Show Time! Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris 2024 preview

Kicking off the 2024 drinks trade show calendar, Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris is back with a bang next February with its biggest show yet. Lucy Shaw caught up with Vinexposium’s CEO, Rodolphe Lameyse, to get the lowdown on what to expect 

Having spent much of the year hopping on and off planes, Vinexposium’s charismatic French CEO, Rodolphe Lameyse, is looking forward to switching off over Christmas. But before that, he’s got one final trip to India and the 2024 Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris show to promote, which he’s fizzing with excitement for. Due to take place from 12-14 February 2024 at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, next year’s show – the biggest to date ­– will welcome over 3,900 exhibitors and 40,000 trade visitors from 155 countries; nearly a third more than in 2023.

Lameyse puts the growing interest in the show down to a combination of factors, from Paris’s convenient and attractive location, and the reputation of the Vinexpo brand, to the quality of the show’s content and its key timing in the wine trade calendar. “People think we’ve chosen to hold it over Valentine’s Day on purpose, which we haven’t. It’s a good fit for Paris though,” concedes Lameyse, who adds that while it would be “arrogant” to say that the City of Light has eclipsed London as the wine capital of the world, the popularity of Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris has thrust the city into the spotlight. “Vinexpo is a different animal than it used to be. The Bordeaux show was all about the parties, and we’ve kept that element, but now it’s much more about being the place to do business.”

To accommodate record numbers of exhibitors and attendees in 2024, the show is expanding in size, and has created 72% extra floor space for producers outside of France, including major players Spain and Germany, and France’s greatest wine rival, Italy, which will have its own dedicated hall. “We had a spike in international participation this year, which has been like a snowball effect, as word of mouth is spreading,” says Lameyse. “Italy has nearly doubled its presence, when it already has its own successful trade fair. The fact that Italian producers also want to exhibit at Vinexpo Paris sends out a powerful signal to the rest of the wine world about the importance of the show.”

Reflecting the growing global significance of the show, producers from New Zealand, Australia, Virginia and Sicily will be pouring their wines for the first time next year, while Germany, South Africa, Slovenia and Lebanon’s exhibition area will double in size. Keen to highlight the key drinks trends catching fire around the globe, spirits will have a greater presence at the 2024 show, with the Be Spirits area showcasing the latest releases from leading Tequila, whisky, vodka and rum producers, while beer and cider will have dedicated stands for the first time. At the 40m long Infinite Bar – the largest pop-up bar in France – top mixologists from Paris, London, Barcelona and Madrid will be shaking up creative cocktails, while over 200 bars and restaurants across Paris will be putting on events, tastings and one-off experiences in collaboration with the show.  

   

Since Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris first launched in 2019, the fair has grown from occupying two halls to seven. Lameyse is keen for the trend to continue, but stresses the importance of striking the right balance between exhibitor and buyer numbers. “We need to make room for new countries and producers that want to have a presence at the show, but we want to grow it in a sustainable way. It’s not about trying to be the largest drinks trade show in Europe; we want to be the most efficient and relevant partner to our wine and spirits clients wherever they are in the world,” says Lameyse, who has grown the Vinexpo brand from two to eight major drinks shows since he joined the company in 2019, launching industry-leading events in New Delhi, New York, Quebec, Seoul and Singapore.

With the drinks trade facing a torrent of challenges at the moment, from climate change and the cost of living crisis to a drop in global demand, Lameyse wants Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris to serve as a forum where producers, importers, suppliers and buyers can tackle these issues head on and find collaborative solutions. “Vinexposium has a pivotal role to play as an enabler of conversations aimed at providing solutions for current and future issues,” says Lameyse. “There’s no silver bullet solution, but I’m confident that by working together we’re going to design the wine industry of the future. Once we’re out of this inflation period, which I hope will be soon, consumption will bounce back.”

Hot topics from climate change to the effects of Brexit on the UK wine trade will be discussed in detail at a series of talks, tastings, masterclasses and conferences over the three-day event. The 2024 show will also usher in the first V d’Or Awards, chaired by revered Rhône producer Michel Chapoutier. Organised by Vinexposium, the awards aim to inspire and promote the best sustainability and CSR initiatives across the industry, and will see gongs handed out in five categories, including Best Eco-Friendly Launch and Best Collective Initiative. While Lameyse remains tight-lipped about where Vinexpo might pop up next, expansion is definitely on the cards, but it won’t be for the sake of it. “When you expand you have to be mindful of where you want to put your investment and effort, and whether it’s relevant for your wine and spirits partners,” he says.

As for the drinks industry at large, Lameyse believes its continued success lies in understanding the different demographics you’re seeking to engage with and speaking their language. “Promoting your wine on TikTok with the same old label isn’t enough to attract Generation Z. Producers need to tailor their marketing messages to their audience. Younger consumers will connect with wine in cans that can be enjoyed anywhere, or the idea of drinking lighter reds with ice,” says Lameyse. “The industry has an exciting opportunity to talk to the next generation of wine drinkers, but it needs to be an evolution not a revolution, as there’s a lot of blood with revolutions.”