Wine festivals and events have been a staple for centuries in wine country. They have always been well attended, but modern communication has spread the word even further. Many wine lovers now choose the events they will attend as soon as they are announced, and the attendees generally plan to stay for the duration. Informed attendees make their reservations early with the help of the hospitality staff at the hotel of their choice. They know hotel rooms are always at a premium and book early to ensure a room is available.
Once a room is booked, guests generally have a wide range of options for the events they will attend. Event staffing personnel always tries to schedule as many vendors as possible to give guests a chance to attend a variety of unique tasting experiences. Vendors will schedule several showings per day, and their tasting schedules are published as part of the event program. This is done to keep vendors from being overwhelmed all at once. It also gives them the opportunity to answer questions during tastings. Many of the popular vendors may require reservations for private tasting sessions.
These large festivals are run by promoters rather than individual vendors. The promotional staff invites a select group of vendors to bring their wares. They are in charge of assigning areas for displays and help with scheduling the tastings is part of their work. They do as much as possible to coordinate activities of vendors and guests. They take care of area security as well as the details such as running the lost and found department.
Vendors have come to rely on local promo girls to help supplement their own staff members. These workers are generally given a range of information to impart to guests attending the festival. Their most important duty is to direct guests to the vendors who have hired them.
