Not-to-be-missed spirits events in 2020
Calendars at the ready because there’s a jam-packed itinerary of unmissable spirits events already lined up for 2020. These are the ones worth noting.
Bar Convent Berlin features in our pick of top spirits events for 2020The start of the year is the time that those in the spirits industry open their new diaries and mark the dates of some of the top trade shows and festivals to attend over the next 12 months.
From the world’s largest cocktail festival in New Orleans to a new wine and spirits trade show in Paris, we present some of the unmissable spirits events for the year ahead.
Click through the following pages for the world’s most important and unmissable spirits industry events in 2020.
Vinexpo Paris
10-12 February
Vinexpo will head to Paris in 2020 for its inaugural event in the French capital. A collaboration between Vinexpo and Wine Paris, as well as tastings, exhibitions and talks from new and established producers, the show will also launch its spirits‐focused Be Spirits concept.
www.vinexpoparis.com
Vinexpo New York
2-3 March
Returning to the Jacob K Javits Center, Vinexpo New York will offer masterclasses, panel discussions and networking opportunities for the trade. The show will feature an all‐new ‘importer pavilion’, which will provide an “efficient platform” to showcase wine and spirits portfolios.
www.vinexponewyork.com
Prowein, Düsseldorf
15-17 March
After hosting more than 61,000 visitors at the 2019 event, ProWein 2020 promises to be even bigger. Running from 15‐17 March, the event will enter the first year of its strategic partnership with data platform Bottlebooks, which will enable exhibitors to enter their portfolio into an online database.
www.prowein.com
IAADFS Summit of the Americas, Orlando
30 March-2 April
The IAADFS Summit of the Americas will return to Orlando, bringing a host of opportunities to network with industry experts. After the Opening Cocktail on 30 March, the event will run until 2 April, offering talks, activities and fundraisers.
www.iaadfs.org
The Wine & Spirits Show, London
3-4 April
The Wine & Spirits Show will return to London in 2020, hosted by the teams behind The Spirits Business and the drinks business magazines. Spread across a number of rooms, the show will exhibit leading wine and spirits brands, offer masterclasses and allow visitors to explore the latest trends in the industry.
www.wineandspiritsshow.com
TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference, Singapore
10-14 May
An essential visit for any duty free or travel retail stakeholder, the TFWA’s Asia show will head to the Sands Expo & Convention Centre for 2020. The conference will see hundreds of brands on display across more than 11,000m2 of floor space.
www.tfwa.com
Vinexpo Hong Kong
26-28 May
The leading wine and spirits event is back for 2020, promising 1,300 international exhibitors and more than 50 talks, tastings and seminars. The event will take place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, and will feature meetings, new products and networking opportunities for importers, distributors and producers.
www.vinexpohongkong.com
Bar Convent Brooklyn
9-10 June
Since its first instalment in 2018, Bar Convent Brooklyn has become a staple in the industry calendar. At the show, visitors will have the opportunity to network with the on‐trade and drinks industry professionals, and learn about new trends, techniques and products.
www.barconventbrooklyn.com
Bar Convent São Paulo
15-16 June
After a successful inaugural show last year, Bar Convent São Paulo is gearing up for a second instalment in 2020. The Brazilian event will offer local bar owners and bartenders the opportunity to rub shoulders with international spirits brands and industry professionals.
www.barconventsaopaulo.com.br
Tales of the Cocktail, New Orleans
21-26 July
This summer, the world’s cocktail community will once again descend on New Orleans for the Tales of the Cocktail festival. Often described as “equal parts cocktail conference and family reunion”, the 2020 event will feature seminars, tastings, competitions – and, no doubt, some awesome parties.
www.talesofthecocktail.com
TFWA World Exhibition & Conference, Cannes
27 September-2 October
The travel retail industry’s flagship event will return to the south of France in the autumn. Following a record number of visitors in 2019, the 2020 fair will host a variety of workshops, brand showcases and week‐long networking opportunities for delegates.
www.tfwa.com
London Cocktail Week
5-11 October
After a bumper instalment in 2019 to mark London Cocktail Week’s (LCW) 10th anniversary, the festival will surely return even bigger and bolder in 2020. With killer cocktail offers at some of the city’s best bars, LCW will be celebrating London’s thriving cocktail scene throughout the week.
drinkup.london/cocktail‐week
Bar Convent Berlin
12-14 October
On‐trade show Bar Convent Berlin will take place in a new venue this year: below the Funkturm, a former radio tower located on the grounds of exhibition centre Messe Berlin. The larger space will mean a rise in exhibitor numbers, hailing from more than 80 countries.
www.barconvent.com
UK Rum Fest, London
16-18 October
UK’s Rum Fest will descend on London in 2020, promising more than 400 of the rarest and most diverse rums from across the globe. The event will feature a host of tasting opportunities, as well as “intimate seminars”, presentations, live music and food from around the world.
www.rumfest.co.uk
Vinexpo Shanghai
21-23 October
The three‐day Vinexpo Shanghai event will host more than 260 international exhibitors, with more than 5,800 guests expected to pass through its doors. The show focus on enabling local Chinese buyers to expand their portfolios through a series of business meetings, tastings and masterclasses.
www.vinexposhanghai.com
The Wine Show Chelsea, London
October
The Wine Show Chelsea will return to London in October, offering a three‐day programme of tastings, networking and learning. The event will feature three halls: the main hall will be dedicated to wine producers, the second hall to spirits exhibitors and the third hall will become a masterclass theatre.
www.thewineshowchelsea.com
The Spirits Masters Awards Lunch, London
November
Join The Spirits Business team at the end of the year to celebrate the most impressive entries from our annual series of blind tastings: The Global Spirits Masters. The competition sees panels of experts taste products from across the world of spirits, awarding Silver, Gold and Master medals to the best in each category.
www.thespiritsmasters.com
