The show goes on: Everything you need to know about 2024’s drinks exhibitions

Trade shows are taking centre stage this year, and Eloise Feilden looks at what shiny new features the world’s exhibitions have on offer for 2024.

TRADE PROFESSIONALS the world over had better get their passports renewed and bags packed, set for a calendar chock-a-block with international wine and spirits exhibitions spanning Europe, Asia and the US. Japan is the latest to joins the ranks of countries in the Asia Pacific region to host the industry, with a new show taking place in April.

With features ranging from brand-new sustainability awards and inclusivity surveys for wine professionals to AIpowered apps and matchmaking tools making their debut this year, organisers around the globe are ready to take the trade by storm as we head into 2024.

PARIS PACKAGING WEEK, 17-18 JANUARY

Exhibitors: 655+ exhibitors, with 90 in PLD, an increase from 600 in 2023.

Previous figures: Earlier iterations have welcomed 12,700 participants, including over 2,500 brand owners and design agencies. The exhibition will also play host to 103 expert speakers, offering more than 37 hours of conference sessions.

What’s new this year? For 2024 the event will be hosted across four new conference theatres, with talks from industry bighitters including Rémy Martin, Diageo and LVMH. This year, Paris Packaging Week will present a Future Innovation Forum for the first time, plus a Circular Economy Stage, Pentawards Design Stage, and Global Aerosol & Dispensing Summit.

Josh Brooks, marketing director of Paris Packaging Week at event organiser Easyfairs, says: “With more exhibitors than ever on the show floor this year, Paris is the place to be for brands, designers and packaging producers looking to stay on the cutting edge of every trend.”

Digital/e-offering: Paris Packaging Week 24.

Find out more: parispackagingweek.com

MILLÉSIME BIO, 29-31 JANUARY (DIGITAL: 22-23 JANUARY)

Exhibitors: 1,500, 17% of which are new.

Previous figures: 10,300 people visited in 2023, up 32% from 2022. International visitors in 2023 included more than 50 countries, and 20% of visits were from overseas attendees. Out of the 20% international visits, 15% came from North America and 6% from Asia.

What’s new this year? An area has been designed in the walk-up tasting area to allow visitors to taste biodynamic wines. Bulk wine samples and a classified wall will present available inventories to buyers. Finally, an area dedicated to other alcoholic beverages, Beer&Bio, Cider&Bio and Spirits&Bio, will be on display.

Digital/e-offering: Look out for the Millésime Bio app. Visitors can also participate in a digital session, on 22 and 23 January 2024, including a preview of wines and beers awarded by the Millésime Bio Challenge.

Satellite events: SudVinBio is launching La Fête du Vin Bio, from 27 January to 3 February, with the city of Montpellier, the Hérault Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Tourism Office inviting wine merchants, restaurants and wine bars to showcase their selections to the public.

Find out more: millesime-bio.com

WINE PARIS & VINEXPO PARIS, 12-14 FEBRUARY

Exhibitors: 3,900 exhibitors from 50 countries, versus 3,387 last year.

Previous figures: The 2023 show welcomed 36,334 trade visitors, up 41% on 2022, including 38% international attendees from 149 countries – an 85% increase in international visitors.

What’s new this year? 2024 marks the inaugural year of the V d’Or Awards, Vinexposium’s new business awards, recognising the most successful and responsible business initiatives in the wine and spirits industry.

“The wine world is full of personalities. Every day, they express themselves through ambitious initiatives and projects. We want to recognise their dynamic spirit through the V d’Or awards,” says Michel Chapoutier, chairman of the V d’Or Panel.

This year will see the advent of new categories in the Be Spirits area, with the arrival of beers and ciders, plus more alcohol-free and low-alcohol alternatives.

Digital/e-offering: Vinexposium 365.

Satellite events: Apart from private exhibitor events, Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris is offering a choice of partner restaurants in Paris called The Off.

Find out more: vinexposium.mybadgeonline.com

PROWEIN DUSSELDORF, 10-12 MARCH

Exhibitors: 5,700 exhibitors from over 60 countries have registered, approximately 86% of which are international.

Previous figures: ProWein Düsseldorf celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, having launched in 1994 with 321 exhibitors in two exhibition halls, welcoming 1,517 visitors. In spite of public transport strikes, 49,000 trade visitors across 141 countries attended ProWein 2023.

“No other trade fair, either in Europe or overseas, offers such a complete product portfolio,” claims Peter Schmitz, director of ProWein, calling the exhibition the “capital of wine and spirits”.

He adds: “What’s more, whoever is interested in tomorrow’s trends should visit ProWein. Here the current industry trends are picked up on in Trend shows, Special Shows or Forums. This is of paramount importance to the trade buyers from retail, hospitality and food service.”

What’s new this year? In Hall 5, next door to the “same but different” space, ProWein is launching ProSpirits. More than 300 exhibitors from over 40 countries will present their products.

Sustainability will feature more prominently to reflect one of the key market trends. International associations and initiatives, including Bioland, Demeter, Ecovin, Fair’n Green, Respekt Biodyn and Vignerons de Nature will feature at the show alongside the Organic World in Hall 4 (A23 – A30). International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA) will also be represented for the first time at ProWein.

Digital/e-offering: The ProWein app has a Matchmaking Tool to facilitate business meetings.

Satellite events: While ProWein is aimed at trade visitors, “ProWein goes city” (8-12 March 2024) brings together end consumers, gastronomy and the specialist wine trade, as well as international winegrowers, and has been doing so since 2007.

