Frank Schindler vows to make ProWein ‘smarter and more balanced’
ProWein’s new director Frank Schindler tells db that the world’s leading wine and spirits fair must evolve without losing sight of its foundations. From digital matchmaking to global dialogue, he’s intent on reshaping Düsseldorf’s flagship event.
“For more than 30 years, ProWein Düsseldorf has reflected every development in the international wine and spirits industry,” Frank Schindler told the drinks business. “In recent years, a growing critical attitude towards alcohol consumption and changing consumer habits have led to an imbalance between supply and demand, despite a globally stable production area.”
ProWein’s role now extends beyond commerce. “One of ProWein’s key roles is to provide the industry with impulses towards a healthier market balance,” he said, citing the newly introduced Hosted Buyers and Concierge programmes designed to enhance buyer quality and purchasing power.
To provide what he described as “a strong and visible voice” for the trade, Schindler has introduced the Agora, a high-impact forum for debate on the industry’s key challenges. “The term ‘agora’, originating from ancient Greek, describes the central marketplace of a city,” he explained. “That’s exactly what we want ProWein to be.”
According to Schindler, digital tools and curated trend areas will complement the fair’s physical experience, helping professionals to network efficiently and transact effectively.
Innovation
“Innovation is part of ProWein’s DNA,” Schindler said. But he cautioned against chasing fashion for its own sake. “The greatest risk in any repositioning is to lose sight of one’s own strengths. For us, those strengths are crystal clear: our credibility as the world’s leading business platform for wine and spirits.”
Schindler described a “dual strategy”: strengthening ProWein’s operational foundation while cultivating forward-looking formats that tackle innovation, sustainability and changing consumer trends. “Only by working hand in hand with our exhibitors, visitors and partners can we shape the future of ProWein without compromising the trust that defines us,” he said.
From production to platform
Having worked across buying, distribution, production and events for more than 25 years, Schindler brings what he calls “a dual perspective” to his leadership. “Producers seek visibility and the right audience, while buyers look for efficiency and relevance, two sides of the same coin,” he told db.
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He believes the key to uniting those sides lies in data-driven matchmaking. “The goal will no longer be to make ProWein simply bigger, but to develop it smarter and above all, more balanced,” he said.
Schindler was quick to praise his team, describing it as “a highly motivated, experienced and exceptionally capable women-power team whose innovative drive helps us tackle and implement new ideas quickly and effectively.”
A global conversation
With satellite events now in Shanghai, Tokyo, Mumbai, São Paulo, Hong Kong and Singapore, ProWein has become, in Schindler’s words, “a lived global dialogue.” Each location, he said, “retains its own identity and character,” yet shares Düsseldorf’s professionalism and standards.
“Across Asia, we’re witnessing incredible momentum and a strong appetite for new experiences,” he said. “India shows how economic empowerment can go hand in hand with tolerance and warmth, while South America radiates an energy and authenticity that are simply contagious.”
A city worthy of the world’s wines
Schindler acknowledged the cost and infrastructure challenges that Düsseldorf faces but remained upbeat. “International visitors today expect not only an outstanding trade fair experience but also world-class hospitality,” he said. “We maintain a close and constructive dialogue with the city, the hotel and hospitality sector, and local stakeholders to enhance the overall visitor experience.”
He described early signs of progress and reaffirmed his ambition: “Our goal is clear, to further establish Düsseldorf as a multicultural trade fair city and, during ProWein, to transform it into a world capital of wine, on every conceivable level.”
A fair evolving by design
As reported by the drinks business, Schindler succeeds in a period of strategic transformation. He officially took over as ProWein director on 15 October 2025, reporting to executive director Michael Degen and working alongside chief operating officer Marius Berlemann, who said Schindler “embodies the energy and creative drive we need for the next phase.”
ProWein 2025 drew 4,200 exhibitors from 65 nations and 42,000 trade visitors from 128 countries, while ProSpirits added another 500 exhibitors from 53 nations. The next edition will return to Messe Düsseldorf from 15 to 17 March 2026.
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