Victoria the Highlight of the World’s Largest Food and Wine Promotion

Tourism Victoria was the featured international sponsor for the Walt Disney World 2008 Epcot® International Food & Wine Festival, staged from 26 September to 8 November 2008, in Orlando, Florida. In collaboration with Walt Disney Imagineers, the creative wizards that design the Disney experience, a 5000 square foot pavilion was constructed featuring Victorian food and wine, educational seminars, and highlights of regional touring. The six week festival attracted 1,318,000 food and wine enthusiasts to experience Victoria's food and wine. In addition, the Melbourne Pavilion generated almost three million media impressions from festival coverage, making Victoria the media highlight of the entire festival.

Tourism Victoria's promotion was complemented by a North American media and consumer tour, featuring notable Victorian chefs and winemakers at events in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Toronto and New York City, in addition to Orlando. Events included media lunches and dinners, television and radio promotions, and consumer-focused dinners and wine seminars.

In total, Tourism Victoria hosted 256 events over seven weeks in North America, and secured a further 29 print interviews, radio and broadcast appearances. Resulting coverage to date has a public relations value of AU$440,000, with total media reach of the print, radio and broadcast exceeding 160 million Americans.