'In the past, I feel that ProWein grew too fast' - ProWein director Peter Schmitz speaks to Global Drinks Intel

Trade show season is just around the corner, as the visit of Wine Paris’ CEO to London three weeks ago attests to. This week, it’s been the turn of the director of the ProWein exhibition in Germany, Peter Schmitz, to speak to UK-based media ahead of the next iteration of the event in March. Global Drinks Intel editor Olly Wehring quizzed Schmitz on his plans for the show.

Global Drinks Intel: How are things progressing for ProWein 2025?

ProWein director Peter Schmitz: Our plans are in full swing. We’re expecting similar exhibitor numbers as this year’s exhibition – around 5,000 from about 65 countries. While things are stable for our spirits exhibitors, there may be slightly fewer wine exhibitors, because the wine market is going down worldwide.

Another reason, to be honest, is that there is competition – it’s not just Wine Paris, which is four weeks before ProWein; VinItaly is four weeks after us. There is competition especially for the smaller wineries, who have to look after their costs. It’s much cheaper for them to exhibit at Eurovino in Karlsruhe, for example, which takes place a week before ProWein and is less international.

Visitor-wise, we expect to be at the same level as this year, at around 47,000 trade visitors.

In the past, I feel that ProWein grew too fast. In 2019, we had around 6,900 exhibitors, but on the visitors side, 50,000 is around our maximum. You have to find a balance between the two – that was a problem this year and in 2023, when it felt like there were too many exhibitors for the number of visitors.

I am totally convinced that in the future, a smaller ProWein will be a better ProWein.

GDI: Why don’t you agree amongst yourselves to space the trade shows further apart throughout the year?

PS: There are so many exhibitions in an eight-week window, more or less; Wine Paris in February, ProWein in March, Vinitaly in April and London Wine Fair in May. It’s the best time for the wine industry, because the harvest is in October/November and the wine is ready in March.

GDI: Is the downturn for wine structural or cyclical?

PS: It’s generational – younger people aren’t drinking so much. That’s going to have an effect on the future. I don’t think that younger people worldwide will drink wine at the same levels as before the pandemic. From my perspective, the pandemic represents a major switch for the wine industry.

There’s also the overall global political situation, which is making people prefer to have their money in their accounts rather than spend it on luxury goods, like wine.

GDI: How is ProWein adapting to this?

PS: We’re here to help the industry. Our ProWein Zero area of the show, which we’ve had for the last two years, is one example. Next year, we’re expecting the number of exhibitors in Zero to double.

For the first time next year, we’ll have a business forum where in the past, we had a masterclass forum. This will focus on new markets, new possibilities, the consumer of the future and the tools that are available to improve sales and to deal with the problems affecting the industry.

GDI: If spirits is stable and wine is declining, do you expect a tipping point for ProWein in the future?

PS: We’ve certainly established a new brand with ProSpirits at the show. We could think about having a ProSpirits exhibition that stands alone in the future, but there is no decision yet.

GDI: The last two exhibitions have been impacted by public transport strikes in Düsseldorf.

PS: That can also happen in France!

GDI: Yet Düsseldorf isn’t as well-connected as, say, Berlin or Munich.

PS: Düsseldorf hosts several world-leading trade shows for other industries, not just ours. The company that organises ProWein, Messe-Düsseldorf, is also the owner of the exhibition centre in the city – we can’t shift the centre to another city! Besides, the transport infrastructure in Düsseldorf is very close together; the airport’s just next door.

GDI: How do you stay optimistic during this particularly challenging economic environment that’s affecting the alcohol industry at the moment?

PS: Let’s see what happens next year, when Mr Trump is in charge – that could have an effect on all exhibitions and all industries. But, there will come a point in the future when the global economic situation will recover again.