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Vinexpo Asia readies for ‘dynamic’ Hong Kong show

19 May 2026 By Michael Huband

Ahead of Vinexpo Asia’s return to Hong Kong next week, db speaks with Vinexposium overseas events director Grace Ghazale to understand the show’s place in a changing world.

When considering hubs for the drinks trade, Hong Kong will certainly rank among the world’s top destinations. Indeed, Vinexpo’s own history speaks to this: Vinexpo Asia, in its Hong Kong edition, has hosted an event there for 30 years.

The show this year, running 26–28 May at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, is under the command of Grace Ghazale, overseas events director at Vinexposium. In a changing world, it is a notable beacon of stability, but it does also invite the question of why the show is still relevant.

For Ghazale, it is proof of the service that Vinexpo offers. The organiser’s recurring message when discussing its shows is that it has to be useful to the trade. Knowing the setup, as well as having connections built over many years, matters.

“Being in one place doesn’t mean that we don’t reinvent ourselves,” she says. “It means we believe we need to ge where it is most accessible. When you talk about Hong Kong, you talk about the gateway to mature markets in Asia.”

This is particularly relevant in a world in flux. As geopolitical turmoil impacts international trade, dependable Hong Kong comes into its own.

Indeed, Ghazale has seen the city resurgent after Covid-era uncertainty. “Hong Kong is finding once again its dynamism,” she explains. “You can sense it in the city and when you talk to the local actors.”

That vindicates its position, in the post-Covid era, as one of two hubs for Vinexpo Asia. Hong Kong alternates as host city with Singapore.

“When you do the Singapore show,” she says, “you do it because the market is developing.” With doorstep access to Southeast Asia, Vinexpo Asia in Singapore is an opportunity to open up new markets.

Yet Hong Kong sees the valuable proposition of mature and lucrative markets. Although the shows see exhibitors and visitors from a similar geographic spread, the proportions from each nation vary hugely. Thus the Hong Kong show sees 80% of its visitors from Hong Kong, Macau and Mainland China.

The show matters, in short, because it is useful.

”You have to be sure you are answering a demand,” Ghazale says.

The international position

So why is it important to be reaching those mature East Asian markets? In Ghazale’s mind, it is indicative of a drinks trade that has to be ever more global.

“If I think of the drinks industry in its globality, I think it’s facing a mix of challenges that is putting pressure on the producer,” she says.

The answer, however, lies in the fact that the world is ever smaller

“Thanks to free trade agreements,” Ghazale explains, “the trade is opening up to new opportunities and new markets. It allows producers to diminish their risk by being in different parts of the world.”

For Hong Kong’s local markets, she offered the example of China’s recent agreement with African nations, opening up trade between the huge economy and the rapidly developing bloc. “Everyone in their own fields is finding new opportunities and building partnerships with new markets.”

That does, however, raise the question of why regional trade shows remain necessary. After all, Vinexpo also runs Wine Paris, which saw its largest and most international event ever in February.

According to Ghazale, specificity matters. “When you go to the regional shows, you know that the people attending are going to be looking at that market.”

Indeed, the focused, curated shows offer the chance to drill down into a particular geographic segment. The huge Paris show is a remarkable achievement, but she has a message that anyone who has dashed between halls at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles will understand: “You will never find the time to do everything at Wine Paris.”

Moreover, the shows exist within a single ecosystem. She recounts one recent example of a producer’s meeting that began at Wine Paris and concluded at Vinexpo Americas in Miami.

That combination of the local picture and the international reach means Vinexpo Asia remains relevant and has a key position in the wine trade’s calendar.

Adapted for the trade

Of course, Vinexpo Asia is not just a hub. It is also a curated offering that should inspire visitors and drive the trade forward.

The Academy, Vinexpo Asia’s programme of discussions, talks and panels is a perennial favourite, bringing together market-specific expertise.

“If I may make a generalisation, the visitors to Vinexpo Asia are really keen on this part of the show,” says Ghazale.

Among the highlights are a panel discussion on consumption in Hong Kong and Chinese cities, a session on pairing wine with Chinese cuisine and masterclasses on the likes of California, Chianti and regenerative viticulture.

The eclectic mix is entirely intentional, says Ghazale. “The Academy in Asia is always trying to find the right balance between being international and being more local, going from top to bottom.

“They will meet such a diverse offer in one space, that it will bring them new ideas.”

When it comes to products too, Vinexpo Asia is constantly reinventing itself. This year sees it containing three co-located shows: Vinexpo Asia for wine, but also Be No and Be Spirits.

The spirits show will present products from all around the world, encompassing local markets but also key players from the UK, France and Mexico.

Be No, meanwhile, recognises the growing importance of no and low products. Although their uptake in East Asia may not yet be at the levels seen elsewhere, Ghazale sees its inclusion as part of the show’s future-proofing approach.

She says: “We know that non-alcoholic is not only turning into a trend, it is turning into a segment.”

Ultimately, Vinexpo Asia is set to live up to the organisers’ promise of helping the drinks trade. “We need the market to trust us,” concludes Ghazale, “to know that when they come to our show, it will be a business event first and foremost.”

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