Agri-Expo walked away with two of the major accolades at the annual award ceremony of the Exhibition & Event Association of Southern Africa (EXSA) held at Gallagher Estate in Johannesburg in November 2009.

The SA Cheese Festival, annually presented at Bien Donné, won the Best Exhibition of the Year 2009 award in the trade and consumer category larger than 12 000m2 for the second time. The festival also received the award in 2007.

"For us the success of the SA Cheese Festival lies not only in the thousands of people it attracts each year, but also in the opportunities the event provides for small cheese makers to showcase their wares and for visitors to experience the variety the South African dairy industry offers," says Johan Ehlers, our Chief Executive Officer

Another plume in Agri-Expo's hat came in the form of an Excellence Award in the trade and consumer category (6 000 - 12 000 m2) for From the Earth, the expo that drew the city based crowds with its message of 'country comes to town' to the CTICC in the heart of Cape Town during October this year.

"We are especially thrilled that no less than two agriculture-related events won the favour of the judges in this prestigious competition. The SA Cheese Festival and From the Earth aim to connect urban dwellers with the rich diversity stemming from agriculture and these awards give us a thumbs-up as to the quality, focus and relevance of these events", says Ehlers.

The judging centred on criteria such as promotional campaign, quality and visual impact of the event, disaster management/security and safety, functionality, special features and social responsibility.

The Agri-Expo team wants to thank all its partners - sponsors, exhibitors, service providers and the media who contributed to the success of these two flagship events. You all helped us promote the image of agriculture and these awards confirm the recognition of our collective efforts.

The Agri-Expo team
23 November 2009

SA CHEESE FESTIVAL RATED BEST IN SOUTHERN AFRICA - 2007

MEDIA RELEASE

The much loved SA Cheese Festival has been honoured with the prestigious Best Exhibition of the Year Award for Southern Africa by the Exhibition & Event Association of Southern Africa (EXSA) in the Trade and Consumer category for exhibitions larger than 12 000m². The Cheese Festival had to compete against exhibitions such as the well-known Decorex, Johannesburg and Homemakers Fair.

EXSA participants were judged in eight different categories according to a stringent scoring system which rated issues such as visitor experience and the size of the exhibition. The aim of the awards is to promote the impact of the exhibition medium with consumers and exhibitors and to create awareness for the importance of service excellence within this industry.

“The achievement is especially noteworthy due to the fact that Agri-Expo is an agricultural society which aims to promote agriculture, including the dairy industry,” says Johan Ehlers, Chief Executive Officer of Agri-Expo. “Part of the success of the Festival is that we’ve remained true to our theme and focus. Visitors will be able to judge for themselves at the 2008 SA Cheese Festival which will be held from 25-28 April.”

Note to Editors: Agri-Expo is an agricultural and related organisation that has been promoting the image of agriculture in the Western Cape since 1831. For further information pls visit www.agriexpo.co.za or www.cheesefestival.co.za

Issued by
Marlene Truter Communications
Contact: Marlene Truter
Tel 021 424 8190/083 294 6060
marlene@marlenetruter.co.za

On behalf of
Agri-Expo
Contact: Mariana Rabie
Tel (021) 975 4440 / 082 871 1114
mariana@agriexpo.co.za