Messe Düsseldorf recently announced that ProWein 2022 will once again be held in-person. Have there already been reactions, especially from exhibitors, to the announcement?
Online registration for exhibitors for ProWein 2022 has been open since May. The industry is looking forward to hopefully being able to start again soon. The feedback from exhibitors so far has been good. But despite all the euphoria, there is still a degree of uncertainty. No one knows how the global situation will develop in the coming months. We have never experienced such a situation before and have to be prepared for all eventualities.
Do you already have an indication of how many exhibitors and from which sectors you can expect? Will the emphasis be on European exhibitors?
At our last event – ProWein 2019 – we recorded 6,900 exhibitors from 64 nations and 61,500 visitors from 143 nations. At the moment, it looks like we will be able to build on the figures of the past and maintain our status as the leading trade fair. Right now, however, it is still too early to go into more detail on individual areas. For example, we only started registering for the "same but different" trend show at the end of May. The hall setting may also vary as the pandemic develops. By the way, preparations for ProWine Shanghai in November are running in parallel. The response from Chinese and international producers is very good, so we expect a very successful event here.
What kind of participation do you expect from the big overseas countries? Are there already commitments?
There are still a few question marks about the big overseas countries at this time. Australia, for example, has closed its borders and is planning to do so until 2022. Similar models to ProWine Shanghai would be possible here: the winemakers themselves are not on site because they are not allowed to travel. Instead, they send a representative to their stand to present their wines.
The response from visitors will also be crucial. Are you going to break new ground in this area and take a more intensive approach to attracting more visitors?
First of all, Messe Düsseldorf has drawn up a hygiene and infection protection concept based on the current Corona Protection Ordinance of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, in particular to ensure the necessary health precautions, hygiene measures and distance rules at all upcoming events at the Düsseldorf venue. This includes measures for managing the number of people and the space as well as hygienic, technical and organisational measures that the state government has established for the operation of congresses and trade fairs. Of course, this also applies to ProWein.
Here, too, there can always be adjustments at short notice. The message to our visitors is: we are well prepared and meet all the requirements. Apart from that, we have always had a special focus on visitor acquisition. In these special times, we will of course maintain this focus and certainly intensify it further. For example, in this exceptional year we will open our international database earlier with our matchmaking tool to bring exhibitors and visitors together.
Bastian Mingers is the mind behind ProWein
There has been some criticism of ProWein, especially of the costs not only at the fair but also around it. What are your expectations regarding exhibitors and visitors? What is the response like?
Of course, we are aware of the topic and are in close exchange with all those involved. We are very interested in finding a good solution for everyone. However, there are some things we will not be able to influence in the future – for example, hotel prices. Here we can only appeal to reason and mediate between the guests and the providers. Furthermore, we continue to work on additional accommodation offers. A successful example of this are the now six hotel ships. Basically, however, we can state that the entire industry is very happy that ProWein can finally take place again.
Is ProWein planning special activities again, as in the past, such as "Wine's best friends" or promotions around champagne or organic wines?
A special show like "Wine's best friends" is not currently planned. However, the themes of organic wines and champagne will once again come to the fore with their own formats. The Organic World area will again bring together numerous international organic wine suppliers, accompanied by the major associations. The elegantly designed Champagne Lounge is also currently receiving a good response. In addition, we are again launching the Craft Show "same but different" and are planning an extensive programme for our ProWein Forums.
Above all, of course, there is still the threat of renewed restrictions or even the cancellation of the fair. What assurances can you give exhibitors?
Here we can only say from the past that no exhibitor has been left with the costs they have incurred with us. After the cancellation of ProWein 2021, we were able to either credit all exhibitors their costs – including participation fees, stand space, media flat rate, co-exhibitor fees or advance payments for technical services – without deduction, or credit them for participation at ProWein 2022. We hope not, but if there should be another cancellation, we will certainly have solutions ready again. Of course, this only concerns our services and not contracts with third-party suppliers.
ProWein is longed for by many in the industry who finally want to have direct contact and exchange again. How do you assess the chances that ProWein will once again become the number one global hub for the wine trade?
We have had many discussions with exhibitors and visitors in the last few weeks. They have all signalled to us that an event like ProWein is indispensable. There have been many efforts to find alternatives - for example with digital formats. But in the end, especially in our industry, we are dependent on direct contact and the personal experience of wines and spirits.
The questions were asked by Hermann Pilz
