The third and final day of Vinexpo Asia 2023 brought a more relaxed atmosphere as exhibitors, organisers, and visitors prepared to depart from a frantic but exciting three days in the Lion City.
A total of 9,989 professionals hailing from 64 countries attended the tradeshow, with the top five countries represented being Singapore, China, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand and the top five exhibiting producers being France, Italy, Australia, USA and Spain.
Camille Malavoy, Media & International Manager at Vinexposium, Vinexpo’s organiser, said the show had been a resounding success for everyone involved and has re-cemented Vinexpo Asia as a leading wine trade event.
“It has been a success, a huge success and it validates the strategy of the Vinexposium Group,” she said, referring to the Group’s decision to expand from its Hong Kong base of 25 years.
Malavoy said the initial motivation to rethink location was multifaceted. “Well, first, there was COVID, so we couldn’t hold our event in China or Hong Kong anymore,” she said. “There was also lots of political instability, so all this made us reconsider as, obviously, Southeast Asia is still very important for our clients.”
When presented with the opportunity to stage the event in Singapore, the Group jumped at the chance. “Singapore is a really great opportunity because it’s a real hub for the wine industry,” she said.
Although pre-COVID, Vinexpo Asia was typically double the size of this year’s show, the re-start has been promising, with 18 per cent more exhibitors than initially planned. “The floor was packed,” said Malvoy.
A success not just for the organisers and experienced trade-fair exhibitors, small producers also enjoyed coming together with their established and potential business partners from across the region for the first time in four years.
Peter Zapris, Director of Sir Paz, a one-man operation from the Yarra Valley, was a first-time exhibitor this year and described the experience as exceptional.
“The first two days have been exceptional,” he said. “The third day is early on at the moment, but there’s been a lot of really good interest, a lot of strong potential.”
Zapris said his goal coming into the event was to raise awareness, to “raise the flag” on his brand and bring it to the international market. “The Southeast Asian market in particular is very attractive.
“There’s wonderful opportunities here. So for us, it’s about being in the heart of the opportunities and seeing where that may be able to lead us, hopefully into some new relationships,” he said.
Malavoy said more than just a trade show to facilitate business, Vinexpo Asia is also an educational experience and world tour.
“The main thing would be business on the show floor, obviously, but [Vinexpo Asia] is not only that, we are more than just an event organiser.
“We act as a partner to the industry,” she said, citing the Vinexpo Academy program that brings together an educational lineup featuring worldwide experts.
“It’s a world tour for the visitors but it’s also a world tour for producers because there are so many nationalities visiting the show, so this is really time efficient to meet their clients and create new business,” she said.
So what next for 2024? Rodolphe Lameyse, CEO of Vinexposium Group, said: “The positive feedback about this year’s event in Singapore demonstrated the immense potential and significance of the Asian market for the wine and spirits industry.
“We are excited to announce that Vinexpo Asia 2024 will be held in Hong Kong, building upon the achievements of this year’s edition as well as in Singapore in 2025.”
Photos: Odeum
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