March 06: The Prowein 2020 scheduled to have been organised on March 15-17, 2020 in Düsseldorf was postponed last week with new dates to be announced soon and now Messe Düsseldorf, the organisers have announced that it would be held on the regular trade fair dates of 21-23 March, 2021 which in effect means that the current edition has been cancelled and not postponed, writes Subhash Arora
The ProWein 2020 had to be postponed due to the effects of the Coronavirus/Covid-19. “We have taken this decision in in-depth dialogue with our partner associations and key players in the industry. The special challenge here was there is only a very tight “trade fair window” open for the wine industry – one which is additionally narrowed down by the insecure situation created by the Coronavirus,” says Erhard Wienkamp, Managing Director at Messe Düsseldorf GmbH. He adds, “Against this background the decision is the only correct conclusion to be drawn – all in the interest of the wine and spirits industry.”
The German Wine Institute, a conceptual sponsor of ProWein, has also fully backed up the decision. “We expressly welcome that Messe Düsseldorf was courageous enough to take this step, which is entirely in the interest of the wine industry. Weighing all the benefits and drawbacks Messe Düsseldorf has reacted in a considerate, prudent and right way to our mind,” says Monika Reule, Managing Director at DWI.
It is very professional and ethical that the existing contracts between Messe Düsseldorf and the exhibitors will remain valid for the alternative dates. The same applies to already purchased visitor tickets. Contact them directly for any clarifications at ticket@messe-duesseldorf.de.
“ProWein goes city”, a joint initiative of the trade association Destination Düsseldorf and Messe Düsseldorf, will follow this postponement and again become a central attraction for wine lovers and travel enthusiasts thanks to its diverse programme in restaurants, hotels and specialist retail stores.
ProWine 2020 in Singapore remains as announced
Also postponed due to the Coronavirus Covid-19 was ProWine 2020 in Singapore – which will now be held from 13 to 16 July 2020 in parallel with FHA-HoReCa.This does appear to be a bit strange since one does not still know when the fury of the virus will end. Hopefully, this date will stick; also, being a smaller Show it needs lesser lead time to reorganize, feels delWine.
Visit https://singapore.prowineasia.com/bzw or www.fhahoreca.com for details.
Vinitaly new dates uncertain
In the meantime, Vinitaly, perhaps the best global Show for Italian wines, has already been postponed as announced on March 3, 2020. The new dates might be announced after a bit longer since Italy seems to be in the eye of the storm in Europe and the organisers will wait enough till the disease is well under control and an alternate date can be decided in consultation with all the stakeholders including the venue managers of Veronafiere and producers.
Subhash Arora
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