As Miami’s foremost luxury automotive dealership, THE COLLECTION served as the Official Automotive Sponsor of the 2016 Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by FOOD & WINE. As our first time as part of the Festival, we showcased some of the world’s most celebrated automotive brands, including Audi, Porsche, Maserati, Jaguar and McLaren, at the Festival’s most popular events. PLUS, the event marked the reveal of three all-new vehicles shown for the first time in Miami: the 2017 Porsche 911 sports car, the 2017 Jaguar F-PACE SUV and the 2017 Jaguar XE Compact Sports Sedan.
The four-day Festival featured some of the world’s top food and wine experts, chefs and personalities, attracting passionate fans from around the world. We also provided transportation for world-renowned chefs and personalities in the official vehicle of the festival – the all-new 2017 Audi Q7 Personalities included Debi Mazar and Guy Fieri.
Chefs including Bobby Flay, Robert Irvine, Andrew Zimmern and Duff Goldman rode in ultimate style in Jaguars, Maseratis and Porsches around iconic South Beach Miami.
We also created several innovative activation’s, including at the signature event, the Goya Foods Grand Tasting Village featuring MasterCard Grand Tasting Tents & KitchenAid® Culinary Demonstrations, where guests had the opportunity to relax and enjoy the experience in The Collection’s Audi lounge complete with smartwater® sparkling waters, Dr Smood organic juices, a photo booth, cell phone charging station and laid back music. Event attendees experienced the latest Audis on the market including the Audi Q7, the S Q5, the A3 Cabriolet and the A6.
The highly sought-after Maserati Ghibli and the stylish Maserati GranTurismo Sport Convertible were on display at the Barilla’s Italian Bites on the Beach, which was hosted by the well-known queen of Italian cuisine, Giada De Laurentiis. At the Amstel Light Burger Bash presented by Schweid & Sons hosted by Rachael Ray, which celebrated its 10th birthday this year, we unveiled the all-new highly anticipated 2017 Porsche 911 and displayed Porsche’s most popular SUV, the Macan S.
On display at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach presents Wine Spectator’s Best of the Best sponsored by Bank of America, was the all-new McLaren 570S, the newest, sportiest and most attainable McLaren yet. Recognizing the Festival’s Tribute Dinner honorees Jonathan Waxman, Rob Sands and Richard Sands, at the 15th Annual Tribute Dinner presented by Bank of America Part of the NYT Cooking Series, we displayed some of Audi’s sportiest vehicles: the Audi R8 and the RS7 At the Festival’s host Loews Miami Beach Hotel.
At the ultimate meat event, Meatopia presented by Creekstone Farms sponsored by Thrillist hosted by Michael Symon, guests got a chance to see some new offerings for the first-time – the all-new compact luxury sports sedan, the 2017 Jaguar XE and the company’s first-ever performance SUV, the 2017 Jaguar F-PACE, which launches May 2016. Guests also enjoyed a live musical performance by Gregg Allman.
To close out the Festival, the award-winning TV personality, chef and food writer Andrew Zimmern hosted the Lucky Chopsticks: An Asian Night Market, where we once again showcased the newest Jaguars set to launch late spring 2016.
All proceeds from the Festival benefit the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Florida International University. Read more about it all here: http://www.sobefest.com
