Unified Wine Grape Symposium
Even after 20 years, the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium (Unified) continues to grow, once again drawing record crowds to the Sacramento Convention Center to learn about the trends, data and innovations shaping the industry
This year’s official total of 14,000 Unified attendees surpassed last year’s record audience by 600. In addition to the largest wine and grape trade show in the Americas featuring a record 668 exhibitors from every corner of the world, the industry-organized event provides a full program of sessions exploring wine and grape production, marketing and sales issues.
“The Unified’s continuing growth demonstrates the industry’s thirst for a venue where colleagues can gather, exchange information and stay abreast of the trends and data vital to making successful business decisions,” explains Lyndie Boulton, executive director of the American Society for Enology and Viticulture (ASEV), which co-organizes the Unified with the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG). “Industry professionals clearly value this event as the ideal opportunity to tap into the latest market data with focus on innovation to stay competitive in the international marketplace.”
The Unified’s signature “State of the Industry” session Wednesday morning set a positive tone for the show when analysts forecasted a positive year for the American wine industry. That encouraging economic news was manifested throughout the trade show, in breakout sessions and throughout the conference overall.
While the Unified focuses on American winemaking and winegrape production, more than 30 nations are represented among the guests, highlighting the global nature of the industry. Each day of the three-day event includes sessions featuring expert panels addressing four topic areas: grape growing, winemaking, marketing/public relations and business/operations. On Wednesday and Thursday, the event hosts an industry trade show.
“When 14,000 industry professionals gather together under one roof, it makes for a very dynamic and energized environment,” says John Aguirre, CAWG president. “An enormous amount of business is done at the show and during the many networking events, side meetings and after-hour mixers.”
Jointly organized by the ASEV and CAWG, the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium represents the collective experience, knowledge and background of the entire industry.
The 2015 Unified will once again be held in Sacramento and is slated for January 27-29, 2015.
For additional information about, visit the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium’s website at