Vinexpo New York stakes claim as annual conduit to US market

With two successful years now on the books, the organisers of Vinexpo New York say the event is well on its way to becoming a permanent fixture in the growing catalogue of wine fairs now spanning the globe.

“It’s the one place where producers from around the world can interact with the U.S. market in the U.S.,” says Mary Larkin, executive vice president of U.S. operations for Diversified Communications, which helped organise the two-day event which ended Tuesday evening at the Jacob Javits Center. Dates for the third annual conference are March 2-3, 2020.

Altogether, there were about 3,000 wine and spirits professional from more than 40 U.S. states and seven Canadian provinces attending the affair, with more than 400 exhibitors from 26 countries.  About 800 one-on-one meetings between mostly sellers and potential buyers were arranged by the organisers. This year, the booths were all located in one hall, and traffic in the aisles both days was brisk.

Vinexpo New York organisers also presented a stronger slate of informational and educational events to attract people in the American trade, and it appears this approach will be a strong drawing card in the future for American attendees.  Among the sessions were:

• A talk by Dr. John P. Holdren of Harvard University addressing the current scientific understanding of global climate change and its impacts around the world for wine production. Dr. Holdren used a hockey analogy to illustrate that dealing with climate change for wine producers is a moving target, saying, “You have to skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it is.”
• Heavy hitters came out for the panel presentation on trends in the U.S. wine market, including Chris Adams, CEO, Sherry-Lehmann Wine and Spirits; Steve Slater, EVP and general manager of the wine division for Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits;  Bill Terlato, CEO, Terlato Wine Group, and Rick Tigner, CEO, Jackson Family Wines. All concluding that the channels for wine sales and distribution are rapidly changing and not in favor of the traditional corner wine shop.
• Another panel on emerging technologies featured presentations by newer, smaller companies emphasising digital marketing platforms and specialised apps.

Larkin would not say whether Vinexpo might be planning on expanding the event to other American cities, such as possibly one on the West Coast, but she did reiterate that Vinexpo New York will remain an annual event and would not revert to being held every other year.