Vinexpo Hong Kong
Vinexpo Asia-Pacific 2010
A resounding success with spectacular figures to prove it!
Before the exhibition opened, all indicators were green promising great success. The result turned out to be spectacular. When the show closed last Thursday, everybody involved was unanimous: Vinexpo Asia-Pacific had entered a new dimension.
The sheer number of key buyers and representatives of the international press, who attended, as well as the prominent experts, who came to deliver seminars and lead tastings, all bear witness to the major importance that the Asian markets have acquired and point to Vinexpo Asia-Pacific’s leadership on this continent.
Eloquent figures
Vinexpo Asia-Pacific 2010 was held in Hong Kong from 25 to 27 May and welcomed 12,617 exclusively professional visitors, 42% more than in 2008.
43.5% of these came from Hong Kong and Macao and the other 56.5% from 24 other Asian-Pacific countries: continental China led with 4,136 visitors, nearly double (up 83.5%) the number who came in 2008, followed by Taiwan with 487, Korea with 391, Japan with 256, Singapore with 247, Australia with 170, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, India and other countries from the region.
All the sectors of activity were represented by these visitors: importers, wholesalers, retailers, sommeliers and food & beverage managers, as well as duty free, airline and hospitality purchasers.
474 journalists from the Asian press, radio and television covered the event, and their number was strengthened by specialist and general press representatives from Europe and the US.
In three days, 882 exhibitors from 32 countries displayed the largest range of wines and spirits ever put on show at one venue in Asia-Pacific; every one expressed enthusiasm. “Vinexpo Asia-Pacific is a tremendous bridgehead for China. This exhibition helps us to penetrate a difficult market, because the major importers attend.” commented French exhibitor Philippe Magrez, General Manager of Vignobles Bernard Magrez.
Alongside the exhibition, the intensive programme of 42 tastings, presentations and seminars of the Vinexpo Academy, delivered by renowned speakers, was attended by more than 6,000 professionals, indicating the growing interest that Asians have for wines and spirits.
“Vinexpo Academy was invented to meet the sector’s demand as a platform for knowledge enhancement, explained Dominique Hériard Dubreuil, President of Vinexpo Asia-Pacific, it’s a real opportunity for visitors to come and meet the finest specialists in the industry, to develop their knowledge and strengthen their confidence”.
The trends
The overwhelming numbers of visitors to the exhibition demonstrate the vitality of the Asian markets that is a consequence of the growing interest of consumers in wine and spirits.
Dominique Hériard Dubreuil also pointed out that many exhibitors,
“were struck by the positive development in visitors’ knowledge, their curiosity and appreciation of the products. This development is both reassuring for the industry’s exporters and an encouraging sign that the Asian professionals are capable of presenting product information adequately to the consumers”. According to the VINEXPO / The IWSR study, the Asian wine market will undergo its strongest growth in the next 5 years of 5% per year, compared to a world average of less than 1%. Total Asian retail sales of still light wines reached US$ 7.18 billion in 2009; they are expected to increase by 27% by 2013.
Having consumed 1.18 billion 9-litre cases in 2009, Asia-Pacific remains the leading world consumer of spirits: 50.6% of all the spirits drunk worldwide are consumed in Asia.
The next Vinexpo in Bordeaux is from 19 to 23 june 2011.
For all further information, see the website at
www.vinexpo.com 
