Bern's Winefest, an upscale food-and-wine event, drew hundreds of oenophiles to Tampa from April 19 to 22. The festival's Grand Tasting took place at SideBern's on April 21, and the decor featured quite the promotional vehicle. Danging from a wreath of yellow flowers, a spiffy white "Epicurean Bike" was intended to build buzz for the soon-to-open Epicurean Hotel.
Slated to debut in November, the culinary-themed property is co-owned by David Laxer, who also owns Bern's, SideBern's, and Bern's Fine Wines & Spirits. (The property is a partnership between Bern's and Mainsail Development Group.) The hotel's plans—along with lending out cute, branded bikes— include a spacious banquet hall and a theater-style demo kitchen. So when the property opens, it will likely host some of the wine festival's events.
The overhead decor was executed as a collaboration between ConceptBait and Botanica. Brooke Palmer of RSBP Events, who handles public relations for Bern's and oversees logistics for the festival, had the idea to dangle a bike from the center of the arrangement. Bay Stage Lighting facilitated the rigging.
Correction: This text has been updated to reflect the roles of the event's vendors, and the Epicurean Hotel's future role in the wine festival.
