With the global drinks industry facing shifting consumer trends, economic pressures, and sustainability challenges, ProWein 2025 sets the stage for innovation and strategic direction.
The wine and spirits industry is navigating uncertain waters. Changing consumer habits, the rise of health-conscious drinking, economic pressures, and climate concerns are reshaping the landscape faster than anyone could imagine. In times like these, staying ahead isn’t just about recognising trends — it’s about setting a clear course for the future.
ProWein, the world’s leading trade fair for wines and spirits, has long been a barometer for industry shifts. This year, the event takes on an even more critical role, and the theme, “Discover the Taste of Tomorrow”, could not be more apt. This year’s ProWein also introduces a new Business Forum addressing the sector’s biggest challenges, from evolving marketing strategies to embracing sustainability in production.
In this interview, ProWein director Peter Schmitz shares what’s in store for this year’s edition, why taking initiative is more crucial than ever, and how the event aims to help industry players navigate an increasingly complex future.
Why “Discover the Taste of Tomorrow”?
ProWein’s theme for 2025 — “Discover the Taste of Tomorrow” — is inspired by the evolving nature of the global beverage industry and reflects our vision to shape its future.
The theme highlights innovation, emerging trends and new possibilities in wine, spirits and beverages. It focuses on the latest developments, emerging flavours, new production methods and sustainability efforts, all of which are becoming increasingly important to both producers and consumers.
It emphasises the exploration of future possibilities, not only through product innovation but also by venturing into different regions and new markets. And it encourages the discovery of new taste trends, including those influenced by environmental sustainability, technological advances, and changes in consumer behaviour.
“Discover the Taste of Tomorrow” is in keeping with our commitment to stay ahead of the curve by creating a space for industry professionals to exchange ideas and discover new ways to influence the future of the global wine and spirits market.
The perennial Masterclass Forum addresses discovery and exploratory elements. What is the role of the new Business Forum?
The Masterclass Forum in Hall 12 is dedicated to wine tasting, while the new Business Forum in Hall 16 will focus on topical industry issues. Notably, the many challenges facing the sector, from emerging wine consumers to modern wine marketing and sustainability.
The Business Forum will feature a different theme every day. On ProWein Sunday, the focus will be on tomorrow’s wine consumers. Experts will highlight new target groups worldwide and their interests, explain the development of individual price segments and discuss wines and spirits in light of growing health consciousness.
ProWein Monday will focus on modern wine marketing under the title “I’m a Buyer and I’m Here to Learn…” Various sessions will be dedicated to making the most of the ProWein experience, how wine merchants can leverage AI, and the industry’s evolving use of social media channels, with a focus on TikTok. Experts will also discuss the use of data to bypass traditional distribution silos.
ProWein Tuesday will focus on sustainability, featuring topics such as alternative grape varieties and the impact of climate change on individual wine regions, to name but two. We will also present the new ProSpirits report. The detailed agenda is available on the ProWein website.
Premiumisation and sustainability were key trends observed in last year’s ProWein. What trends will we likely see this year?
In this year’s ProWein, we can expect to see an even deeper focus on premiumisation, sustainability, and innovation, with a strong focus on health-conscious and environmentally friendly products.
The premium and no/low-alcohol beverage sectors will remain key drivers of the conversation, while emerging wine regions and technological advancements will introduce fresh perspectives. The no/low-alcohol sector will continue to grow, driving innovation with concepts like proxy drinks.
Consumer experience will take centre stage, with immersive and digital innovations playing a significant role in shaping how brands engage with the market. Likewise, food and wine pairing will be another avenue to create deeper consumer connections.
These trends are likely to continue evolving in future editions, making ProWein an essential space for industry professionals to stay ahead of the curve and explore the dynamic future of wine, spirits, and beverages.
How has the introduction of ProSpirits and ProWein Zero in previous editions shaped the conversations around the worlds of spirits and no/low-alcohol beverages?
