Saturday, April 26, 2008

European Group Buys Majority Stake in Florida 's Largest Wine Expo

After nearly a year of negotiations, planning and execution, Emporio
Ferial S.A. reached an agreement with Florida-based Global Event
Management, LLC to purchase a controlling stake in the fast-growing
Miami International Wine Fair, one of America 's largest wine
exhibitions.

Madrid-based Emporio Ferial S.A. is an event production company
controlled by Vinoselección S.A. , Spain 's leading wine club,
Cuadrifolio S.A. , the country's premier provider of tradeshow stand
design and construction services, and Don Carlos Falcó, President of
Grandes Pagos de España and owner of the Marqués de Griñón Estate, the
prominent Castilian winery that bears his nobility title.

Founded by entrepreneurs and wine enthusiasts David Bernad and Benito
Besada in November of 2001, the Miami International Wine Fair grew by
over 75% in 2007 in terms of total square-footage sold. The 7th
annual edition of the Miami International Wine Fair, to be held
October 25th-27th, 2008 at the Miami Beach Convention Center , is
expected to attract over 7,000 industry professionals and wine
aficionados who will have the opportunity to taste nearly 1,500 wines
from 15 countries while touring the more than 60,000 square feet of
exhibit space planned.

"This partnership with Emporio Ferial will empower us to achieve the
growth that the US market demands, allowing us to expand the Miami
International Wine Fair to attract wholesalers and key industry
players, not just from Florida , but from all around the country", said
David Bernad , co-founder and General Manager of the event.

Amid falling wine consumption in Europe , wineries from around the
world are investing in well-established tradeshows like the Miami
International Wine Fair to penetrate the always daunting US market.
America 's growing appetite for wine has driven the country to become
the leading wine market in the world with over 300 million cases
consumed last year, of which some 25 million were sold in Florida
alone. The Sunshine State surpassed New York in 2004 to become the
second largest wine market in the country. In fact, wine consumption
in Florida increased by 79% from 1994 to 2005, the largest growth
recorded by any State.

"We have found in the Miami International Wine Fair an incredible
platform on which to continue developing a trade-focused,
European-style wine exhibition dedicated to helping wineries from
around the world expand their presence in the United States ", said
Massimo Galimberti, President of Vinoselección. "Our international
reach, expertise and resources will provide David's team with the
tools it needs to produce the country's leading wine expo," added
Galimberti.

Emporio Ferial, an international event planning and production company
based in Madrid , Spain , organizes dozens of wine tradeshows and
conventions every year, including Iberwine, the leading European
exhibition for Spanish, Portuguese & Latin American wines. Founded
in the year 2000 under the name "Salon Internacional del Vino",
Iberwine attracts tens of thousands of importers, wholesalers and wine
industry leaders from around the world to Madrid every other year.

Miami International Wine Fair