VINEXPO has launched a new brand concept, Vinexpo Explorer, the first chapter of which will take place in Austria.
“Vinexpo Explorer consists in bringing wine buyers out of the conference hall and into the vineyards and distilleries”, Guillaume Deglise, CEO of the world’s leading wine and spirit exhibitions, revealed today. Vinexpo Explorer is built on setting up an exclusive buyers’ community of the 100 international wine traders who will be invited to discover the wines of up-and-coming regions worldwide.
Vinexpo Explorer is a new way of doing business for the wine trade. “This is a revolutionary approach”, said Guillaume Deglise. ‘It confirms our role as the leading partner of the wine and spirits industry.” He describes Vinexpo Explorer as a bold innovation for the VINEXPO brand. “This is not just about our very successful exhibitions in Bordeaux, Hong Kong and Tokyo. The strategy is a new approach to serving the needs of wine and spirits buyers, producers and retailers globally.”
Win-Win situation for buyers and host countries
Willi The buyers’ community will consist of selections of the world’s Top 100 most influential buyers. Chosen for their buying clout, as measured by the volume and value of their wine and spirits purchases, they will receive exclusive invitations to wine and spirits producing regions and countries.
The participants are selected by VINEXPO from its extensive data base of international wine buyers. For each Vinexpo Explorer visit a list of the Top 100 buyers most appropriate to the export development objectives of the hosting wine region will receive invitations.
Each visit will last two days. Buyers can expect privileged access to wine-producers, “one-to-wine” meetings, Master Classes, marketing strategies and exclusive offers as well as in-depth introductions to the heritage of the regions. Host countries and wine-producing regions will be provided with opportunities to penetrate new consumer markets and improve exports.
Austria has the pleasure to be the first host country
During the first chapter, scheduled for September 11 and 12 this year, the Top 100 buyers will visit Austria. A great tasting on Monday, September 11 in Vienna launches the event and gives participating vintners the opportunity to establish personal contacts to the buyers. Group excursions to wine-growing regions and “one-to-wine”-meetings offer further opportunities for detailed exchanges and negotiations on Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning. The crowning finale will be a gala dinner in Palais Coburg on Tuesday evening, where all participants can raise their glasses to a prosperous future. The whole event is organised by VINEXPO in close collaboration with the Austrian Wine Marketing Board.
Willi Klinger, Managing Director of the Austrian Wine Marketing Board says, “We are thrilled to host the first edition of Vinexpo Explorer in Austria. Thanks to the diversity and multifaceted character of our wines, we have managed to be in the mind of top sommeliers and wine lovers around the world. Participating in Vinexpo Explorer will enhance our notoriety with international top buyers and sustain our efforts in becoming a must-have category on the global map of wine origins.“
A long-term development
In subsequent years such showcase visits will include major spirits producers. “Scotland and Scotch Whisky springs to mind because of its pre-eminent place and heritage,” says Guillaume Deglise, “as well as regions such as Douro, Sonoma County, Western Australia, Greece or Languedoc.”
Research into the Vinexpo Explorer concept revealed an enthusiastic welcome from buyers. “It was clear from the buyers’ responses that no-one in the wines or spirits industries is providing such a high-profile or intimate contact with buyers and producers from all over the world.”
Vinexpo Explorer is a long-term development of the VINEXPO brand and further innovation will be announced.