By James Wells
After breaking attendance records in 2010, Australian wine producers and buyers are preparing for an ever larger event at next year at ProWein, the world’s largest wine and spirits fair.
ProWein will be held from 27-29 March 2011 at the Messe Dusseldorf exhibition grounds in Germany and a number of Australian wine producers have already confirmed their attendance at next year’s event including Lion Nathan, De Bortoli, Peter Lehmann, Warburn Estate, Cumulus Wines, Nugan Estate, Eclectic First Creek Wines, Kingston Estate and Dominic Wines among others.
Last year over 3,300 exhibitors and 36,000 trade visitors attended the exhibition, including one in three visitors attending internationally with high attendance from Eastern Europe and South East Asia.
Among the trends at last year’s event was the increasing prevalence of organic wines with over 150 organic wine-growing estates from 15 countries.
Within the spirits segment, over 300 exhibitors presented new vodkas, schnapps, cognacs, single malts, grappas and cachaças with new exhibitors including liqueur producers from Finland and rum producers from Mauritius.
“No other trade fair offers the wine and spirit sectors such an international and professional environment,” said Messe Dusseldorf managing director, Wilhelm Niedergöker.
“The good results this year have shown that it is as important as ever to actively make contacts and keep fully abreast of developments on the existing global market especially in tough times for retail and catering. ProWein offers the best prerequisites for this,” he said.
According to a visitor survey at the event, over 96 per cent of trade visitors rated the event as “very positive”.