The introduction of ProSpirits and ProWein Zero at previous editions of ProWein has significantly changed the conversation within the wine and spirits industry, particularly when it comes to the evolving spirits and no-/low-alcohol sectors. They have provided a platform that highlights both innovation and shifting consumer demand, both of which have driven the growth of these categories in recent years.
As the demand for spirits and non-alcoholic beverages continues to rise, these components will play a key role in the show’s evolution to meet market needs. The growing interest in health-conscious choices and spirits is not a passing trend but a significant shift in consumer preferences.
Early snippets from the latest ProWein Business Report reveal the challenges and opportunities in the global wine market. How is ProWein advising its exhibitors?
The wine industry is at a pivotal crossroads. While the worst effects of rising production costs for producers appear to have been overcome in most countries, producers and the wine and spirits trade now face the challenge of adapting to rapidly changing consumer preferences.
Developing new products and finding innovative communication strategies will be essential to ensuring wine remains competitive against other beverages. To drive value in the sector, it is crucial to continue conveying the benefits of premium products to today’s consumers and the next generation of buyers.
(ED: The ProWine Business Report is an industry study launched in collaboration with Geisenheim University, providing insights into global spirits trends, emerging markets, premiumisation, and consumer preferences.)
With the introduction of ProWine Tokyo last year, Asia is served by ProWine Mumbai, Shanghai, and Singapore. Please explain the overall strategy.
Over the past decades, our mission is to help wine and spirits producers explore business opportunities in the dynamic and emerging markets across Asia. We started in 2013 with ProWine Shanghai, followed by Hong Kong and Singapore to cover Greater China and Southeast Asia regions.
Our commitment to staying at the forefront of industry developments enabled the successful launch of ProWine Mumbai and Tokyo, where we expect enormous growth in the future. In addition, the strong network of our organisation, Messe Duesseldorf, and our subsidiaries across Asia, allows us to ensure the business outcome we deliver to the customers.
The expansion of our shows in Asia is strengthening the global influence of ProWein. The success of our satellite shows will then bring more Asian buyers and media back to ProWein Düsseldorf, in the form of buyer programmes and press tours.
How does ProWein tailor its exhibitions to accommodate the diverse cultural and consumer preferences across Asian countries?
The younger generation of Asian consumers is embracing a more diverse food and drink culture, and is casting their eyes on new categories such as no/low-alcohol beverages and spirits.
These rising categories will feature on a much larger scale at ProWein 2025, offering much wider choices. ProSpirits, spanning two halls with more than 400 products, will cater to Asian visitors’ growing interest in spirits from across the globe. Meanwhile, ProWein Zero has grown by half, reflecting the growing demand for no- and low-alcohol products across wines, spirits and craft beverages.
Understanding the preferences of the next generation of wine consumers is essential for industry practitioners. That’s why we’re introducing the ProWein Business Forum for the first time. The forum will primarily feature expert presentations on current topics important to the industry and help equip it to navigate challenging times.
Moreover, in partnership with University of Geisenheim, we will conduct the ProWine Business Survey for the first time in Asia, starting with Shanghai, Singapore, and Hong Kong. The results will provide valuable insights into the future development of the wines and spirits market.
(ED: ProWine Business Survey for Asia aims to provide comprehensive insights into the region’s wine markets, focusing on trends, challenges, and opportunities, to inform international wine producers seeking to capitalise on the growth potential of region.)
What is your vision for ProWein’s role in shaping the wine and spirits industry over the next decade?
That’s a great question. In recent years, we’ve always aimed to be the industry’s leading trade fair. Our vision for the future is to be seen less as a traditional exhibition and more like a World Economic Forum for the wine and spirits sector.
While we are still a platform for this market, an economic forum is about bringing together thought leaders to discuss solutions to global challenges and forge strategic partnerships. This means our focus is shifting away from the scale of ProWein to gathering the right key professionals together in Düsseldorf.
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