gff.co.uk/wca | @guildoffinefood #worldcheeseawards

PARTNERSHIP & SPONSORSHIP

OPPORTUNITIES

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ESTABLISHED THREE DECADES AGO to help bring the work of artisan cheesemakers to a wider audience, when mass-produced cheeses were starting to dominate the market, the World Cheese Awards has evolved into the largest cheese competition on the planet.

Uniting the international cheese community in a celebration of all things cheese, the awards’ network of mongers, makers, farmers, chefs, affineurs, food writers, consultants, educators and importers continues to spread the word on curd to every corner of the globe.

The awards’ history is rich and varied, featuring champions ranging from industry heavyweights to new kids on the block, with plenty of tears and tense deliberations along

THE WHEEL TURNS… 30 YEARS IN CHEESE

the way. Special one-off events also litter the pages of the World Cheese Awards’ past, from the Guinness World Record in 2010 for building the World’s Largest Cheeseboard to the Champion of Champions event in San Sebastián during 2016.

Having marked its 30th anniversary on home soil last year, the World Cheese Awards will again set sail for pastures new in 2018. Heading to Norway for the very first time, the UNESCO World Heritage City of Bergen will become the heart of the cheese world this November when over 3,000 cheeses come to town.

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HOW THE COMPETITION WORKS

This year, cheeses from six continents will be staged in a huge arena at the Grieghallen in Bergen, with all entries judged in a single day by carefully assembled teams of technical experts, buyers, retailers and food writers.

The judges will work in teams of three or four, identifying any cheeses worthy of a gold, silver or bronze award. They will be looking at the rind and the body of the cheese, its colour, texture, consistency and, above all, its taste. Each of the teams will then nominate one exceptional cheese as the Super Gold from their table. These top-flight cheeses are the best in the world and will be judged a second time by the Super Jury of 16 internationally recognised experts, who will each select a cheese to champion in the final round of judging.

The Super Jury, representing all four corners of the globe, will then debate the final 16 in front of a live consumer and trade audience, before choosing the World Champion Cheese live on WCA TV, with cheese lovers across the globe tuning in for the drama.

WORLD CHEESE AWARDS 2018

The Awards will be held in Norway on Friday 2 November, forming part of a brand new food festival, The Food Country Norway, which will take place in Bergen from Friday 2 to Saturday 3 November.

A truly global cheese event, the World Cheese Awards has been bringing together cheesemakers, retailers, buyers, consumers and food commentators worldwide for over three decades.

It’s the biggest cheese competition in the world, attracting over 3,000 entries from 35 different countries in 2017, which were judged by 230 experts from 29 different nations during another record breaking year.

Celebrating tradition, innovation and excellence in cheese, the World Cheese Awards judges guide retailers worldwide to the year’s best cheese, as well as continuing to ignite consumer interest and fuel a growing appetite for exceptional quality products.

The world will be watching as the finest palates and noses around judge every single entry in one day, transmitted live across the globe on WCA TV.

WHAT IS THE WORLD CHEESE AWARDS?

SUPER GOLDS RE-JUDGED TOP 16 SELECTED JUDGES FROM OVER 25 COUNTRIES

Grieghallen,Bergen, Norway

THOUSANDS OF ENTRIES PASS THROUGH INTERNATIONAL CONSOLIDATION POINTS

CHEESES ARE SENT FROM ALL AROUND THE GLOBE

250 JUDGES

AWARD

BRONZE,

SILVER &

GOLD

AWARDS

SUPER JURY JUDGE FINAL 16 LIVE ON WCA TV

WORLD CHAMPION

CHEESE 2018-19 ANNOUNCED

2018-19

66 TEAMS OF JUDGES SELECT ONE SUPER GOLD PER TABLE

CHEESES ARE JUDGED

3,500

THE WORLD CHEESE JOURNEY

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THE FOOD COUNTRY NORWAY

World Cheese 2018 will form part of a brand new festival, The Food Country Norway, in partnership with HANEN, an organisation promoting the best that the Norwegian countryside has to offer.

