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ProWein 2025 readies to answer ‘today’s most important questions’
As well as its country-by-country halls, ProWein 2025 will highlight its specialised zones and programmes tailored to meet visitors’ needs.
For the newcomer wandering into the halls of Messe Düsseldorf, ‘impressive’ may well be the first adjective that comes to mind. Its halls are cavernous when empty, even more impressive when full and bustling. With the whole world of wine and spirits spread over 11 exhibition halls, no other trade show demonstrates that quite like ProWein.
The annual trade fair for the global drinks industry turned 30 last year, and its 2024 event demonstrated its reach. Over three days, ProWein welcomed 47,000 registered trade visitors from 135 countries, and 5,400 exhibitors from 65 countries. It took over 13 halls in the complex, covering 73,000sq m. That is, for context, a shade more floorspace than all the galleries of the Louvre, the world’s largest museum.
Remarkably, it has been even bigger. As for so many industries, Covid-19 rewrote the rulebook for international fairs, as people found alternatives to in-person meetings. In the post-Covid period, ProWein has not yet regained the visitor numbers of its peak in 2019. However, it has emerged galvanised by a new understanding of the industry’s needs, and exciting programmes to meet them.
“The last ProWein before Covid was incredibly big. We were on a path of ‘more and more’. The pandemic slowed us down completely and – in my opinion – allowed us to pause and reflect on what is helpful for the industry,” explains Peter Schmitz, director of ProWein. “We have used the time to refocus on what is important. It’s not about having more and more of something and getting bigger and bigger. It’s about offering the right range in very challenging times.”
Taking care of business
The fair has therefore entered an exciting new phase. Much of its proposition remains the same: a comprehensive approach to showcasing regions, producers and products. Yet the last few fairs have also seen the development of specific, curated programmes to meet the needs of the industry. “Our aim,” Schmitz says, “is to provide answers to today’s most important questions.”
One new attraction for ProWein 2025 is specifically built around the industry’s most pressing issues. Where previously the ProWein Forum exclusively hosted tasting events, this year it has been split into two programmes: the Masterclass Forum and the Business Forum. While the former will still offer tastings, driven by ProWein’s motto of ‘Discover the Taste of Tomorrow’, the Business Forum will run a full programme of talks and panel discussions.
Each day will cover a different theme. The Sunday sessions turn to the future, examining health and alcohol, pricing trends and new market segments. On Monday, attendees will survey marketing, with particular reference to artificial intelligence and TikTok. Sustainability is the theme for the final day.
The programme builds on a successful lecture on AI last year – “the response was incredible,” notes Schmitz – and has been developed with experts from the trade. “We are very fortunate to have Cathy Huyghe,” he says, “a highly experienced journalist and entrepreneur from the US, on our side. We worked with her to define the topics for the Business Forum.” Professor Simone Loose from Geisenheim University, a long-standing advisor to ProWein, has also helped craft the programme.
Building on past success
The new forum is the latest in a steady stream of specific areas and programmes, designed to help visitors get the most from the show. These cover many of the growing and trending sectors of the industry, complementing the geographic divisions of the main hall. The current modus operandi, according to Schmitz, recognises that visitors expect a curated exerience and therefore goes beyond the traditional trade show programme.
The approach reflects how far ProWein 2025 has developed beyond the fair’s initial approach of simply bringing the world of wine under one roof. Schmitz says: “It is increasingly about putting products and people into context. How can our industry benefit from digitalisation, where are the marketing opportunities, what is a modern customer approach?”
That led, for instance, to the introduction of ProSpirits in 2024, a dedicated zone for the category, which had previously been spread over the various halls. Gathered in one place, visitors could see how the segment as a whole was developing and growing. The new zone followed the example of the Champagne Lounge and Organic World. Both areas have, for years now, shown the value of a curated zone tailored to trending subjects.
In fact, the thematic zones offer solutions to headwinds and challenges in the industry. By focusing on areas of growth and potential, Schmitz and his team believe ProWein can offer practical, actionable input for its diverse cohort of international attendees.
Two years ago, for instance, the fair also welcomed ProWein Zero. This was the first time it had a dedicated section for products in the growing low- and no-alcohol category. Schmitz places it in the context of challenging long-term trends: “Wine consumption, for example, is falling in many regions. With offers like ProWein Zero, we are trying to create alternatives for the market.”
No-one working in the drinks industry would deny that it faces a challenging outlook. The world is very different from that of 1994, when ProWein first launched. Yet, with its tailor-made offering for the drinks trade, ProWein has the tools and opportunities to thrive in such conditions. ‘Impressive’ is still a key adjective, but ProWein has its eyes on ‘essential’ as well.
ProWein returns to Messe Düsseldorf from 16-18 March 2025.
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