If you’re a long-time follower of the xtraWine blog, you’ll know that we’ve written a few articles charting the course of the Italian wine industry in the Asian markets.
Admittedly, the Italians were a little bit slow to get off the blocks in these emerging territories. That allowed the French and South American wine industries to get a little bit of a head start in countries like China and India.
But the Italians are gaining fast. And each year, wines of all types become more popular in this densely-populated countries.
In fact, you could argue that Asia holds the greatest potential for industry growth of any region in the world. It’s certainly the one with the most untapped potential.
Naturally, that means that the global wine industry is doing everything that it can to promote itself to the Asian consumer. And it’s these efforts that have given rise to the trade shows that are popping up all over the continent.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at a few of these trade shows to see what they have to offer for the Asian Wine Industry.
ProWine Asia
Perhaps the most popular of the Asian trade shows, ProWine Asia is an annual event. The most recent iteration of the show took place in May 2019, with a similar data already lined up for the 2020 exhibition.
Held in Hong Kong, the exhibition was the third event of its kind, with the show growing in industry participation and attendance each year.
The Italian wine industry certainly made its presence known, with producers from all over the country sending wines and exhibits for the event.
Unfortunately, it’s not an exhibition that’s open to the general public. ProWine Asia only accepts those who work in some capacity within the wine industry. Obviously, that means producers, vendors, and distributors are all welcome. Wine investors may also be able to grab themselves a ticket, though it’s likely that only the most prominent will be able to attend the event.
It also welcomes key influencers, such as noted sommeliers and other wine experts who can help to lend the event a little bit of prestige.
While this industry-focus may alienate many of the people reading this, you can’t underestimate the importance of events like these. They offer those in the Italian wine industry the opportunity to mingle with the big movers and shakers in the Asian wine industry. We can only imagine the number of deals that got completed during the 2019 event. Hopefully, we’ll see Italian participation at this event continue to grow in the coming years.
The Asia Wine Exposition (Southeast)
Another event that’s open to industry bods only, the Asia Wine Exposition will take place between 22ndand 24thNovember in 2019.
All told the event will host around 800 exhibitors, and will welcome somewhere in the region of 30,000 guests during its three-day running time.
Much like ProWine Asia, the exhibition gives those in the global and Asian wine industries the opportunity to mingle and create new deals. However, it’s also an advertiser’s paradise. The group behind the event says that they’ll showcase 1 million adverts in various forms during the weekend.
That’s great news for Italian wine producers and trade associations alike. With 30,000 people expected to attend, this represents a great opportunity to advertise to people who may be able to have some influence in the Asian markets.
Of course, being one of the 800 exhibitors will also have a major impact. However, with the event drawing closer it may not be possible to get on the exhibitor list.
The great news for visitors is that general entry to the exposition is completely free. That means that people from the industry will be able to travel to the event and network even if they don’t have an exhibition or advertising deal set up.
The event will also showcase some of the growing collections of Asian wines, with Japanese and Korean exhibitors expected to showcase their wares during the show.
The Asia Wine Exhibition (Northeast)
Another three-day event, the Asia Wine Exhibition too place in June of this year. And like the other events on this list, it’s an annual showcase that offers industry professionals a chance to embed themselves deeper into the Asian markets.
It’s the largest wine expo in Northeast Asia and it attracts producers from all over the world to the 20,000sqft exhibition hall. Thousands of attendees got to see an array of presentations and exhibits at this year’s event. And again, we’re sure that many a deal was struck up between Italian and Asian wine professionals.
Much like its sister exhibition in the southeast, the northeast variant of this event welcomed about 30,000 visitors during the course of the weekend.
It also showcased a number of producers of other alcoholic beverages.
Why Are These Events so Important?
The simple fact that they attract tens of thousands of visitors should show why these events are so important.
They offer the Italian wine industry a chance to get in front of some of the major Asian buyers who influence the direction that their continent’s wine industry takes. At these events, producers and trade associations have the chance to showcase their wares and create deals with major vendors.
With the Asian wine industry on a definite upward swing in terms of growth, attendance at these events is almost mandatory for any major player in the industry.
It’s events such as these that will help to support the growing Asian wine infrastructure. With the right support, they could turn into some of the largest wine exhibitions in the world.
Getting in on the ground floor while these events are still growing offers Italian wine producers the chance to stake their claim and build a following within a developing industry.
So for those who may have an interest in expanding their businesses, look beyond the domestic and European markets. Asia may be the key to the future growth of your company.
I’m a passionate about good wine and good cooking.
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