Vinexpo 2015 to be ‘a turning point’

This June’s Vinexpo in Bordeaux will be a “turning point” for the fair, according to its CEO, Guillaume Deglise.

Addressing attendees of a Vinexpo press conference in London this week, Deglise stressed that this year would be the first exhibition in Bordeaux under Vinexpo’s new management, and described it as a turning point in the event’s 34 year history.

Pointing out that he had been an exhibitor at Vinexpo, having formerly worked for Laurent-Perrier, he said that he was aware of both the needs of the fair’s customers, but also the competition from other events.

“Vinexpo was a pioneer of wine and spirits exhibitions around the world but we are not alone anymore,” he said.

Among the changes announced officially this week, some have already been reported by the drinks business, including the installation of a new tramline between the show and the city; a new spirits concept called Spiritual in partnership with db sister title The Spirits Business; a tasting area with Enomatic wine dispensers; a better food offering – including free corkage in all show restaurants – and a series of evening networking parties in downtown Bordeaux, which have been called “The Blend”.

Deglise also announced that the show had appointed the US as a special partner country, and would be hosting a seminar during the show focused on the “enigma of Africa” on 17 June at 10.30am.

Speaking further about the catering at Vinexpo, Deglise admitted that he was “critical of the food” as a former exhibitor, adding, “We are talking about France and Bordeaux, so you would expect the food to be even more than decent”.

As a result, he stated, “We’ve totally rethought the offer on the food”, with a mixture of fine and “fast but good food” which will be “themed by region or country”.

In particular, he assured that “all exhibitors can bring their own bottle to the restaurants without corkage to allow them to continue their business meetings during lunch.”

He also said that Les 110 de Taillevent would be erecting a restaurant at the fair and offering a full 110 wines by the glass, just as it does in Paris and will do in London when it opens an outlet in the future, while France’s Potel & Chabot caterers “will be coming to Bordeaux Vinexpo for the first time with a new restaurant”.

He then mentioned a further food-focused addition for this year. “Gastronomy and wine are two words that have grown separately at Vinexpo and we wanted that to change, so we have a new initiative with ‘Atelier’. This is a food and wine matching area launching with Gault & Millau, and it will have lots of famous chefs and sommeliers who will together work on recipes with wines at a kitchen in centre of Hall 2, and 50-60 people will be able to watch the demos.”

Finally, in a discussion with db after the press conference, Deglise said that Vinexpo would be spending as much as €90,000 on temporary lavatories at the fair and had asked the city of Bordeaux, which owns the exhibition site, to renovate the facilities in time for Vinexpo 2017, as well as replace Hall 2, which is the oldest building.

“It is up to the city [of Bordeaux] not Vinexpo to renovate the exhibition space, which we only rent for the fair,” he stressed.

He also said that should the fair site not be improved by Vinexpo’s next Bordeaux show, he would have to consider other exhibition spaces in France, or indeed, outside the nation.