Editor’s Note
This article provides an overview of the 16th Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair, a key trade event that drew significant global participation in November 2024.
The ‘Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair 2024’, an international professional trade fair for the alcoholic beverage industry, was held from November 7 to 9 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. In its 16th edition, the fair attracted approximately 600 exhibitors from 20 countries and regions, over 8,200 buyers from 61 countries and regions, and more than 10,000 public visitors. The final day featured tasting sessions and seminars led by world-class experts such as Masters of Wine and sommeliers. In a seminar by Master of Wine Debra Meiburg, consumption trends and preferences of Generation Z and Millennials towards alcoholic beverages were discussed, with explanations such as “younger generations strongly prefer cocktails.”
From Japan, 20 companies exhibited at a pavilion set up by the National Tax Agency. Additionally, Japanese companies exhibited at booths for Gifu Prefecture and Hankyu Hanshin Department Stores, introducing a variety of Japanese alcoholic beverages including aged sake, whisky, and gin.
JETRO conducted a traveling exhibition as part of its Japanese Food Sample Showroom Project (Note), where JETRO staff introduced about 40 products from approximately 20 companies to buyers. Trends identified at the venue, needs and comments from Hong Kong buyers will be fed back to the exhibiting companies after the fair concludes. For products that received inquiries from buyers, JETRO will guide the respective companies to conduct online business meetings.
— Feedback from a company that exhibited products at the JETRO booth.
The Japan area was bustling with many visitors. From Hong Kong buyers who visited the JETRO booth, comments were heard such as:
The final day was also open to the general public. Visitors commented:
JETRO plans to continue its support for building distribution channels and expanding consumption of Japanese sake and other products by utilizing the Japanese Food Sample Showroom in the future.
JETRO has established “Japanese Food Sample Showrooms” in multiple countries and regions with the aim of attracting local buyers interested in Japanese food products to conduct product introductions, tastings, and samplings on an ongoing basis, and to provide opportunities for online business meetings. Japanese companies can conduct online business meetings while having local buyers see the actual products. At the JETRO Hong Kong office, in addition to setting up a permanent exhibition space in the entrance hall to introduce products, JETRO organizes thematic or category-specific exhibitions and traveling exhibitions at events held within Hong Kong to promote products to more buyers. Even after trade fair periods end, products are displayed and introduced at the exhibition space within the Hong Kong office, providing continuous product promotion opportunities.
(By Maki Sugimoto)