Bulgarian Wine Show Wins UFI Award

Maria Todorova had a hunch that press coverage would draw more attendees and exhibitors to Intl. Fair-Plovdiv's Vinaria Exhibition of Vine-Growing and Wine-Producing, Bulgaria's primary tradeshow for the wine industry.

Her hunch turned out to be correct. So correct, in fact, that the 2004 show's attendance was a 34-percent improvement over the previous year's and won Intl. Fair-Plovdiv the UFI Marketing Trophy, presented to Todorova at the UFI Summer Session last month in Zagreb, Croatia.

"I'm flattered we might be of use to the top professionals in the field by our modest experience," said Todorova, corporate communications director for the trade fair.

The prize was awarded for a well-orchestrated, year-long program Todorova undertook to get mainstream journalists in Bulgaria interested in wine and the wine industry. "Writing about wine in Bulgaria is not normal," she said. The campaign included wine tasting for editors and writers, as well as information sessions with specialists in the field.

The journalists' interest appeared to translate into greater participation in the show. In fact, according to Todorova, post-show surveys showed a 78-percent increase in exhibitor satisfaction.