By James Wells in Dusseldorf
The ProWein international wine and spirits fair held in Dusseldorf, Germany, this week has recorded a five per cent increase in overall attendance and a 12.5 per cent increase in overseas attendance.
According to the organiser, Messe Dusseldorf, more than 35,000 trade delegates attended the three-day event that included over 3,180 exhibitors. It received a 12.5 per cent increase in attendance from international visitors led by buyers and importers from US, Scandinavia, the Benelux nations, Switzerland and Slovenia.
“This year’s ProWein exceeded all expectations and thereby serves as an indication that within consumer products fields such as this, a certain relative degree of stability is evident,” said ProWein general manager, Wilhelm Niedergoeker.
Added John Mills, senior vice-president for UK & European sales at Constellation Europe, the world’s largest wine marketing consortium: “ProWein was once again an entirely positive event for us. We met with all of our important customers including many major buyers from our three most critical markets, namely Scandinavia, the Benelux and Eastern Europe.”
Equally positive was the reaction of German exhibitors at ProWein 2009, including head of the German Wine Institute (DWI), Monika Reule.
“ProWein serves as a barometer for the domestic and international wine market," she said.
"The … positive response toward German wineries’ offerings leads us to believe that the German wine industry will not be so acutely affected to the degree of that of the overall economy. It appears as if the friends of wine will not abstain from enjoying good wine even in these difficult times.”
ProWein 2010 will be held on March 21 to 23. It will lead into the Intervitis Interfruchta fair on March 24 to 27 in Stuttgart specialising in wine making technology.