Following the global surge in interest for Norwegian cheese after Kraftkar, was named World Champion Cheese at the 2016 edition in San Sebastián, HANEN has been instrumental in bringing the awards to Bergen this year with support from Norway’s Minister of Agriculture and Food, Jon Georg Dale, and the Bergen city government.

Already designated as a UNESCO Creative City for Gastronomy, Bergen will be ready to show off the nation’s culinary class as the planet’s largest cheese competition gets underway, nestled in between the North Sea and the Seven Mountains that frame the city.

A BRAND NEW FESTIVAL

A JOURNEY IN NORWEGIAN CUISINE

The Food Country Norway (a consumer and trade event) will take place on Friday 2 and Saturday 3 November at the Grieghallen in Bergen, and will feature a food festival, conference sessions, presentations and tasting tours, as well as the opportunity for attendees to visit the World Cheese Awards judging arena.

The two-day event is set to shine a spotlight on the quiet culinary revolution that has taken place in Norway over recent years and will give the country’s producers and chefs a platform to showcase their food and drink on a world stage.

With the programme set to feature respected industry experts, celebrity chefs and a wide range of artisan producers, thousands of foodservice professionals, buyers, retailers, consumers and tourists are expected to make their way to Bergen this November, giving sponsors a unique opportunity to grow their brand awareness among a diverse group of food people.

Kraftkar by Tingvollost

Eilif

Ste

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• A record-breaking 3,500 cheeses from every corner of the

globe are expected to line up in the judging hall at Bergen’s Grieghallen

• Our very own WCA TV channel will be beaming live coverage

of the judging day across the world, enabling cheesemakers and

cheese-loving consumers to see the action and providing sponsors

with a global platform for their brands

• The World Cheese Deli will give sponsors the opportunity to

supply cheese for sampling

• Displays within the World Cheese Awards area will explain

the judging process, list previous winners and educate

the public with cheese facts

• Educational tours, tasting sponsors’ cheeses to help

consumers understand more about the judging process

• Buyers, experts and food lovers will also be drawn by

The Food Country Norway’s conference programme, food

festival and live entertainment, hosted by top chefs, food and

drink producers and industry heavyweights

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT WCA 2018?

Andrea G

iubelli - Visitnorway.com

Kris

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- Visi

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Kristin Folsland O

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Mattias Fredriksson/Fjord N

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Bergen Tourist Board/Eivind Senneset

visit

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IN THE WORDS OF OUR JUDGES…

CATHY STRANGE, GLOBAL

EXECUTIVE COORDINATOR, WHOLE

FOODS MARKET (USA)

The World Cheese Awards, hosted by the Guild of Fine Food, is an incredible international cheese competition. It is an honour to be a judge at this prestigious competition.

SUZY O’REGAN, PRODUCT DEVELOPER

– DAIRY, WOOLWORTHS FOODS

(SOUTH AFRICA)

I am honoured to be invited to judge at the World Cheese Awards and I appreciate the opportunity to meet new people in the industry as well as to catch up with ‘old’ and familiar faces. It is a celebration of the skill of the cheesemaker, the provenance of the area in which the cheese is produced and ultimately the outstanding quality of every aspect of the product itself.

BRUNO CABRAL,

BRAZILIAN CHEESES

SPECIALIST, MESTRE

QUEIJEIRO (BRAZIL)

The World Cheese Awards is no doubt the largest cheese celebration in the world. It is an honour to represent my country as a judge and bring news and knowledge to contribute to Brazil.

KRIS LLOYD, CHEESEMAKER,

WOODSIDE CHEESE WRIGHTS

(AUSTRALIA)

I feel very honoured to have been asked to attend such a prestigious cheese competition. One thing that I think does not always get a mention is the strong collaboration that the World Cheese Awards fosters in the cheese community – you have 250 experts from over 30 countries talking together about something they love CHEESE …WOW that is so cool.

