Vinexpo Asia 2025 closed with 8,998 attendees over its three-day run at Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands — a subdued figure below the organiser’s target of 11,000. The shortfall, compounded by the conspicuous absence of key buyers from mainland China and Hong Kong, casts a spotlight on shifting regional priorities and rising cost concerns surrounding the fair.
Despite the underwhelming turnout, Vinexpo Asia reaffirmed its status as a critical gateway to Southeast Asia, a region Vinexposium CEO Rodolphe Lameyse hails as the “new consumption continent.”
“The wine and spirits industry is at a global turning point,” said Lameyse. “With so many uncertainties reshaping global trade, Southeast Asia emerges as a new consumption continent. This is no time for solo moves — it’s about playing as a team. And Vinexpo Asia offers precisely the field for that. Our responsibility is clear: bring structure, perspective, and clarity.”
High Costs Prompt Strategic Rethink Among Exhibitors
On the exhibition floor, concerns about cost were top of mind. Several producers voiced frustration over the steep exhibition fees, reportedly the highest among Vinexposium’s global fairs. Some major wine groups opted to forgo traditional booths altogether, choosing instead to host clients in luxury suites within Marina Bay Sands — a move that proved more cost-effective than exhibiting.
Mainland China and Hong Kong: Notably Missing
The absence of many top-tier Chinese and Hong Kong wine importers was difficult to overlook. Leading Hong Kong-based players such as Watson’s Wine, Kerry Wines, and Links Concept did not attend.
On the mainland side, presence was even more limited — a key buyer from a major e-commerce platform reportedly pulled out at the last minute. Nevertheless, China’s largest wine importer by volume, Wajiu Group, and the Hong Kong-listed VATS Liquor were among the few mainland companies with representation on the ground.
Southeast Asia: The Centre of Gravity Shifts
If participation from Greater China was subdued, Southeast Asia proved the show’s real engine.
Home to over 600 million people, the fair underscored ASEAN’s growing weight in the global wine and spirits trade, bolstered by its young population, rising middle class, and sustained economic growth.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Trade & Industry, Gan Siow Huang, reaffirmed this during the opening ceremony, noting the region’s projected status as the world’s fourth-largest economy by 2030 and forecasting a 10% rise in alcohol beverage revenue between 2023 and 2027.
Trade buyers from over 60 countries were present, with particularly robust representation from Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Singapore, as a regional hub, once again proved an efficient staging ground for Southeast Asian business development.
“It’s always very exciting to be at Vinexpo Asia, it’s an annual activity for us. We meet our partners and explore new brands to introduce in Malaysia. Being here speeds up the process,” says Wilson Khor, Marketing Brand Manager at Luen Heng F&B, one of Asia’s Top 50 Wine importers.
Among the most sought-after attendees were Thai wine importers, buoyed by the country’s landmark decision to eliminate import tariffs. Leading players such as Independent Wine & Spirit (IWS), Bangkok Beer & Beverages (BB&B), and CP Axtra — the company behind the Lotus supermarket chain — were all present at the fair.
Their active participation signalled growing confidence and buying intent in Thailand’s wine sector, especially following the country’s removal of import tariffs. In contrast, markets like Hong Kong and mainland China remain constrained by inventory overhang and slow depletion rates, limiting their readiness to place new orders.
Vinexpo Asia’s alternating format between Singapore and Hong Kong will resume in 2026, with the next edition scheduled for May 26–28 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The bifocal strategy is designed to maintain relevance across Asia’s two most influential wine markets — Southeast Asia and Greater China — each with its own dynamics and challenges.
While the turnout in Singapore fell short of expectations, the long-term trajectory remains clear: Southeast Asia is no longer peripheral. It is now central to the global wine trade.
Discover more from Vino Joy News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
