Organiser of the legendary ProWein Trade Fair, Messe Düsseldorf, is due to take over the wine section of the Wine & Gourmet Japan conference in 2023.
This move comes before the first edition of ProWine Tokyo, which is due to make its debut in 2024, running concurrently with the established FABEX (Food and Beverage Great Expo) trade show, alongside an additional four other fairs.
In 2019, these fairs attracted 917 exhibitors from 19 countries and 78,024 trade visitors.
Michael Degen, Executive Director Messe Düsseldorf and Chairman of the Board Messe Düsseldorf Japan, believes that the events will help producers to enter the country’s wine trade.
“With ProWine Tokyo we help our customers to become successfully established on this very dynamic market in Japan.”
ProWein has partnered with Koelnmesse GmbH, a fellow German-based international trade fair operator, to take over the wine section of the exhibition, while Koelnmesse will focus its efforts on food, particularly the sweets and snacks category.
“Koelnmesse has laid the foundation for successful business in Japan, which we leverage to generate growth. All in all, we are very confident that we can create added value for the sector with ProWine Tokyo,” Degen added.
Denis Steker, Senior Vice President International of Koelnmesse, also commented on the arrangement, saying: “By extending the event to include ISM Japan and combining ProWine Tokyo with our gourmet focus – all of this embedded in the FABEX, which enjoys high attendance and high reach – we are creating an optimal offering for our customers from the respective sectors and a unique platform for Japanese retailers at the same time. It is a win-win situation.”
Katsuki Hirayama, Vice President of Japan Food Journal, which organises FABEX, believes the agreement to be beneficial for all parties.
“The Japanese food & beverage market has an above-average demand for quality. We are therefore very pleased that our customers will in future be able to benefit from the pooled competence of ProWine Tokyo and ISM Japan.”
Japan is the world’s third-largest economy by nominal GDP, and possesses a cultivated and engaged market for wine, with the per capita turnover for 2022 forecasted at €66, above the global average of €37, according to Statista.
ProWein is held at Düsseldorf in May of each year, and is widely regarded as the most important of wine trade shows. The 2022 edition attracted 5,700 exhibitors from 62 countries, and over 38,000 trade visitors from 145 countries.