Vinexpo Paris doubles down on spirits

Spirits will be given a greater focus during Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris 2023, the event’s organisers have confirmed.

Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris will take place at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles in Paris, France, from 13-15 February 2023.

Next year’s trade show will be 25% bigger than the 2022 event and will welcome more than double the number of international exhibitors.

During a media briefing in London last week, Rodolphe Lameyse, CEO of parent company Vinexposium, revealed several updates to the Be Spirits section of the event.

Lameyse said: “Spirits was a big thing [at the 2022 show]; really exciting. Everyone was at the [40-metre-long] Infinite Bar.

“We have a dedicated spirits hall with specific hours, and 40% new exhibitors.”

While the rest of the show will wind down at 6pm, Be Spirits will close at 8pm to allow time for visitors to explore the distilled section.

“When we started [Be Spirits] in 2020, that was a really small section,” Lameyse said. “[In 2022], everyone noticed there was the spirits section.

“If at some point I can have Be Spirits as a dedicated show, I will. If it continues the way it is going, 2025/26 is most likely for a dedicated Be Spirits show.”

Plans for Quebec

Furthermore, there are plans to launch a “Vinexpo explorer” event in 2023, which will be dedicated to spirits in Quebec, Canada.

Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris will see 20% of exhibitors come from overseas next year – more than double the 2022 number.

As a result: “We are adding three dedicated halls for international visitors,” Lameyse confirmed.

In 2022, the event hosted close to 3,000 exhibitors; for 2023, exhibitor numbers will reach 3,500.

Lameyse noted 99% of exhibition space is already sold out, with a lot of brands securing bigger booths for the 2023 event.