California Dreaming: World Tea Expo, Healthy Beverage Expo Move To SoCal In 2014

LAS VEGAS, Sept. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- California, here they come: The 2014 World Tea Expo (#WorldTeaExpo) and 2014 Healthy Beverage Expo (#HealthyBevExpo) are heading to "The Golden State" with Long Beach, Calif. as the trade shows' official host city. The co-located events – which will command more than 50 percent of the hotels in the City of Long Beach – are set to take over two-thirds of the Long Beach Convention Center as well as the surrounding downtown, May 29 – 31, 2014. Healthy Beverage Expo focuses on better-for-you beverages with healthful ingredients, facilitating the dialogue surrounding what "healthy" means to the industry and ultimately the consumer. World Tea Expo is the leading tradeshow and conference focused 100 percent on premium teas and related products. Attendee registration for both events opens mid-January 2014, and details are available at www.WorldTeaExpo.com and www.HealthyBeverageExpo.com.

"Moving World Tea Expo and Healthy Beverage Expo from Las Vegas to SoCal is a strategic decision that many industry leaders asked us to consider," says George Jage, founder and director of The Beverage Group (formerly World Tea Media), a division of F+W Media. "We're thrilled about the new opportunities and business this will bring attendees and exhibitors, and the Expos will see more 'walk-ins' and local 'traffic' from SoCal, as the area is one of the west coast's most dynamic beverage marketplaces. In addition, Long Beach is the perfect host city with its ideal climate, charismatic city-center and numerous attractions. We know the tea and healthy beverage communities will be excited about the Expos' move and how it positively impacts their participation in the shows and their organizations."

The shared 2014 conference theme for World Tea Expo and Healthy Beverage Expo is "ReThink Your Drink: Better Beverages, Better Business," inspired by Long Beach's own campaign called "ReThink Your Drink."

"I'm delighted to welcome World Tea Expo and Healthy Beverage Expo to Long Beach," said Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster. "Long Beach is the perfect fit to host these two expos as our City is certainly a health-minded community, and I look forward to showcasing our City's waterfront, attractions, local businesses and beaches."

As a local campaign, Long Beach's "ReThink Your Drink" effort focuses on increasing consumer awareness and decreasing consumption of sugar sweetened beverages. The Expos' theme – "ReThink Your Drink: Better Beverages, Better Business" – not only encourages the consumption of healthful beverages but inspires those in the tea and beverage industries to focus on quality drinks and better, more impactful business endeavors.

"We are very happy that World Tea Expo is moving to Long Beach," says Manjiv Jayakumar, president of Cerritos, Calif.-based QTrade Teas & Herbs, a longtime exhibitor of World Tea Expo. "The Southern California region is comprised of a variety of specialty tea companies and business opportunities, and Long Beach and its Convention Center are beautiful venues. We think this move will attract new audiences and new business, and we appreciate how the show organizers are 'keeping it fresh.'"

"Food Sleuth" Melinda Hemmelgarn, M.S., R.D., a Healthy Beverage Expo Advisory Board member and registered dietitian, says, "The Long Beach Convention Center is ideally located for family physical fitness and fun. It will be easy for participants of World Tea Expo or Healthy Beverage Expo to mix business with pleasure in the City of Long Beach, while enjoying their healthful lifestyles. These are ideal, must-attend events for the industry to network, meet with industry colleagues, develop relationships, and learn from others about how to make healthier beverages for today, while protecting the planet for future generations."

SoCal Tea & Beverage Factoids

• There are around 460 tea retailers in Southern California, according to World Tea Expo.
• There are also more than 400 health food retailers located in Southern California, says Healthy Beverage Expo.
• There are 131 beverage distributors in SoCal alone, according to the Expos' organizer.
• A total of 61 percent of previous World Tea Expo attendees are from the west coast, and SoCal is home to 20 percent of World Tea exhibitors.
• Los Angeles boasts 1,700+ grocery stores (YellowPages.com) while Long Beach has nearly 600 grocery stores (Yahoo!) – lots of opportunity for distributing and selling tea and healthy beverages.
• Get more factoids and insights about SoCal and tea and SoCal and healthy beverages at www.worldteaexpo.com/index.php/overview/socal and http://www.healthybeverageexpo.com/index.php/the-expo/socal

About The Beverage Group, a division of F+W Media
The Beverage Group, a division of F+W Media, Inc., is an integrated media company dedicated to providing business solutions to the global beverage industry. Events include: Healthy Beverage Expo, World Tea Expo and World Tea East. The Beverage Group also produces the North American Tea Championship, World Tea Academy and World Tea News.

F+W Media is a community-focused, content creator and marketer of products and services for enthusiasts. The Company offers a diversified portfolio of books, ebooks, magazines, events, competitions, ecommerce, education, video and more. The Company serves 20 different markets, including writing, fine art, genealogy, antiques and collectibles, design, outdoors and horticulture. Its growing portfolio includes print and online properties, free and for-fee subscription sites, educational programs, competitions and events.

SOURCE The Beverage Group, a division of F+W Media