WINE + FOOD = RECORD YEAR: Event’s economic impact highest ever, analysis finds

Uncork the bubbly: The BB&T Charleston Wine + Food Festival made a record economic impact this year, topping 2010 by more than $2 million.

The Office of Tourism Analysis in the College of Charleston’s Business School found that the event, which marked its sixth year, made a $7.3 million contribution to the local economy, up from just under $5.1 million last year.

The festival saw higher attendance, including a greater number of non-local ticket holders at its more than 60 events held throughout the March 3-6 weekend.

Up next year: Festival organizers might move some events traditionally held in the main tent to an off-site location in order to expand the Culinary Village at Marion Square, according to media and marketing manager Erika McMillan.

She said the change would give visitors the chance to see more venues, but that the decision still depends on budget and logistics.

For now, organizers plan to celebrate and build on the success of 2011, which included 19,000 attendees, up from 16,500 in 2010 and including 500 more non-local attendees than previous years.

The average out-of-town visitor spent $764, researchers found.

Wayne Smith, an assistant professor in the college’s Business School, said visitor spending reaches beyond the festival and into local hotels, restaurants and stores.

“The timing of the festival at the beginning of the tourist season brings in substantial revenues when they otherwise may not be present,” he added.

Wine + Food received the state’s highest tourism award, the Governor’s Cup, this year. Forbes Traveler now ranks it among the top five culinary festivals in the country.

Researchers found that 82 percent of out-of-town ticket holders came specifically for the event. They also learned that 11 percent of those non-local visitors had never been to Charleston.

Festival officials plan to announce charitable giving tallies at the end of the financial year in June. Lowcountry Local First claimed the signature charity designation for the year, and the event also provides scholarship funds to the College of Charleston, the Culinary Institute of Charleston, The Art Institute of Charleston and Southern Foodways Alliance, plus nearly 2,400 pounds of food to Crisis Ministries.

The 2012 BB&T Charleston Wine + Food Festival is scheduled for March 1-4.