LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--IWSC Group, Ltd (www.iwscgroup.com), a world leading events company whose portfolio includes the prestigious International Wine & Spirit Competition and the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition, is pleased to announce the creation of a joint-venture with United States-based Atlanta Food & Wine Festival (www.atlfoodandwinefestival.com), a four-day culinary experience focused on celebrating the food and beverage traditions of the Southern region of the U.S.
Created in Atlanta, GA in 2010 by entrepreneurs, Elizabeth Feichter and Dominique Love, the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival is designed to immerse consumers in the rich food and drink traditions of the South from Texas to the District of Columbia. Part epicurean conference, part outdoor party, the Festival draws close to 10,000 people to the Midtown neighborhood of Atlanta each May to eat, drink and explore the best flavors of the South.
Originating in 1969, the IWSC Group has operated a broad portfolio of wine and spirit events across the globe and during the past 4 years has begun expanding into North America with the acquisition of Whiskies of the World®, a San Francisco whisky expo; Spirits of Mexico, the oldest and largest festival for agave and other Mexican spirits in North America; and the foundation of Spirits of the Americas, a new competition and event to celebrate the diversity and innovation of the distilling industry in the Americas.
“The IWSC Group’s partnership with the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival is an important step in broadening our North American event portfolio to include culinary as well as wine and spirit events,” says Allen Gibbons, President, IWSC Group. “We were attracted to the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival because of its carefully-curated programming and focus on creating unique guest experiences. In five short years, the Festival has received rave reviews from industry leaders and media with some calling it the ‘only indispensable’ food event in the country,” added Gibbons.
In addition to entering into a joint-venture with the Festival, the IWSC Group has also acquired the operations of Corporate Community Outsourcing, a consultancy created by Feichter and Love in 2003. The acquisition will enable the IWSC Group to establish a base of operations in North America, which will be led by Feichter and Love.
“We were inspired by Feichter and Love’s visionary leadership and their ability to build interesting and consumer-focused programs. We see the duo as the foundation for our further expansion in North America.”
Effective immediately, Feichter will assume the role as Chief Operating Officer, and Love will assume the role as Chief Executive Officer.
“We are honored to join the IWSC Group team and to lead the organization’s growth in North America. We established the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival with the goal of shining an international spotlight on the rich food and beverage traditions of our region. Partnering with IWSC Group will broaden the Festival’s international reach and will also allow us to apply our experience-driven event model to other properties as we grow IWSC Group’s portfolio,” said Feichter and Love.
The 2015 Atlanta Food & Wine Festival will take place May 28 – 31 in the Midtown neighborhood of Atlanta, GA.
ABOUT IWSC GROUP | www.iwscgroup.com
- The IWSC Group’s activities around the world encompass wine and spirit competitions, tasting festivals designed to introduce the experienced consumer to new products and music events with a strong tasting element aimed at bringing new consumers into the category.
- The IWSC Group originated in 1969 to enable consumers to make more informed purchasing decisions.
- The IWSC Group prides itself on the level of immersion into the alcoholic beverage industry it has achieved, and is passionate about bringing the producer and the consumer together.
- Each year, the IWSC Group supports more than 1,500 businesses in their marketing efforts, and last year alone supported producers in gaining a minimum of 20,000 new interactions with consumers, via events around the globe.
ABOUT ATLANTA FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL | www.atlfoodandwinefestival.com
Atlanta Food & Wine Festival was founded in 2010 by Atlanta entrepreneurs Elizabeth Feichter and Dominique Love with the goal of shining an international spotlight on the rich food and beverage traditions of the Southern U.S. from Texas to the District of Columbia. Applauded by critics and highly-anticipated by guests, the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival features nearly 100 classes, carefully-curated Tasting Tents and delicious evening dinners and events, all designed to showcase Southern food, drink and culture. The 2015 Festival takes place May 28 – 31 in the Midtown neighborhood of Atlanta, GA.
ABOUT ELIZABETH FEICHTER & DOMINIQUE LOVE
Dynamic entrepreneurial duo, Elizabeth Feichter and Dominique Love, began their careers in philanthropy working in both fundraising and corporate giving. The pair teamed up to expand Corporate Community Outsourcing (CCO), a philanthropy consultancy created by Love after leaving her position in corporate contributions at The Coca-Cola Company. Together, the pair grew the agency to help dozens of Fortune 500 corporations expand their community impact through volunteer service, executive board engagement, cause-marketing initiatives and global community investment programs. The firm also supported a number of notable nonprofit clients in expanding their fundraising efforts and growing their board leadership.
