FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 1, 2019

2019 Eastern Winery Exposition Sets New Attendance Record for Syracuse at nearly 1,000

Lancaster, PA—The 2019 Eastern Winery Exposition (EWE), the largest trade show and conference for the production wine and grape industries east of the Pacific states, set a new attendance record for its Syracuse location during its three-day event from March 19-21 at 916 attendees, and 204 exhibiting vendors. EWE’s motto is “providing everything an eastern vineyard or winery could want.”

This was the third time EWE took place at the Oncenter in Syracuse, and Show Manager Bob Mignarri says by all accounts it was the most successful of the those held in Syracuse NY. “I thank our official supporters Wine Business Monthly and Wines & Vines Analytics, the conference sponsor i3 Verticals Point of Sale as well as the 31 organizations who were supporting sponsors of EWE and the associate sponsors, exhibitors, speakers and attendees for their contributions to this to year’s event,” he says.  

EWE Conference Manager Richard Leahy says he put an emphasis on cool and cold climate grapes and wine for the Syracuse location, including a day-long workshop on cold climate hybrids and wines. “For the first time at the Syracuse location, we had sessions that sold out of available seats weeks in advance of the show,” such Getting (and keeping) Fruit Forward, says Leahy. “I had many attendees including speakers compliment me on the quality of the program and speakers.”

As a surprise reward for attending the sold-out Fruit Forward sessions, the audience was treated to a finale of banjo playing by the multi-talented speakers Peter Bell and Howard Bursen, accompanied on guitar by Bursen’s wife Sally.

The Lifetime Achievement Award for 2019 was given (posthumously) to Dick and Audrey Naylor of Naylor Wine Cellars and Naylor Wine Packaging and was accepted for the winery by their daughter Janey Potter. “My father always said the best thing about the wine industry was the people,” she said to a standing ovation. Richard Naylor began winemaking as a hobby in the late 1960s as a break from his stay at home jobs, then launched Naylor Wine Cellars in 1978. Over his long career in the wine industry, Mr. Naylor had been a Director of Wine America and President of the Pennsylvania Wine Association. Naylor passed away last December and was preceded by his wife Audrey.

The 2020 Eastern Winery Exposition will take place March 11-12 at the Lancaster County Convention Center, preceded by a day of workshops on March 10th. For information, visit www.easternwineryexposition.com.