A pumped up Hawke�s Bay contingent of food and wine operators heads to Auckland this week ready to sell the region to a crowd of more than 26,000 expected at the Auckland Food Show.

The group, working together under the Wine Country banner, involves about 30 wine and food operators. The Hawke�s Bay promotion won the �Large Stand/Group Presence� category at the recent Wellington Food Show attended by more than 15,600 people and the operators know Auckland is an important market to impress.

Hawke�s Bay Tourism Communications Executive, Claire Benson, says 20 percent of Hawke�s Bay�s domestic visitors come from Auckland and she also expects visiting internationals to take in the Food Show too.

�Auckland is a key market. It is sophisticated and we intend to put on an excellent promotion to push Hawke�s Bay�s food, wine and lifestyle marketing message. But we�ll also be building on our reputation for having diverse tourism products and providing a quality experience,� she says.

The Hawke�s Bay outing in Auckland comes hard on the heels of its Wellington exposure and its hosting of the New Zealand Inbound Tourism Operators conference, which allowed delegates, who play a major role in influencing more visitors to come here, to experience the region�s offerings.

Claire Benson says Hawke�s Bay's enjoying being a hot New Zealand favourite and will be doing all it can to convince visitors to the Food Show to put Hawke�s Bay on their holiday schedule.

The Auckland Food Show is being held at the Auckland Showgrounds from 30 July � 1 August. This is the fourth year Hawke�s Bay has participated in what is believed to be the largest selection of food, wine and culinary essentials ever showcased in New Zealand under one roof.

For further Information contact: Claire Benson E: claire@hawkesbaynz.com T: +64 (0)6 833 5500