US visitor numbers to ProWein overtake UK

Visitors from the US to the Düsseldorf trade show have overtaken those from the UK for the first time, the show’s organisers have revealed, as the US becomes an increasingly important market.

The central tasting area at ProWein 2018

Speaking to the drinks business recently, Global Head of Wine & Spirits at Messe Düsseldorf, Marius Berlemann said the show had ramped up its presence in the US, both through its Chicago-based daughter company, and collaboration with organisations such as Texsom, the sommelier conference and Napa’s Women of the Vine & Spirits.

“We’re spreading our message that if you have something to say to source in the wine industry, you have to come to ProWein,” Berlemann said.

On the back of this drive, the US has overtaken the UK to become the show’s fifth largest visitor market outside Germany – “a big milestone” Berlemann said.

“It shows that ProWein has had a big impact on the US market, and more and more American trade buyers come over. Those increases of 20-30% from year to year probably started 3 – 4 years ago, while at the same time Canada is now our eighth strongest visitor market coming from outside Germany.”

“If you’re travelling that far a distance, you really have a purpose to come here. If you’re in Europe, you might have only one spot [to fill] in your portfolio, but you’re likely to have a different target coming from the US.

Berlemann said that although the show was still growing by around 7%, the organiser’s ‘homework’ lay in expanding the visitor teach outside Europe.

“I’d say everyone in the industry in Germany knows about ProWein, in Europe almost everyone does, but we’re still growing by 7%, in 2017-18, so our homework is in keeping the same levels for Germany and Europe, but really expanding our visitor outreach outside Europe. It doesn’t matter if you’re a trade buyer coming from Ghana, or Nigeria or China and of course the US, you have to be at ProWein,” he said.

China and Asia

Visitor numbers from China in 2017-18 grew over 110%, according to Berlemann.

“Our best marketing platform for ProWein Düsseldorf is our shows abroad,” he explained. “Our main focus for China is to create awareness of ProWein in Düsseldorf through ProWine China.”

“You can see the market in mainline China is talking more than ever before about ProWine China and also about ProWein Düsseldorf. And some of the big importers and distributors they are coming to ProWein Düsseldorf, and we have ProWine Asia and inform in the same way, This works for ProWine China because we have reached a size of the show, we’re part of the industry, we’re part of the opinion leaders, and this is how we do the networking.