CARLOS YESCAS,

CHEESEMONGER

AND AUTHOR

(MEXICO)

The World Cheese Awards offers a unique opportunity to

meet producers, consumers, industry experts and aficionados all in one event, setting the path for our industry for the year to come. Here you have the most trusted cheesemongers rubbing shoulders with the most respected cheesemakers.

ADRIAN BOSWELL, FRESH FOOD BUYER, SELFRIDGES (UK)

The World Cheese Awards is one of the most important dates in my calendar each year. As well as being a great place to network and discuss the future of the industry, the quality of products on show are always at the highest level, and the show itself is so well organised.

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MAIN SPONSORS – £10,000

• Branding on all printed and electronic literature throughout the awards process, on the judging day and throughout the consumer event

• Nominate two key customers to attend the awards and judge, with accommodation and flights (if appropriate and within Europe) included

• Be a part of the publicity and marketing activity based around World Cheese Awards

• Five invitations to the Welcome Party• A free stand within a World Cheese

Awards area, with the option of increasing the stand size or space at discounted rates

• Exposure to the UK and international trade and consumer press through PR activity and through the pages of Fine Food Digest and Good Cheese magazines

• Sponsorship of a major award• Rights to use the World Cheese Awards

logo on marketing and supporting materials

SPONSORSHIP PACKAGES

CONTACT To find out more about this unique sponsorship opportunity,

call Sally Coley on + 44 (0) 1747 825200, or email sally.coley@gff.co.uk

There are three levels of sponsorship, but we are happy to discuss bespoke packages to ensure that the event meets the needs of your brand.

The World Cheese Awards will build upon the considerable worldwide coverage achieved over the past 30 years, through a creative and multilingual PR and marketing campaign. Turn over the page for a taste of what happened in 2017.

Following the 30th anniversary celebrations in London last year, Bergen 2018 will see

SUPPORTER SPONSORS – £1,000

• Coverage in post awards press releases• Coverage in Fine Food Digest and Good

Cheese magazines• Logo on website around the results

pages for maximum coverage• Rights to use World Cheese Awards

logo on marketing and supporting materials

• Level 3 branding on signage in the World Cheese Awards arena on the judging day and throughout the event

the World Cheese Awards visit Scandinavia for the first time and form part of an international celebration of Norwegian food and drink, offering an unparalleled branding proposition for your company and your products.

The World Cheese Awards gives you and your team a unique opportunity to network with key trade contacts, open new global markets and build brand awareness amongst an educated and high spending consumer audience.

TROPHY SPONSORS – £2,000

• Your brand is associated with a particular trophy

• Coverage in post awards press releases• Coverage in Fine Food Digest and Good

Cheese magazines• Logo on website around the results

pages for maximum coverage• Rights to use World Cheese Awards

logo on marketing and supporting materials

• 2 invitations to the Welcome Party• Level 2 branding on signage in the

World Cheese Awards arena on the judging day and throughout the event

Read more about the World Cheese Awards and watch the highlights from London 2017 at www.gff.co.uk/wca.

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SPREADING THE WORD ON WORLD CHEESE

THE WORLD CHEESE IMPACT IN NUMBERS

Press coverage over 1.8 billion opportunities to see in 2017*

Social media over 23,000 Twitter followers and 4,800 Instagram followers staying up to date with the #WorldCheeseAwards action, and more than 124,000 YouTube channel views Website over 85,000 unique visitors in 2017*Figure based on average TV viewing figures, average radio listener figures, print circulations and online unique monthly visitors.

traveler.es – 17 November 2017

thegrocer.co.uk – 27 November 2017

telegraph.co.uk – 22 November 2017

The Daily Telegraph – 9 December 2017

The Economist – 2 December 2017

standard.co.uk – 21 November 2017

Daily Mail – 22 November 2017

NRK TV – 11 February 2017

The Times – 22 November 2017

dn.no – 4 August 2017

Delicious – January 2018

Countryside Magazine – January 2018

metro.co.uk – 27 November 2017

foodandwine.com – 20 November 2017

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A BIG THANKS TO OUR 2017 SPONSORS AND SUPPORTERS

gff.co.uk/wca