VINEXPO ASIA’s Triumphant Return to Hong Kong
May 31, 2024, Hong Kong– The region’s premier wine and spirits trade show Vinexpo Asia returned to Hong Kong this week after a hiatus of six years due to the pandemic and closed its doors today after three business-packed days from May 28 to 30.
“Vinexpo Asia has been buzzing with the sound of renewed connections, new discoveries, tastings, and conferences illustrating long-lasting partnerships and friendships. This is what I call the spirit of ‘Eternal Sunshine’ between Vinexposium and the Greater China wine and spirits community” said Vinexposium Group CEO, Rodolphe Lameyse.
The event which attracted 1,032 producers from thirty-five countries, was attended by 14,203 visitors from sixty countries eager to re-establish one-to-one relationships with their peers in the industry. The business matching service facilitated deals between buyers and exhibitors through the online platform, with 4,237 pre-booked meetings.
Over 30% of the exhibitors were from France reflecting the importance of French wines in the Asia market. The Australian wine industry also made a huge showing with eighty-five wineries, celebrating China’s lifting of retaliatory tariffs.
Founder and Editor of Vino Joy News, wine journalist, Natalie Wang said, “Following the tariff removal in April, Australian wine exports saw explosive growth of more than 8,000%, which shows the China market still has a lot of interest in Australian wine.”
Other top exhibitor destinations represented at the show, included Italy, Spain, Chile, and China. Meanwhile, China was undoubtedly the buzz word of the event, with producers and buyers eager to find out about the fast-changing consumption trends in the world’s biggest consumer market.
Visitors to the show were predominantly from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan markets which represented 75%, reflecting a shift in attendance at international trade events, wherein visitors are now most likely to attend trade shows within their region, a trend that Vinexposium group’s CEO has termed “continentalization”.
Speaking at a packed session on the Future of China’s Wine Market with ‘Industry Titans’ during the show, Don Siebers, Co-partner of Wajiu China said, “In contrast to the ‘El Dorado’ approach of the past, marketing to today’s consumer in China demands a more proactive and educated approach as they embrace technology and AI in their understanding and purchasing of wine. Wine drinkers are becoming more sophisticated in their tastes, drinking not what they should be drinking but what they enjoy drinking, as witnessed by the growth in white wine consumption which has grown 40% and which hardly existed 10 years ago.”
Meanwhile, in his opening address, Rodolphe Lameyse highlighted some of the many challenges the industry is currently facing, from sociopolitical and economic factors to climate change, and observed a change in mindset among wine and spirits producers towards a more proactive marketing strategy, moving from a “pull” to a “push” approach, and added that Vinexpo Asia is an ideal platform to support them in this.
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This year’s Vinexpo Academy once again offered a rich programme of 50+ conferences, masterclasses and tastings all welcomed and very well attended by both producers and buyers keen to build on their knowledge and understanding of industry trends.
“Our 2024 edition continued the Vinexpo Academy’s legacy of developing expertise, encouraging innovation, and promoting excellence, and of course, adding value to the Vinexpo experience. We believe we have delivered what our industry needs to help them navigate the challenges and opportunities of the fast developing-Asia market.” said Vinexposium CEO.
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Vinexpo Asia has become the region’s flagship event since its inaugural edition in 1998 in Hong Kong and it continues to be the driving force behind the development of the wine and spirits industry in Asia. The annual trade show is now presented on alternate years between Hong Kong and Singapore. The two events perfectly complement each other in offering industry stakeholders the opportunity to address the Greater China and the Southeast Asia markets. The next Vinexpo Asia will be held in Singapore on May27-29, 2025.
In concluding this edition of Vinexpo Asia, Mr. Lameyse said, “We are absolutely delighted to be back in Hong Kong and to such a great reception, it feels like we have come home. I believe the past few days have cemented the show’s status as the region’s leading event for the wine and spirits industry and underlined Hong Kong’s position as the undisputed wine and spirits hub for Greater China. 2026 is just around the corner, we will be back!” said Vinexposium group CEO Rodolphe Lameyse.
