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The wine world gathers in Hong Kong
In 2011 the fair became Asia's biggest wine event, hosting over 930 exhibitors from 37 countries & regions. Exhibitors came from as far afield as Georgia, Israel, Latvia, Malta, the Slovak Republic and Sweden, all participating for the first time. The major wine producing countries & regions, both new and old world, have supported the fair since its inception.
Visitor numbers set a new fair record with 19,400 trade buyers coming from 71 countries & regions, a 37% increase over 2010. Buyers from Italy, the Chinese mainland, France, Taiwan, the US and Australia all showed significant growth.
Reaching out to wine investors and collectors
There are many keen wine investors in Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland, forming a market of great potential. 2011 saw the introduction of the Wine Investment Zone; its success is an indicator of a great future for this zone.
The inaugural zone featured purveyors of fine investment wines such as Acker Merrall & Condit, the biggest auction house in the United States; wine agent Berry Bros and Rudd, a royal wine supplier since 1903; Liv-ex, the world’s only online wine-trading business; Octavian, the world’s largest wine cellar; and Wing Lung Bank, the first Hong Kong bank to provide wine loans.
New happenings bring more sparkle to a great fair
Trading is complemented by a range of exciting events which give greater exposure to exhibitors' products and which raise the standard of wine appreciation in the region.
Two events which were introduced in 2011 were Fine Wine Tasting for guests to taste superb wines of very special quality, and cocktail demonstration sessions to promote liquor products. |
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Elite events add depth and complexity
The well-established Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition is recognised as Asia's premier event of its kind. In 2011, when the competition was open to all spirit categories, over 1,700 applications were received. The award presentation on the evening of the first day of the fair is a prestigious gathering of international industry leaders.
The Wine Industry Conference is another high-level meeting of industry experts sharing their knowledge of wines, wine technology, and wine markets.
The region's leading sommeliers also choose the Hong Kong International Wine and Spirits Fair for their Asia Top Sommelier Summit. They discuss industry trends which impact on their profession.
A taste of the best
A foundation stone of the fair is its series of wine tasting sessions, forums and master classes, all designed to promote appreciation and deeper understanding of wine.
Face to face with consumers
With the wine market developing at a fast pace, the public is enthusiastic to learn more. Exhibitors can interact with members of the public on the last day of the fair, explaining the finer points of their products and promoting brand recognition. How keen are consumers? There were 19,690 public visitors on the final day of the 2011 fair, a 38% increase. |
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Manage your participation - with just a click
Our online service, Exhibitor Online Platform (EOP), makes managing your exhibition-related matters convenient, quick and efficient.
- Submit booth application online, with immediate acknowledgement from HKTDC
- Track application status and update information online anywhere, anytime
- Receive fair-related information and reminders in timely fashion
Apply for a booth online now! |
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Hear from the buyers
“Established in 1978, Metro Wine Center imports wines and spirits from different places such as Spain, Chile, Portugal and France. With two retail shops in Manila, we sell wine products through a strong network of distributors across the Philippines. This is the second year I’ve visited the fair. I am placing about US$200,000 worth of orders with two wineries from Italy. I also intend to make an order for 10,000 wine boxes from a Chinese mainland supplier.”
Emilio Uy, Managing Director, Metro Wine Center, the Philippines
“Bouldevines Wine has about 30 hectares of vineyards in New Zealand. I am visiting the fair to work with our Hong Kong distributor to meet industry traders and find potential partners. This is the second time I’ve joined the fair. It is a very impressive event with everything about wines from different parts of the world. Hong Kong is a fantastic city and this well-organised fair offers a great opportunity to establish useful contacts and grow business.”
Gwyn Thomas, Export Manager, Bouldevines Wine Ltd, New Zealand
“Taniguchi is a wholesaler of wines in Japan. This is the first time we’ve visited the fair. We’ve particularly interested in red wines from Spain. So far, we’ve identified 10 exhibitors in the Spain pavilion and will finalise business with one of them. Our initial order will be one container of red wines, involving about 1,500 cases. We are also pleased with the business matching services provided by HKTDC.”
Hiromasa Arata, General Manager, Planning & Development Division, Taniguchi Co., Ltd., Japan
“Elegance is a distributor of fine wines from Europe. We have been visiting the fair over the last few years and the exhibition can really help us find quality wines from different places of the world. This year, we are here looking for white wines from Europe as well as champagne from France in particular. We’ve also identified some interesting wines from Spain and Romania, and will talk further with them for potential cooperation.”
Jack Cheung, Executive Director, Elegance Culture Media Limited, Chinese mainland
“Wine consumption is growing fast in Vietnam. At present, the top selling wines in Vietnam are mainly those from France, Australia, Chile and Spain. Our company is distributing wines and we intend to introduce South African wines to wine lovers in our market. This is my first visit to the fair. I’ve already found three wineries in the pavilion of South Africa and they provide quality wines at reasonable prices. I will place trial orders with them and we hope to establish long-term business relationship. This is an excellent fair for wine traders. I will definitely come again.”
