin Restaurants, Gaucho, Gordon Ramsay Group, Hakkasan Group, Hawksmoor, Jamie’s Italian, Tom’s Kitchen, Tragus Group, Wagamama, Zuma), hotels (Bulgari Hotel, Claridges, The Dorchester, Four Seasons Hotels, (Hilton Worldwide, Hotel Du Vin, Mandarin Oriental, Marriott Hotels, Park Plaza, The Savoy),bars (Blind Pig, All Bar One, Aqua Group, Barrio Bars, Be at One, Brompton Brands, Drake & Morgan, Floridita, Ignite Group, Pitcher & Piano), clubs (Soho House Group, Playboy Club, Brompton Brands), pubs (Brewdog, ETM Group, Geronimo Inns, Marstons Taverns, Mitchells & Butler, Punch Taverns, Stonegate Pubs, Youngs), venues(The Roundhouse, Picture House Cinemas, Twickenham Stadium), late-night venues (Inventive Leisure, Novus Leisure), retailers (Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Oddbin’s, Marks & Spencer, Ocado, Waitrose, Selfridge’s, Amazon, Whole Foods Market).
Inspiring the drinks community all year round
Mark de Wesselow, Imbibe Live’s co-founder added: “We feel the popularity of Imbibe Live is down to its clear commitment to the UK on-trade. All our exhibitors, seminars and features are 100% geared to their needs. Visitors know that they don’t have to waste time sieving through wines or spirits that are destined for the off-trade or still to find UK representation. They come to improve their drinks offering, enhance the profitability of their wet sales, develop their knowledge and to sample and place orders.”
For further information on Imbibe Live 2014, feature zones, who should visit and quotes click here