In 2017, the show had over 130 exhibitors and 2,000 participants over a two-day period. The numbers for 2018 are already in, and they show a steep 10% growth in both the number of exhibitors and participants.

According to Beverage Trade Network, the organizers of the USATT event, one key reason for the upturn in the number of participants was the ability to attract an even wider and more diverse group of exhibitors from all over the world. At this year’s USATTevent, the list of exhibitors who came to New York reads like a who’s who of top winemakers from South America, Europe, South Africa and Australia.

“More than anything else, we wanted to showcase the extraordinary amount of innovation and growth that is taking place around the world, especially in winemaking regions that are not yet well-known to U.S. distributors and importers,” said Sid Patel, CEO, and co-founder of Beverage Trade Network.

As a result, this year’s USATT 2018 event included wines from Italy and Spain alongside wines from Eastern Europe and Australia. The pace of innovation was especially noticeable in terms of the wide range of spirits displayed at the show. It’s clear that the craft and artisanal trend has been embraced by distilleries, which are now creating one-of-a-kind products for the U.S. marketplace.

The USATT event has already established itself as one of the premier events in North America for anyone looking to grow their footprint within the U.S. market. In addition to the more than 130 exhibitors who showcased their product offerings in the Grand Tasting Hall, this year’s USATT 2018 event also attracted the backing of several influential sponsors, including MHW, JF Hillebrand, IWSR, and NABI. Key media partners for the event included Distillery Age, BevRoute, Wine Industry Insight and Santé.

This year’s USATT event also included a companion event, the Alcohol Beverage Importers & Distributors (ABID) conference, which consisted of two days of practical insights and deep industry expertise delivered by some of the top names in the industry. What made this year’s USATT show unique was the ability of USATT exhibitors and ABID conference participants to cross-attend both events, which took place at the Metropolitan Pavilion. Next year, ABID aims to be the default show to learn and network for small and medium distributors.