What you need to know about Prowein 2020

With 2019 coming to a close, the organisers of the drinks industry’s biggest trade show, Prowein, are already looking forward to next year.

More than 6,800 exhibitors from 61 Nations showcase their products at ProWein each year.

Around 6,900 exhibitors are expected to attend Prowein next year, which will be held in Düsseldorf on 15-17 March 2020.

“With almost every kind of relevant product represented, Prowein is the world’s largest order platform for this field. Just as importantly, it offers an indispensable range of networking opportunities for the entire spectrum of players in the wine and spirits industry,” Bastian Mingers, director of Prowein, said, calling the three-day event for wine, spirits and beer businesses a “who’s who of the international sector”.

In addition to the thousands of exhibitors lining the Messe Düsseldorf, there will also be a packed program of tastings and seminars to “expand the horizons of even the most experienced trade visitor.”

The ‘same but different’ section of the fair is also expanding for 2020, and will feature more than 120 producers of craft spirits, craft beer and cider from 24 countries.

Climate change focus

(Photo: iStock)

Rising temperatures unpredictable seasons, frost, flooding and wildfires have blighted the wine industry recently, and these dangers are only becoming more commonplace. Next year, the organisers of Prowein have committed to dedicating the three-day event to climate change through a series of seminars, discussions, and white-papers handed out to visitors.

Prowein’s ‘Trend Scouts’ – Stuart Pigott and Paula Redes Sidore – will provide “concrete insights into how the wine world is reacting to climate change” through moderated tastings on Sunday and Monday from 6-7pm respectively, at the Forum in Hall 10.

The tastings will explore a range of topics, from How are winegrowers reacting to changing weather conditions and coping with higher temperatures and longer dry spells, to changing vine portfolios in the regions most affected.

The Business Report, which Prowein will prepare in cooperation with Geisenheim University, will also be focused “clearly on this topic” according to the organisers. Dr. Simone Loose, director of the institute in Geisenheim, will present key insights from the business report at the Prowein Forum.

Bottlebooks partnership

This year, Prowein has made it easier for attendees to seek out the products they want to learn more about at the fair before they arrive in Düsseldorf.

Prowein has entered a strategic partnership with Bottlebooks, which allows producers to enter their wines, beers and spirits into an online database.

Bottlebooks is an online platform used by events, retailers and distributors to streamline their product information.

It is hoped the partnership will make it “simple and easy for visitors to comb through the Prowein database for precisely the product groups they are seeking.”

“ProWein showcases the most diverse selection of wines in the world, ” Mingers said. “Having tools to navigate that complexity is important to a successful visit. Partnering with Bottlebooks enables us to have an efficient process for exhibitors to upload their content to our new website and app.”