The Big Wine Festival postponed until 2013

Published: 10 February, 2012

The Big Wine Festival, which was scheduled to take place in Reading in June 2012, has been pushed back until summer 2013, says the organiser.

Chair Olivia Ocaña, who claimed the festival would be the biggest consumer event in the UK this year, attracting 120,000 people, said the trade's desire to get involved was dampened by the economic climate and the Olympics.

Instead she will be running a series of pop-up events throughout the year, in order to find out what the trade is looking for in the main 2013 event.

These taster days will showcase the technology planned for the main event - as a former Virgin employee Ocaña aimed to use cash-free wristbands, which would allow consumers to buy wine, as well as collect feedback for exhibitors about consumer preferences and buying habits.

"We have made some significant changes to the style of the festival - we are going for more relaxed tents and structures and reducing the number of retailers' spaces available," said Ocaña. She added that a "relaxed, open plan education area" would be paramount in the 2013 design.

Visit thebigwinefestival.com for more information.

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