After six years of hiatus that was interrupted by pandemic and a strategic shift to Singapore, Vinexpo Asia, the flagship international wine and spirits trade exhibition in Asia, is returning to Hong Kong this year from 28 to 30 May, hoping to consolidate its role as “a pivotal catalyst for growth in the Asian market.”
The three-day trade show is poised not just as a comeback but as a critical test for the global wine and spirits industry in Asia. The question isn’t merely whether the event can recapture its pre-pandemic glory, but whether it can navigate the turbulent waters of a market that has undergone significant shifts during its absence.
Vinexpo Hong Kong was suppposed to be staged in 2020 and 2022 but the pandemic has severely disrupted the fair’s schedule before it was eventually cancelled. In 2023, as Hong Kong travel restrictions still persist, the fair organizer pivoted and moved the trade show to Singapore before announcing the fair will be alternating between the two rival Asian cities.
Last year’s inaugural Singapore edition, which drew 9,989 trade professionals from 64 countries, means that the stakes for the upcoming Hong Kong fair are naturally higher. The last edition before the pandemic in 2018 attracted a record of 17,500 visitors, with 1,465 exhibitors. The upcoming May edition has set a more modest target of 10,000 visitors.
Historically, Chinese buyers have been the biggest draw of Vinexpo Hong Kong, their presence a barometer for the event’s success. The intervening years have seen the pandemic, China’s economic slowdown, real estate slump and huge contraction in the country’s wine consumption. China’s wine market, contrary to what the IWSR and Vinexpo Hong Kong had predicted back then, had never overtaken the UK as the second biggest market and contracted significantly.
As Vinexpo Asia prepares to welcome back about 10,000 visitors, half of which according to the organizer are importers and the other half wholesalers, distributors, wine merchants, retailers, hoteliers and restaurateurs, the industry watches closely to see if these once-dominant buyers return in force or if their absence signals a deeper, more lasting change in demand and consumption patterns.
Speaking of its return, Rodolphe Lameyse, CEO of the Vinexposium group, states: “Building on Vinexpo Asia’s proven success in Singapore in 2023, Vinexposium continues to play a central part in the economic growth and vitality of the wine and spirits industry in Asia, consistently raising industry standards and promoting an environment conducive to trade and investments”.
“We are happy to see the return of the show, leveraging the city’s diverse and inclusive culture, favourable business and trading environment, and the enormous opportunities brought by both the Greater Bay Area and the fast-growing Asian markets to scale up the event further, and provide more business opportunities for both exhibitors and buyers in Asia,” says Kenneth Wong, General Manager of MICE and Cruise Division, Hong Kong Tourism Board.
While China remains a focal point for Vinexpo Asia, the event also serves major import markets across the continent, including Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia, among others.
According to the fair orgnizer, the May event will attract 40 exhibitor countries, including Australia and China among the top 5, along with Chile, Argentina, South Africa, New Zealand and the United States for the New World, and France, Italy, Spain (top 3 exhibitor countries), Portugal, Germany and Switzerland, to name a few, for Europe. 1,300 producers, including 60% international and 40% French will gather for three days for this year’s Vinexpo Hong Kong.
The popular “Welcome to the Organic World” (WOW) will return, highlighting organic and biodynamic wines amid growing interest from Asian consumers.
On 27 May, the day before Vinexpo Asia, the B+D Grand Tasting will take place at the HKCEC. The tasting is hosted by Bettane+Desseauve in conjunction with Vinexposium and is designed for both the trade and consumers. Over 1,000 participants will be given the opportunity to meet nearly 70 producers from across the globe. Concurrently with this, a series of 6 masterclasses will complement the Grand Tasting experience, allowing visitors to discover prestige wines alongside their makers.
As the industry gears up for the trade show, will it mark a triumphant return to form, signaling a robust recovery and renewed opportunities for growth? Or will it highlight the ongoing challenges and uncertainties that continue to shadow the industry in the post-pandemic era?
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