| Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB) and Vinitaly have signed a strategic agreement to coordinate their events in order to help buyers and media from around the world optimize their attendance at two important events in the French and Italian wine calendar.
Well aware of the needs of the main players of the world of wine, top management at UGCB and Vinitaly have jointly decided to synchronise their event calendars to avoid any overlapping of dates or undue gap between the En Primeur week in Bordeaux known as "Semaine des Primeurs" and Vinitaly in Verona.
The two important and thus leading wine events are being held traditionally around the beginning of April. Sometime there is a clash whereas on other occasions there is a gap of 3-6 days making it difficult for the long distance travelers from Japan, China, the US, Canada and even India to visit both the events.
The respective management teams agreed on timetables for the next four years. The two events will consequently be held on the following dates:
Semaine des Primeurs in Bordeaux Vinitaly in Verona
2014 31 March - 5 April 6 - 9 April
2015 30 March - 3 April 22 - 25 March
2016 4 - 8 April 10 10-13 April
2017 3 - 7 April 26 - 29 March
While 2014 and 2016 have been perfectly dovetailed, 2015 and 2017 have a gap of 4-5 days.
Commenting on this joint decision, Giovanni Mantovani, CEO & Director General of Veronafiere, said: "In times of market globalisation, France and Italy of wine have managed to cross fences with this exemplary initiative in the interests of the entire system. Starting from reciprocal acknowledgement of the importance of the two events, UGCB and Vinitaly acted with realism, professionalism and common sense in a context of maximum effectiveness."
On his part, Olivier Bernard, President of UGCB, highlighted: "The main concern for both our organisations is to satisfy the expectations of our customers, be they European, American or Asian. It was our duty to provide effective solutions and visitors will now be able to attend both Vinitaly in Verona and "Semaine des Primeurs" in Bordeaux."
It will be interesting to see what positive benefits are derived from the synchronised system in 2014. This will give a great opportunity even for the journalists and importers of India to visit both the premium events next year-starting with En Primeur on 30 March and flying on to Vinitaly on July 5 or the morning of July 6.
Tags: En Primeur, Bordeaux, UGCB, Vinitaly, Verona, Giovanni Mantovani, France, Italy, Olivier Bernard |