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UNIFIED PREVIEW Unified Debuts Keynote, Tours Large crowd expected at 2014 symposium in Sacramento, where guides will point out best innovations on trade show floor By Andrew Adams O rganizers of this year's Unified Wine & Grape Symposium are expecting a larger than ever crowd and have made some significant changes to the weekly schedule. The biggest wine industry symposium and trade show in North America will be held Jan. 28-30, 2014, in Sacramento, Calif., and will feature a keynote speaker luncheon Jan. 28 and tours of the tradeshow floor led by experts pointing out new viticulture and winemaking equipment. Unified 2013 featured more than 650 exhibitors at the trade show and drew nearly 13,500 attendees. The event is organized by the American Society for Enology and Viticulture (ASEV) and the California Association of Winegrape Growers. New events at Unified 2014 ASEV executive director Lyndie Bolton told Wines & Vines that organizers expect a larger turnout this year due to the strength of the wine industry and the slowly improving economy. "We have added some booth space in the second level balcony of the (Sacramento) Convention Center, which will include an espresso bar and Internet zone." The big change early in the symposium week is the addition of a keynote speaker luncheon Jan. 28. Bolton said the speaker has yet to be confirmed, so she couldn't release details about who it is. The luncheon costs an additional $85 for ASEV members or exhibitors and $135 for non-members, but Bolton said the event is not an effort to capitalize on the expected strong turnout this year. "Frankly, this luncheon is not a big revenue increase for us…our registration fee mostly covers the meal and wine." Instead, she described the luncheon as the signature event of Unified's first day. "We believe that a late-morning start with a 40 W in e s & V i ne s D EC E M be r 20 13 Red blotch and wine blends Nick Frey, who recently retired from his post as executive director of the Sonoma County Winegrowers, chaired the committee charged with setting session topics and lining up speakers for the upcoming symposium. He said the goal, as in previous years, was to offer sessions that cover the latest trends in the industry and also look ahead through the rest of 2014. One of the current trends in the sector is the popularity of wine blends, which often don't conform to tradition such as a Bordeaux KEN FREEZE Guided tours of the trade show floor are planned for the 2014 Unified Wine & Grape Symposium, highlighting innovative developments. crowd-drawing speaker while enjoying a lunch with wine is the ultimate networking opportunity in a pleasurable setting." she said. The event is a departure from Unified's typical setup of a panel of speakers discussing industry topics before a large audience. The day's events end with a welcome reception starting at 5 p.m. at the Sheraton Grand Hotel. Attendees at this year's Unified also will have the chance to participate in a guided tour of the exhibit floor. The tours will stop by the booths of exhibitors who are demonstrating or unveiling new and innovative equipment in both the winemaking and vineyard arenas. Charles "Chik" Brenneman, the winemaker and manager of the teaching winery at the University of California, Davis, will be leading the winemaking equipment tour. Brenneman told Wines & Vines he was reviewing the list of suppliers attending the show to see what may be new and cutting edge, but he had not made any decisions yet. The vineyard equipment tour will focus on pest and disease management according to information at unifiedsymposium.org. Both tours are limited to 25 people on a first-registered, first-enrolled basis, and companies are limited to sending two employees per tour. The tours are available in Spanish and English.