UK trade show London Wine Fair has been acquired from Hemming Group in a management buyout led by the event’s director, Hannah Tovey.
The industry-only exhibition, which dates back to 1981, will now be owned and operated by Vindustrious, a new company created by Tovey, following the completion of an asset sale at the end of last month. The move, financial details of which were not disclosed, ends more than four decades of ownership under Hemming Group, which has run the show since its inception.
All five members of the existing London Wine Fair team will remain in place under the new structure, ensuring continuity ahead of the event’s 45th edition in May next year at Olympia in London.
Tovey secured backing from lead investor Perrin & Partners and several long-term suppliers, with the new investment intended to support pre-show costs and future growth. Under Tovey’s leadership since 2017, London Wine Fair has returned to pre-pandemic levels of participation and revenue, including a 40% year-on-year uplift in 2025. The exhibition has also expanded to feature spirits through the ‘Signature Serve’ section, which is expected to double in size next year.
The Hemming Group said it would now focus on its core events and publishing operations in infrastructure, transport, public sector and healthcare.
London Wine Fair 2026 will take place from 18 to 20 May.
Last month, Messe Düsseldorf appointed Frank Schindler as director of ProWein Düsseldorf, effective from 15 October, shortly after ProWein’s strategic repositioning, which was announced in September.
