A trade-cum-educational roadshow, comprising local and regional wine importers and international wineries, will leave Singapore for Shanghai in October - straight after Wine for Asia 2009 - to help those in the trade make inroads into the fast-growing Chinese wine market.

The roadshow will be made up of exhibitors who will take part in the up-coming Wine for Asia 2009 (WFA 2009), the region's most comprehensive wine show. It is being organised by MP Wine Resources, the organiser of WFA 2009. About 350 exhibitors are expected to participate in the wine show to be held at Suntec Singapore from 22-24 October, and the roadshow to China is open to all of them. Eight wineries from Australia and Italy have confirmed their participation already.

Said Mr Joel Lee, project director of WFA 2009: "The response from exhibitors at the last Wine for Asia in 2008 showed that many of the exhibitors are keen to enter the China market. The road show to Shanghai adds value to the entire offering of WFA and helps our exhibitors make that crucial connection to the Chinese wine trade. China represents a huge potential market."

"According to figures from the China Brewing Association, wine sales in the country are expected to reach 2.6 million litres per year in 2010, as compared to just 1.4 million litres in 2000. 

"Additionally, not only are we exposing local and international participants to the China market, they and their Chinese counterparts will also be involved in a learning experience."

Said Ms Dianne Daniell from Calais Estate, Australia: "WFA is an important marketing platform for us to introduce our wines to the wine importers, distributors, hospitality trade professionals and wine lovers. China is an important market for Calais Estate. We are very excited about the WFA 2009 Shanghai roadshow and we believe that our participation will provide us with a unique opportunity to reach the vast Chinese market."

The WFA 2009 Shanghai roadshow, to be held on 27 October at the Renaissance Shanghai Zhongshan Park Hotel, has the support of the Shanghai Brewing Association and Shanghai Tourism Trade Association, Hotel Industry Branch.

The event will feature a two-pronged approach to expose exhibitors and participants to the Chinese wine market. A highlight is a forum on the technicalities and intricacies of being in the wine business in China, including dealing with regulations and red tape.

Providing the platform for the forum are several renowned speakers in the evolving field of wine. They will share and discuss topics such as "Successful Wine Retailing", "Determining Quality in Wine", "Guide to Wine and Food Pairing" and "Understanding and Selecting The World of Wines for Your Business".

At each session, participants will learn about modern wine retailing techniques, ways of reaching out to customers, the importance of good customer service, as well as the concepts behind food and wine pairing. They will also meet wine experts who will show them how to determine quality of wines. This is targeted at wine retailers and importers to help them build up a credible portfolio of wines. Those in the Asian wine trade will also benefit from this sharing of expert knowledge.

Wine importers and wineries will also be able to take up table tops to display their wines. They can also approach WFA organisers to sponsor items such as wine glasses and decanters for the various sessions.

The cost of participation is S$1,500 for WFA 2009 exhibitors and S$2,000 for non-exhibitors. For details and registration, please contact Joel Lee at tel: +65 6393 0218 or email: joellee@mpinetwork.com
Delegation members can stay on in China after the mission to continue their dialogue with promising potential Chinese partners.

An aggressive marketing campaign

MP Wine Resources has mounted an aggressive marketing campaign in the major wine-producing countries to draw wineries and exporters to WFA2009. It has been working through a combination of wine bodies and associations, road shows and agents in major wine-producing countries to reach out to the international wine industry. Among other partners, the show organisers have tied up with agencies such as Austrade and Sopexa to market the show.

The organisers have marketed WFA 2009 via road shows in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam to attract visitors to the show, which has become a one-stop shopping venue for the region's wine industries. A roadshow will also be held in Malaysia.

According to industry research, Asia's wine market is expected to grow by between 10 to 20 percent per annum over the next five years, with China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Korea leading the charge.  The consumption value in Asia (excluding Japan) is expected to double, reaching US$17 billion in 2012 and jumping to US$27 billion in 2017.

Tax and GST savings for WFA 2009 exhibitors

Exhibitors stand to benefit from lower costs of participation in WFA 2009 as a result of the Singapore Government's waiver of duties and Goods and Services Tax (GST) on wines to be exhibited. This is an added draw for wineries and exporters - who want to get a share of the Asian wine import pie - to take part in WFA, which is a platform for them to make inroads into the region.

The new tax exemption incentive is granted on up to three bottles of wine per label per day. For a normal exhibitor showcasing between 20 to 30 labels, this will translate into a saving of between $1,800 to $2,700 for a three-day event like Wine For Asia - a substantial savings for the exhibitors that will encourage them to bring in more labels. The savings overall are likely to be between $630,000 and about S$1 million in total.

The tax exemption will also bring Singapore more in line with countries hosting similar wine trade events.

The Government's announcement on the exemption of duty and GST on wines in exhibitions and auctions is intended to take into account the effects of the current recession and to promote wine trading activities and to help Singapore's wine industry.

Asia's most comprehensive exhibition

WFA 2009 will occupy a total floor space of 5,800sqm, larger than the 5,100 sqm at last year's event. About 5,000 trade visitors from Asia and the Pacific are expected to turn up at the show.

Visitors to this year's WFA 2009 will be able to meet representatives and source from some 350 participating brands from some 20 countries. A plethora of wines will be showcased in country and regional pavilions put up by, Australia, California, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, and Spain.

Wine Business Forum

This forum facilitates discussion and the exchange of ideas on "Responding to the World Financial Crisis". With the current financial crisis reshaping the wine industry landscape, experts will share how we should respond to this crisis so that wine companies can come out stronger from it.

Wine Style Asia Award 2009

This award celebrates top quality wines that have potential to be successful in the Asian market.  Previous winners of this award have gone on to enjoy robust sales in the region. The award will culminate in a gala dinner on 21 October at a five-star hotel.

Admission is free for trade visitors who pre-register online before 15 October; onsite registration fee is S$15. For more information, please visit www.wineforasia.com