VinoVision looks ahead to Vinisud collaboration

The second edition of cool climate wine show VinoVision Paris saw a strong surge in overseas visitors with the organisers hoping that next year’s joint show with Vinisud will cement it fully among the ranks of international trade shows.

© Pierre Lapeyronnie

Held over three days from 12-14 February, the show welcomed 5,500 visitors in total, a slight but important increase on the 3,300 who attended at the inaugural event last year.

What was particularly noted by organiser, Comexposium, was the much greater presence of international visitors this year with members of the trade from overseas (35 in total but from the UK, Belgium and the US in particular) making up 20% of overall visitor numbers.

After a particularly busy first day there was some concern that the final two days were a little quiet – with the restrained ire of some exhibitors being on what they thought was the very notable absence of more members of the local Parisian trade.

Jean Bourjade, head of one of the main interprofessions driving the show, Inter Beaujolais, told the drinks business that the region’s presence at the show had increased from 20 to 31 producers this year and while it was a much smaller fair in general than Vinisud, Vinexpo or ProWein, “what we feel is important is the ratio of exhibitors to visitors.

“We have felt this year and last year that the quality of visitors is good and the ratio of sales seems higher than at other exhibitions.”

On the other hand, it was a cold and snowy start to February in Paris and more bad weather was forecast over the time of the fair. While it failed to materialise, the initial warnings of heavy snow may have conspired to keep some potential visitors away.

Comexposium’s managing director, Chantal de Lamotte Mirbel, however, remained upbeat saying it was normally “by the fourth show that you know you have a good exhibition.”

Instead she pointed ahead to 2019 when Comexposium’s other big wine show, the normally Montpellier-based Vinisud, will relocate to Paris for a joint exhibition that neatly marries France’s cooler northern regions with its Mediterranean south.

The combined show will substantially increase VinoVision’s otherwise rather boutique feel, raising the number of exhibitors from 350 (this year) to around 1,200; the floorspace from 5,000m² to 12,000m² (roughly) and across two rather than one hall and the number of visitors from 5,000 to an estimated 20,000.

Vinexpo is also launching a Paris show next year, which Lamotte said, “demonstrates the popularity of Paris now [as a venue for a trade show].”

Bourjade too expressed high hopes for next year, saying he was “very confident” that it would give VinoVision a real boost and he was expecting to return in 2019 with a pavilion “at least as big” as this year.