How ProWein is changing
In March, ProWein will, once again, bring together the global drinks industry. db finds out how it has addressed the status quo to solidify its place as the wine and spirits sector’s “leading and impactful” B2B show.
The dial has been set for change in Dusseldorf. As ProWein chief operating officer Marius Berlemann took to the stage this week to reveal what the show’s 2026 installment will offer, he made use of the time to share how ProWein’s sights will always be set on building business.
Addressing the room, Berlemann admitted that he had listened and that ProWein was not going to rest on its laurels. Indeed, the show was a leading event for the industry, but, he assured, it would never take its eye off its core goals – to facilitate business.
“Success is not permanent. Question yourself. Don’t let obstacles stop you, but actually motivate you,” said Berlemann, who revealed that “we, at ProWein, want to take a bold approach and give this wonderful industry the orientation that it needs”.
Berlemann began by “taking a look at the status quo” and observed how “when we started 30 years ago as a small wine show here in Dusseldorf, who would have thought that one day ProWein would become such a leading and impactful show”.
This, he stated,was one element that gave him and his team an enormous sense of pride. To essentially become the catalyst that has helped to form numerous business relationships.
Bringing people together
“What keeps me motivated…what keeps me inspired?” Berlemann mused and admitted: “I have been with the team since 2011 and it’s the countless encounters that I see when speaking to our partners and exhibitors. I have heard many inspiring examples where people tell me: ‘You know what? Thanks to ProWein, I have found a new distribution channel’. Or ‘I’m exporting my wine to country that I’ve never been to before’ and ‘through ProWein, I have established partnerships and friendships’,”
He added: “When we look at ProWein today, of course, we will not forget the core and the foundation of it – to create opportunities for all our partners, customers, exhibitors, and, of course, visitors.”
“What has not changed over the 30 years is that we have been seeing ProWein as a business platform. At the core of our activities. It is about making business and showing you opportunities.”
Describing ways the show will remain fundamental, he insisted: “ProWein has always been a B2B shop. It is for professionals, and we are super strict on who is allowed to come to the exhibition centre and who is not, because we want to keep this atmosphere professional for the exhibitors.”
The aim is to reposition ProWein as “the preeminent, visionary trade fair in our field”. But, as Berlemann explained: “This requires a fundamental shift” because “to realise this vision, we are investing in the development of new concepts, enhanced communication, and targeted buyer programs”.
Addressing challenges
Elements that will move forwards were outlined in the preview, “for instance, the infrastructure here in Dusseldorf, when it comes to transportation or hotel prices has not been satisfying – neither to us and also to our partners from around the globe. These are, of course, points that we need to openly address with joint action together with the city of Dusseldorf. We have done that,” Berlemann assured.
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Indeed, ProWein is currently on “a transformation journey” and has already started by “strengthening our collaboration with local hotels to improve pricing and capacity management, ensuring that both our exhibitors and visitors have a perfect support locally”.
A bold approach
“We know the market is changing, that the wine industry is seeing challenges, seeing a structural change. We know that there’s competition for us as well as a wine trade show, but we know that there is untapped potential,” said Berlemann.
To work together with the industry to tackle the evolution of the wine and spirits sector head on, he shared how ProWein has “come up with this bold approach of a business platform, newly designed and newly created for you here in Dusseldorf”.
He admitted: “We had to question everything, I mean, everything that we have done before, the way they communicated, the way that we address exhibitors and visitors, and also the way we presented the show here to you. We also need to ask ourselves the question: ‘What can we do?’ ‘What does the industry need?’ We went with a strategic approach”.
Brand identity
To illustrate its forward-thinking approach, the ProWein brand is evolving with a new logo and colour scheme that is “modern, vibrant, and youthful” and underlines its “international position”. The new catchline: “ProWein Düsseldorf – Shape. Create. Elevate” will lead its communications and, Berlemann highlighted now “encapsulates our commitment to infuse vision into the industry”.
“ProWein will be positioned as the leading show, the most impactful show” he stated and reiterated how “when it comes to our exhibitors, at the end of the day, we sell expectations. So the expectation from our exhibitors is clear, and we need to fulfill those expectations. When it comes to visitors, we need to offer more. We need to offer a bold approach for the vision of the industry, and this is the road that we are taking. This is the road we are going down together with the industry. “
Additionally, those three key words also signify the show’s greatest strengths. Shape, for instance, reflects the intention of “together with the industry, we aim to design the future and provide orientation and exchange” while the word “create” shows ProWein aims “to develop new spaces and formats for inspiration, innovation and encounters fostering fresh and bold ideas”. The word “elevate” also illustrates an intention “to raise the bar for and with the industry by continuously developing ProWein and strengthening its international relevance”.
Emotionally-attached
Indeed, the idea of “community” and the uniqueness of bringing people together to do business gets re-addressed by Berlemann. Describing how ProWein is often the starting point for so many business relationships that have since found success by working together, he noted how “often, people have said: ‘the success of the program is the return on investment I get as an exhibitor’.” With this in mind, he assured “this is still the core of our business model”. But, he added: “We need to find ways to offer our visitors the extra added service of value. We need to make them emotionally-attached. We need to now make them emotionally-attached to our product.”
Considering these goals, Berlemann reiterated how, with ProWein resetting its focus “we are building a community”. He pointed out how he is “always saying ProWein is not a marketing platform. We are a part of the industry. This is how I want to be seen. We are a community leader and not just a marketing platform that can be replaced by other marketing tools”.
Instead, he flagged how the primary objective has been “to position ProWein as the most impactful trade show in the world. That is our clearly-identified position for ProWein. Business is our core foundation. It will remain our core foundation. ProWein will only be a B2B show. The experience of ProWein belongs to Dusseldorf, and Dusseldorf belongs to ProWein.”
Berlemann concluded: “You must attend if you are serious about the industry, or there will be a fear of missing out.”
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