New project : Bordeaux will host the first professional wine tourism fair.
Wine tourism is booming. The French wine sector which has been developing its capacity to welcome tourists in recent years, is to receive a boost in 2009 : in the form of an international professional trade fair for wine tourism. This showroom will take place next year from the 4th - 6th November at Hanger 14, on the quayside in Bordeaux. In 2010, the venue will be the Exhibition Centre. Its name? The International Wine Travel Market (IWTM), inspired by anglo-saxon tourist trade fair terminology.
The news was announced yesterday during the traditional "Best of Wine Tourism" ** gala evening.
The Reed Group, world leader in organising professional trade shows, together with the Chamber of Commerce, will organise the IWTM.
"Wine tourism is a by-product, another way to sell wine. It's intelligent tourism and Bordeaux is the legitimate venue for this event, as it was for the launch of Vinexpo," explains Laurent Courbu, president of the Chamber of Commerce. The twin organisers met for the first time in May to discuss the project. Reed already organises around fifteen trade fairs and events linked to tourism including those in London and Dubai.
7 - 8000 euros for 6m2 : "It's the first time our activity is involved in the wine sector and we believe in the expansion of tourism linked to wine," says Alain Bagnaud, in charge of transport , tourism and communication at Reed Expositions, a subsiduary company of Reed. Indeed, given that there are some 900 million tourists on the planet today and that in fifteen years' time, the number should reach 1.4 billion...wine and gastronomy in general should see their market share become a much coveted and competitive sector.
One hundred and fifty exhibitors from all over the world are expected at the IWTM : châteaux, wineries, bodegas,...all offering a wine tourist service (seminars, congress, hotel accommodation...). The IWTM awaits more than a thousand visitors, coming to buy these services : tour operators, travel agency managers, activity and event organisers for companies..
As usual in this top drawer type of event, the most coverted potential clients will be invited, air fare included, by the organisers.
Which explains the steep floor prices for exhibitors : between 7 and 8000 euros , for example, for a stand measuring 6m2.
"This will not be a mere 'business card exchange fair'. We are scheduling meetings between exhibitors and buyers : contracts will be signed on the spot," forecasts Vincent Lhoste, who manages several fairs at Reed Expositions and who will be overseeing the future IWTM fair. "The tourist industry needs structure and good organisation. Wine tourism is just waiting to explode and this fair will be its chance to benefit from the centre stage, " continues Vincent, who adds that conferences will also be on the fair agenda.
Bordeaux is already the world wine trade capital thanks to Vinexpo and capital for viticultural technology, thanks to Vinitech. It is soon to add a third professional fair to its prize list with a view to becoming the cultural capital of Europe in 2013...
** Prize List of the 6th BEST OF WINE TOURISM :
The 6th night of the Best of Wine Tourism competition welcomed more than 500 guests yesterday at Château Smith Haut Lafitte, owned by Florence & Daniel Cathiard, in Martillac.
87 properties or companies participated in this competition , organised every year by the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce.
There were 19 prize winners divided into 5 catagories including 5 Gold "Best of" and one "Passion" prize.
1. Architecture, Parks & Gardens : Gold Best of attributed to Château Franc-Mayne, Saint-Emilion.
Other prize winners in this catagory were : Châteaux Lanessan, La Tour de By, Rauzan-Gassies, Haut-Sarpe and Fonplégade.
2. Château Accommodation : Gold Best of attributed to Château Carbonneau, Pessac-sur-Dordogne.
Other prize winners in this catagory were : Châteaux du Petit Puch, Pédesclaux and La Croix de Roche.
3. Discovery & Innovation : Gold Best of attributed to Château Agassac, Ludon-Medoc and the jury's "Passion" went to Château La Rose Bellevue, Saint-Palais.
Another prize winner was the agency "Week & Break".
4. Event Organisation : Gold Best of attributed to Château Haut-Bailly, Léognan.
Other prize winners in this catagory were : Châteaux du Taillan & Pape Clément and the merchant company Millésimia.
5. Enviromental Techniques : Gold Best of attributed to Château Cablanc, St.Pey Castets.
Another prize winner was Château Mercier.
César Compadre
doc@sudouest.com
S.O. 17/10/08
Translated by Maxine Colas.