In just week, more than 8,000 visitors from around the world will congregate in Singapore for Vinexpo Asia, the leading wine and spirits organizer Vinexposium’s first major comeback to Asia after the pandemic.
Aside from providing the wine and spirits trade an important sourcing platform, the plethora of programs organized under Vinexpo Academy has become a highly anticipated feature of the three-day fair. Renowned for the excellent quality of its contents, Vinexpo Academy will this year be providing a world-class programme placed under the patronage of the Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV). Driven by a variety of formats and hosted by experts from across the globe, the quality of speakers at the Vinexpo Academy will be a major draw for indstury professionals and decision-makers.
From masterclasses, conferences and major tastings to the Battle of the Sommeliers, multiple formats will be setting the tempo for the Vinexpo Academy during the three-day exhibition from May 23 to 25. This year, a total of 40 sessions are scheduled so that attendees can learn, taste, discuss and gain inspiration.
We highlighted here four conferences that will closely examine key growth trends and post-covid opportunities in Asia including South Korea, Hong Kong and mainland China. Be sure to mark them in your calendar.
2023 Alcoholic Beverage Consumption Trends in Korea
Tuesday, 23 May 2023
10:30 am – 11:00 am
Speaker: Junghoon MOON Professor Seoul National University
Korea is known as an emerging country in terms of wine consumption. The import and consumption of wine in Korea have sharply increased during the period of COVID-19, and recently, qualitative growth has been observed in addition to previous quantitative growth. The whiskey market in Korea has steadily declined over the past 20 years, but in 2021, it has shown a dramatic turnaround and has started to grow again, driven by the increase in highball consumption among people in their 20s. The growth of the alcoholic beverage market in Korea is occurring in conjunction with the spread of the concept of ‘food pairing’ in the food culture. This lecture examines how the consumption trends of wine and whiskey, which are competing with traditional Korean alcoholic beverages such as beer, soju, and makgeolli, are changing and what kinds of food pairings are emerging with wine. This lecture also provides insights into opportunities and threats in the Korean wine and whisky market.
The Changing Landscape of the China Wine Market: The Path Forward
Tuesday, 23 May 2023
04:30 pm – 05:30 pm
Speakers: Craig Aldous, General Manager of VSPT Wine Group; Ian Ford, CEO & Co-Founder of Nimbility; Richard Li, CEO of Canaan Winery and Domaine Franco Chinois; Nichole MAO, Founding Partner of Nimbility; Olivier SIX, CEO of EMW Fine Wines
This conference is an overview of the fundamental changes that have taken place in the China market over the past three years, presented by Nimbility’s Co-Founder and CEO Ian Ford. The impact of two seismic events – Covid-19 and the effective ban by China on wine from Australia – will be explained, along with a number of observations that point to the consolidation and rebalancing of the China market. The new landscape of the China market will be discussed by a panel of experts who are witnessing these dynamic changes first hand, providing advice and guidance for businesses that that want to lean into this hugely significant wine market.
Leveraging top 10 Wine & Spirits market trends in Asia
Wednesday, 24 May 2023
10:30 am – 11:30 am
Speakers: Hortense Delaporte, Project Manager of Hopscotch Sopexa; Julia Iaconelli, Client Service Lead of Hopscotch Sopexa
Hopscotch Sopexa, an international communication agency specialized in Food & Drinks, will share the main wine & spirits market trends in Asia and advise on how to leverage them to increase brand awareness and boost sales. Local drinks experts Julia Iaconelli (Honk Kong office) and Hortense Delaporte (Singapore office) will provide valuable insights on trends latest figures, opportunities, and challenges in key Asian markets.
Markets to be addressed: Greater China, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines.
Hong Kong: Asia’s Wine Hub
Thursday, 25 May 2023
01:30 pm – 03:00 pm
Speaker: Rob Temple, General Manager of AWSEC
A post-covid review of the Hong Kong wine market and Hong Kong’s continuing importance as a hub for the wine industry in Asia.
