Wine traders and lovers toast the HKTDC

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Wine traders and lovers toast the HKTDC Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair

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14 May 2012 – The 5th HKTDC Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair will run from 8-10 November in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre this year, and is expected to attract over 900 exhibitors to showcase a variety of products and services such as liquor & beverages, accessories and tools, wine labelling, bottling, packaging, storage & logistics, wine education and wine tourism. Last edition, 19,403 trade buyers from 71 countries and regions, and 19,690 local public visitors were attracted to the fair. The rising demand of wine in Asia has created enormous opportunities to the world wine business. By 2017, wine consumption in Asian market is forecast to surge to USD27 billion. Asia Pacific is also predicted to be the fastest-growing region in the International Wine & Spirit Research Forecast Report 2011-2016.

Treasure Hunting
Wine investment is certainly one of the highlights. Last year, international wine industry leaders from the biggest auction house in the US, a British royal wine supplier, online wine-trading business, a famous wine cellar, and a local bank which provides wine loans participated in the Wine Investment Zone to showcase opportunities to become involved and profit from worldwide wine businesses. We will continue to join trade professionals as they share their insights on such topics to increase understanding of the vibrant wine and spirit market.

To leave no one disappointed, the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine and Spirit Competition returns with Debra Meiburg MW, one of Asia’s first Masters of Wine, as one of the Competition Directors, and Karen MacNeil, author of the award-winning book, The Wine Bible, as the guest VIP judge. The competition is now open for entries.

On the fairground, there will be a lot of cork popping, wine pouring, swirling, smelling and sipping happening all day. Enlightened palates and taste buds will help identify favourites, and votes will be cast for “The Most Beloved Wine”. The voting game was well received last year, and will surely bring more surprises this fall. Beside, the popular Fine Wine Tasting will be the centre stage to spotlight fine wines and rare wines. It will be a rich and intense experience for wine traders and high-end consumers.

A perfect trading platform
Due to growing international attention on the wine industry, many exhibitors and buyers have participated in the fair with successful outcomes and positive impressions. In 2011, Bill Calabria, Managing Director of Westend Estate Wines from Australia received four orders worth a total of AUS$500,000 from the Chinese mainland and Japanese customers. Companies like Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico from Italy took the opportunity to introduce their wine products and considered Hong Kong’s wine fair a springboard to the exciting Asian and Chinese mainland market. Wine & Spirit Education Trust in the UK, which runs education centres in 55 countries intended to raise the company’s profile through the fair. Masako Wang, Merchandiser of President Chain Store Corp., which operates 7-11 convenience chain stores across Taiwan, sourced a variety of wines and made useful connections in the fair.

Optimistic Wine Trade
In 2011, Hong Kong’s total wine imports reach USD1.3 billion, up 40% compared to the previous year, and with substantial increases in a number of countries such as France (54%), Italy (62%), Japan (30%), Singapore (73%), UK (36%) and USA (46%). These figures once again confirm Hong Kong as Asia’s wine trading hub, a status that has also been endorsed by industry players and global media.


Photos Download: http://filesharing.tdc.org.hk/hktdc/dow ... _phpOCw5B6

Fair Website:
http://www.hktdc.com/hkwinefair