More than 1,800 exhibitors have already signed up for Wine Paris 2020, including top French names such as Bernard Magrez and M. Chapoutier. The influx of registrations—from as far afield as South Africa and Argentina—suggests a new international fair is being born.
“If I had to choose just one exhibition worldwide, it would be Wine Paris for its great timing, range of qualified buyers and, of course, the opportunity to spend sometime in the most beautiful city in the world,” said Sébastien Latz, CEO of MDCV Provence.
Wine Paris, which made its debut in February 2019, is the child of two complementary exhibitions, both part of the Comexposium/Adhesion Group. Vinisud, the fair for Mediterranean wines, and VinoVision Paris, the fair for cool climate French wines, created a joint fair that was backed by 13 wine marketing boards.
“All the wine marketing boards behind Vinisud confirm strong attendance for 2020, with greater representation of their respective wine regions,” said Fabrice Rieu, chairman of Vinisud. “This engagement is also leading to more substantial investments to promote the image of their vineyards.
According to a Wine Paris press statement, the 2019 fair attracted 42% more visitors than the individual fairs had managed, and the organisers have made it clear they have international ambitions. One manifestation is the International Hosted Buyers program, that brings in buyers from Asia and developing markets.
In an added twist, Vinexpo announced they would cancel their January 2020 Paris debut, and instead exhibit jointly at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles alongside Wine Paris.
It’s a confluence of events that could see the fair become a real competitor to ProWein in March, currently the world’s most important wine fair.
Wine Paris will take place from 10 to 12 February 2020.
You will find more commentary on the Vinexpo decision here.
