FIU Students Prep for South Beach Wine & Food Festival

Thousands of hours of planning and student support help execute one of the largest wine and food festivals in the world

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

In the week leading up to the 25th annual South Beach Wine & Food Festival, hundreds of Florida International University (FIU) students gather at warehouses across South Florida to prepare for the four-day mega event. They track inventory, coordinate shipments, and work in teams to get everything ready before it hits the beach, applying the operational and logistical concepts they've studied in class. Over the course of the festival, more than 1,500 students participate in 4,300 shifts, leading event and logistics teams, prepping food, assisting with guest registration, and more. This hands-on experience helps prepare the students for their future careers in the hospitality industry.

Why it matters

The South Beach Wine & Food Festival is one of the largest wine and food festivals in the nation, attracting over 60,000 attendees. The behind-the-scenes work done by FIU students is crucial to the success of the event, giving them valuable real-world experience in event planning, logistics, and hospitality management. This partnership between the festival and the university's Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management provides students with an unparalleled learning opportunity.

The details

In the week leading up to the festival, FIU students gather for 'warehouse day,' where they take on the crucial yet unseen work of tracking inventory, coordinating shipments, and preparing everything that will be used at the various festival events. This includes boxing up the soft drinks, paper goods, and student uniforms onto more than 30 pallets. During the four-day festival, the students take on a variety of roles, from leading event and logistics teams to prepping food and assisting with guest registration.

  • The 25th annual South Beach Wine & Food Festival is taking place this Thursday through Sunday (February 27 - March 1, 2026).
  • FIU students gather for 'warehouse day' in the week leading up to the festival to prepare the supplies and logistics.

The players

South Beach Wine & Food Festival

One of the largest wine and food festivals in the nation, attracting over 60,000 attendees each year.

Florida International University (FIU)

The university's Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management partners with the festival to provide students with hands-on event planning and hospitality management experience.

Rashel Villalonga

A sophomore at the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management and student coordinator at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival.

Peter Bauza

A Hospitality Management major and event logistics leader at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival.

Harshi Hegde

An Organizational Communications and Entrepreneurship major serving as a senior recruitment coordinator and event manager at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Hands-on doing it, understanding what prep it takes for an event and how much of those counts are really important. A professor can just say it to you, but to do it and to make sure everything is accounted for so you don't lack anything onsite, is completely different.”

— Rashel Villalonga, Student Coordinator, South Beach Wine & Food Festival (communitynewspapers.com)

“I'm very excited, it's a great experience, something you can add to your resume as well as gaining logistical experience and leading groups.”

— Peter Bauza, Hospitality Management Major, Event Logistics Leader (communitynewspapers.com)

“I'm so excited to be onsite again, to be in full spirits, but at the same time I'm a little nervous to make sure everything goes right.”

— Harshi Hegde, Senior Recruitment Coordinator and Event Manager (communitynewspapers.com)

What’s next

The 25th annual South Beach Wine & Food Festival will take place from February 27 to March 1, 2026, with thousands of FIU students playing crucial roles in the event's planning and execution.

The takeaway

The partnership between the South Beach Wine & Food Festival and Florida International University's Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management provides students with an unparalleled hands-on learning experience in event planning, logistics, and hospitality management, preparing them for successful careers in the industry.