Le Long H, Chairman, New World of Wine Distribution Corp., Vietnam
“Ladoga is one of the top 10 producers of spirits in Russia. We also distribute a wide range of wines and accessories. This is my first-time visit to the fair. Everything is well organised and it’s so convenient to get around here. I am here looking for different wines and accessories. HKTDC is very helpful and its business matching service has arranged for us several meetings with exhibitors here.”
Ekaterina Moiseeva, Brand Manager, Imported Wines & Spirits, Ladoga Industrial Group, Russia |
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Hear from the exhibitors
“We have been exhibiting in Hong Kong since 2008. The fair has really extended our presence and increased the sales of our wines. We have received three orders from Macau, Hong Kong and Chinese mainland buyers, involving about 6,000 bottles of wines. These are trial orders and we expect to develop long-term business relationships with them. The exhibition results are very good. We’ve made contacts with many international buyers.”
Manuel Teixeira, Export Manager, Agri-Roncáo Vinícola Lda, Portugal
“Italy is the partner country of Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair 2011 and Vinitaly has brought in the largest-ever Italian wine delegation to Hong Kong with more than 200 producers to showcase a great variety of Italian wines. We are here educating people and promoting Italian wines. Cooking shows, guided tastings and seminars have been organised to reveal the latest vintages and the pairing of Italian food and wines. It’s an excellent partnership with HKTDC and the gala evening with Italian cuisine and wines has been very successful. As Asia’s biggest wine fair, this exhibition attracts a large number of serious buyers from all over the world.”
Stevie Kim, General Coordinator, Vinitaly In The World, Italy
“We’ve come with 92 wineries from different parts of France this year to show a great variety of vintages from red wines to white wines and champagnes. We see a tremendous potential for growth in wine consumption in the Chinese mainland and this fair is a key platform to gain access to the mainland market. We can also take advantage of the opportunity to explore new business and partnerships in Hong Kong and Asia. The show is getting better and better each year. It is growing steadily to become one of the most important wine and spirits fairs in the world.”
Michael Bettane, Chairman, Bettane & Desseauve, France
“This is our third-time participation in the fair. We have come with about 70 wineries from different parts of Spain, in particular the regions of Navarra and Catalunya. About 40% of the wineries have exhibited in the Hong Kong fair over the last two years. They would like to come again as they have strong confidence in the exhibition. This is an excellent fair and the platform to build presence in the Chinese mainland market.”
Sandra Chan, Trade Analyst and Chief Trade Officer, Trade Commission Hong Kong, Consulate General of Spain, Spain
“Australia has been a very active player and supporter of the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair, and we consider HKTDC a good partner. This year, we have brought together 50 wineries from different regions of Australia to promote their wines here. The results of exhibition have been encouraging. Since our first exhibition in 2008, we have seen strong growth in the sales of Australian wines to Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland, which together have become our third-biggest export market today, after only the UK and the USA. Australian wineries have strong interest in the Chinese mainland market and we are using the fair as a hub to extend our presence.”
Phil Ingram, Senior Trade Commissioner and Deputy Consul-General (Commercial), Australian Trade Commission, Australia
“Octavian Vaults specialises in the long-term cellarage of fine wines for private collectors and investors, and we are the No.1 player in the field. By the end of next year, we will be storing more than 800,000 cases of fine wines, with clients from 39 different countries. This is our first participation in the fair. The main purpose is to get to know more the wine market and meet our clients here. We also take this opportunity to promote our service and raise the awareness about the importance of wine storage. Participating in this exhibition has proven to be a good investment for us. We have even acquired some new clients at the fair. That’s something out of expectation.”
Nigel Jagger, Executive Chairman, Octavian Vaults, the UK
“The fair is a major trade event for us every year. This time, we’ve come with 25 wineries from different parts of the US such as Oregon, Washington, New York and Virginia to show our great variety of wine products. This is an amazing fair and it’s been growing over the years. We’ve achieved very positive results through the exhibition. Hong Kong is an important trading hub for wines.”
Erich Kuss, Director, Agricultural Trade Office, US Consulate General, Hong Kong, USA
“A total of 18 wine companies have come from Chile for the fair this year. The response has been very good. Many buyers are looking for quality wines from Chile. Our pavilion has a prominent presence at the fair and we have been very busy with enquiries from buyers. I think many of our wine companies have secured initial orders with a lot of useful contacts for new business cooperation. The fair enables us to reach out to customers from Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland and other parts of Asia.”
Somavia Juan, Managing Director, Wines of Chile, Chile |
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