Find out more: prowein.com

TFWA ASIA PACIFIC, 12-16 MAY

Exhibitors: Two hundred exhibitors were present at the 2023 event, but organisers say it is too early to tell how many will feature in the upcoming show.

Previous figures: 3,029 visitors, with 1,291 representatives from duty free and travel retail operators and landlords.

Digital/e-offering: TFWA app.

Find out more: tfwa.com/tfwa-asiapacific-exhibition-conference

LONDON WINE FAIR, 20-22 MAY

Exhibitors: LWF is 35% up on exhibitor numbers year-on-year, and is expecting an increase on 2023’s 417 exhibitors. Eighty-five percent of the floorspace at Olympia is already booked or reserved.

Previous figures: 10,091 in 2023, a 14% increase on 2022.

What’s new this year? The Taste Discovery Zone, which will showcase all non-wine drinks; Judgement of London, an update from the 1976 Paris tasting, which will take place on site; and The Buyers Concierge Programme, tailormade for the top UK buyers.

London Wine Fair, run by a group of professional women, will run a wine industry inclusivity project, creating a survey to form the basis of a report, which will be presented on Centre Stage during the exhibition. More details will be unveiled over the coming weeks.

Digital/e-offering: Alongside its matchmaking algorithm, LWF will be using an in-person matchmaking concierge service, launching in the spring, for buyers.

Satellite events: Restaurants collaborate with LWF to allow visitors to host clients and serve their own wines.

Find out more: londonwinefair.com

VINEXPO ASIA, 28-30 MAY

Exhibitors: Among the already registered countries for 2024 are Argentina, Australia, Belarus, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Slovenia, Spain and the US. Some 10,000 trade visitors are expected to attend, up from 9,989 in 2023.

Previous figures: 1,000 exhibitors from 35 different countries took part in 2023, 65% international and 35% French. The top five visiting countries were Singapore, China, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand.

What’s new this year? Rodolphe Lameyse, CEO of Vinexposium Group, says: “We are excited to announce that Vinexpo Asia 2024 will be held in Hong Kong, building upon the achievements of this year’s edition, as well as in Singapore in 2025.”

Digital/e-offering: To be confirmed. Keep an eye on information at: vinexpoasia.com/page/preparation-is-key

Satellite events: A Grand Tasting by Bettane+Desseauve, organised with Vinexposium, on 27 May for professionals and consumers. Gala dinners and related activities will also be organised to complement the event.

Find out more: event.vinexpoasia.com/2024

VINEXPO AMERICA, 24-25 JUNE

Exhibitors: Vinexpo America 2024, held at the Javitz Center in New York, is aiming for 250 international exhibitors, down from 440 exhibitors from 32 countries in 2023.

Previous figures: Attendance at the 2023 Vinexpo America event grew by 28% compared with 2022 to a total of 3,200 visitors from 40 countries, as well as wine and spirits professionals from more than 40 US states, from Canadian provinces, and from Mexican states.

“Vinexpo America and Drinks America is now the largest business-to-business trade show dedicated to wine and spirits professionals in North America,” according to Vinexposium Group CEO Rodolphe Lameyse.

“The 2023 edition marked the beginning of a long adventure in North America.”

What’s new this year? The show will be co-located for the first time with the Specialty Food

Association’s Summer Fancy Food Show, the 68th edition of which will gain access to Vinexpo America’s audience of wine and spirits producers, distributors, importers, sommeliers and industry experts.

Digital/e-offering: Vinexposium 365. Find out more: event.vinexpoamerica.com/2024

LONDON PACKAGING WEEK, 11-12 SEPTEMBER

Exhibitors: 190+ exhibitors across food, cosmetics, luxury packaging, pharma, luxury and drinks.

Previous figures: 4500+ attendees from consumer brands buying packaging from trade suppliers.

What’s new this year? The industry pushed to return to a Wednesday-Thursday show, with bigger halls at Excel London. James Montero-MacColl, senior marketing manager at Easyfairs UK & Global, says that for the second year at Excel London, the team behind London Packaging Week was looking forward to “two action-packed days”.

Digital/e-offering: The Packaging Plus app.

Find out more: londonpackagingweek.com/visit/register-your-interest/

TFWA CANNES, 29 SEPTEMBER-3 OCTOBER

Exhibitors: Some 450 companies were at the TFWA World Exhibition & Conference in Cannes in 2023, but the organiser says it is too early to tell how many will showcase in 2024. However, TFWA president Erik Juul-Mortensen says: “We have every reason to believe that our events next year will be a resounding success. We have seen so much energy and vigour across the duty free and travel retail industry during 2023, and the desire to meet and take advantage of the forum provided by TFWA events was evident to all.”

Previous figures: 7,385 visitors, with a record 2,761 delegates in the key sectors of buyers and landlords.

Digital/e-offering: TFWA app.

Find out more: tfwa.com/tfwa-worldexhibition-conference

HKTDC HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL WINE & SPIRITS FAIR, 7-9 NOVEMBER

Exhibitors: The exhibitor line-up for this year’s event at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre is expected to feature premium pavilions from diverse wine-producing regions, trade organisations and governmental bodies. More information will be available later in the year.

Previous figures: In 2023, 7,000 buyers from 49 countries and regions attended, plus 9,000 wine enthusiasts during the event’s public day.

What’s new this year? The 2024 exhibition will feature wine education and investment information to trade and public visitors.

Digital/e-offering: HKTDC Marketplace app, featuring Scan2Match QR codes for all exhibitors and a Click2Match AIpowered platform to schedule meetings. Find out more: hktdc.com/event/hkwinefair