It’s time to make plans for the rest of the year: The Spirits Business lines up the best exhibitions and events of 2017.

SB recommends essential spirits industry dates for the diary

Admittedly, our New Years’ resolutions have already gone out the window and yes, Dry January is taking its toll, but the turn of the year brings fresh activity in the spirits world – and that certainly is something to get excited about.

Prepare to breeze through the year with our handy guide to the hottest gatherings and key exhibitions across the spirits industry from Prowein to London Cocktail Week.

Schedule those meetings, diary those dates and book those flights – from trade shows to far-flung festivals, conferences to awards lunches, we present our key events for brands, distributors, marketers and bartenders in 2017.

Click through the following pages for the world’s most important and unmissable spirits industry events in 2017.

PROWEIN, DÜSSELDORF

19-21 March

With more than 55,000 visitors and 6,000 exhibitors in 2016, ProWein is a must-attend event for those in the spirits industry. The programme includes tasting sessions, lounges and a show dedicated to design and packaging, while in the FIZZZ Lounge, renowned bartenders including Tom Weinberger will focus on coffee, wine and beer as ingredients in cocktails.

www.prowein.com

IAADFS DUTY FREE SHOW OF THE AMERICAS, ORLANDO

26-29 March

The annual trade show offers plenty of networking opportunities and fundraising sports activities, with nearly 200 exhibitors arriving in sunny Orlando in 2016. Participants last year included Brown- Forman, Bacardi, Botran Aged Rums and Rémy Martin.

www.iaadfs.org

TFWA ASIA PACIFIC EXHIBITION & CONFERENCE, SINGAPORE

7-11 May

The Asia edition of the Tax Free World Association (TFWA)’s show is an unmissable event for industry professionals in the region, with hundreds of premium brands and thousands of innovative products showcased in the heart of Singapore. 2,905 visitors and 310 exhibitors attended in this year; expect even bigger numbers in 2017.
www.tfwa.com

VINEXPO, BORDEAUX

18-21 June

The international wine and spirits event is back in a dynamic new format over four days instead of the traditional five. With more than 2,350 exhibitors from 42 countries and 48,500 visitors last time out, this is a crucial event packed with tastings, conferences and future trend insights.

www.vinexpobordeaux.com

TALES OF THE COCKTAIL, NEW ORLEANS

18-23 July

Tales of the Cocktail is a famous five-day cocktail festival for the spirits community on what’s new and what’s next in bartending. The schedule for the 15th annual event includes 200 original seminars, tastings, competitions, networking opportunities and other spirited happenings.

www.talesofthecocktail.com

TFWA WORLD EXHIBITION & CONFERENCE, CANNES

1-6 October

The TFWA flagship exhibition combines a global showcase for brands with industry workshops and week-long networking opportunities in an essential event for duty free and travel retail professionals held every year in Cannes. Don’t miss SB’s very own beach party on the Monday.

www.tfwa.com

LONDON COCKTAIL WEEK, LONDON

2-8 October

The biggest celebration of the capital’s cocktail scene, London Cocktail Week returns to Old Spitalfields Market with a week-long programme of events, including masterclasses, distillery tours and tastings, with more 200 bars in the city offering special cocktails at discounted rates.

www.drinkup.london/cocktailweek

TEQUILA & MEZCAL FEST, LONDON

7-8 October

Founded in 2014, the two-day festival celebrates Mexico’s most popular spirits exports, while educating visitors on how to consume the traditional drinks through food pairings, cocktail masterclasses, seminars and live entertainment.

www.tequilafest.co.uk

BAR CONVENT BERLIN, BERLIN

10-11 October

Since its inception in 2007, Bar Convent Berlin has grown into one of the leading international trade fairs for the drinks industry. With a total of 317 exhibitors and 11,064 trade visitors in 2016, the event is sure to come back bigger and better in 2017. Expect an extensive programme of lectures, seminars, masterclasses, and, of course, tastings.

www.barconvent.com

IBA WORLD COCKTAIL CHAMPIONSHIPS, COPENHAGEN

15-19 October

More than 500 bartenders will gather in Denmark for one of the cocktail world’s most hotly anticipated annual events – the International Bartenders Association’s World Cocktail Championships.

www.iba-world.com

BOUTIQUE BAR SHOW, LONDON

Date TBC

With more than 100 spirits brands, a packed schedule of talks and workshops plus guest bars from across the country, BBS again promises visitors an experience where they can sample a huge range of quality drinks brands.

www.boutiquebarshow.com

THE SPIRITS MASTERS LUNCH, LONDON, DECEMBER

Date TBC

Join us at a glittering awards ceremony in London as we celebrate the most impressive expressions in our Global Spirits Masters series, the tasting competition assessed blind by a panel of impartial expert judges, taking in aroma, flavour and balance. And who knows? You could be in with a chance of taking home one of our coveted Taste Master trophies.

www.thespiritsbusiness.com/the-global-spirits-masters