Urban Expositions (a Clarion Events company) is pleased to announce its acquisition of the U.S. Coffee Fest event portfolio from Lifestyle Events, Inc. which includes the 2017 Coffee Fest Chicago and Portland events, along with the 2018 Baltimore and Denver shows. Coffee Fest tradeshows, education and competitions have been at the forefront of the specialty coffee, tea and beverage industry since their inception 25 years ago.
Representing the next step in Urban Expositions’ strategic expansion plans, the Coffee Fest shows join the Kennesaw, Ga.-based show-management Company’s restaurant and foodservice events. The International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York, Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo, and Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show are the only comprehensive events dedicated exclusively to their respective region’s restaurant, hospitality and foodservice industries. Along with its airport concessions holding, Airport Revenue News, the group also services the restaurant/foodservice and retail components of the airport industry. Urban Expositions will assume ownership immediately and manage the currently running Coffee Fest event in Chicago (June 10-12, Navy Pier). In conjunction with the acquisition, members of the Coffee Fest leadership and event team have joined Urban Expositions, maintaining their presence in their Washington State office.
“We are pursuing strategic opportunities to grow our business, and specifically our foodservice and hospitality sector. These shows perfectly align with the profile and growth potential we were hoping to add to this portfolio,” explains Craig Dooley, president and CEO, Urban Expositions. “We are proud to welcome the Coffee Fest team to Urban, and are looking forward to working with them to build upon the successful track record that they have firmly established with these shows. By working closely with these veteran team members, we will continue to strengthen and enhance the business and professional growth opportunities these events deliver to the marketplace.”
“The synergy between the foodservice events and the Coffee Fest events makes Urban Expositions ideally suited to take over the management of these shows,” said David Heilbrunn, CEO and president of Lifestyle Events, Inc. “They understand the specialized needs of B2B events, as well as those serving the hospitality market. Urban has built a strong reputation over the years for its hands-on management style and commitment to customer service – assets that serve them well in the restaurant/hospitality industry and contributes to the continued growth and success of their event portfolio. This evolution of the events will provide growth and new business opportunities for the industry.”
The event calendar for Urban’s foodservice and hospitality portfolio will now include: Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo, August 27-29, 2017, Los Angeles Convention Center; Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show, September 10-12, 2017, Orange County Convention Center; Coffee Fest Portland, October 13-15, 2017, Oregon Convention Center; International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York, March 4-6, 2018, Jacob Javits Center; Coffee Fest Baltimore, March 16-18, 2018, Baltimore Convention Center; and the4 Coffee Fest Denver, June 8-10, 2018, Colorado Convention Center.
Founded in 1995, Urban Expositions, now operating as Clarion UX and owned by Clarion Events, produces and manages a portfolio of 36 trade and consumer events, serving a range of industry sectors including Gift, Souvenir, Art, Aviation, Foodservice, Specialty Retail, Gaming, Automotive and Enthusiast Lifestyle, with offices in Kennesaw, Ga., Chicago, Ill., Trumbull, Conn., Portland, Ore., and Boca Raton, Fla. For more info, visit www.urban-expo.com.
