EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Bolstering Business, Networking an Guillaume Deglise - Chief Executive Officer of Vinexpo – talks about ® Johann Sauty. This will be the first Vinexpo for the organisation’s CEO, Guillaume Deglise “at the helm”… We asked him what will be different about the way the show is run under his leadership… Guillaume Deglise Chief Executive Officer of Vinexpo Since September 2013, Guillaume Deglise has assumed the position of CEO of Vinexpo and Vinexpo Overseas. A graduate of the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce of Dijon in 1996, Guillaume Deglise took the position of Export Manager for Bollinger Champagne in 1998. An exemplary and highly recognised career in the wine business ensued, more particularly within the champagne sector: following on from Bollinger, he joined the team of Champagne Laurent Perrier from 2002 to 2013, where he successively held the positions of regional Export Manager, Director for Asia-Pacific and Managing Director of the subsidiary of the group in Switzerland. Armed with this solid experience, Guillaume Deglise arrived at Vinexpo in 2013 to further raise the values of the show in France and worldwide. He relies for this on a team that has demonstrated – in Bordeaux as well as in Hong Kong – exceptional know-how when it comes to the organisation of trade fairs in the wines and spirits sector. Vinexpo has always been a great business place to be, but we thought it was time for a major evolution, as the industry itself is changing fast. Vinexpo is much more than just a trade show, and we have built up a new strategy around three main strands: business, networking and service. VINEXPO IS MUCH MORE THAN JUST A TRADE SHOW, AND WE HAVE BUILT UP A NEW STRATEGY AROUND THREE MAIN STRANDS: BUSINESS, NETWORKING AND SERVICE What will be “new”, of note, this year at Vinexpo? The change will be visible with the arrival of the tramline from downtown Bordeaux to the Exhibition Center, and through a new waterfront, which will gather the restaurants, the Club for VIP visitors and the new premium stands, called Les Terrasses. We have also strengthened the business part of Vinexpo with the One-to-Wine service, which organizes business meetings between exhibitors and visitors. Last but not least, Vinexpo’s official parties “The Blend” are open every night to all badge holders at the Hangar 14, in the center of Bordeaux. We look forward to welcoming everyone there for a glass or two… Please tell us a little more about the conferences and tastings Vinexpo will be organizing this year? The Vinexpo Academy will be a genuine platform for discoveries, networking and ideas, and will be offering a broad array of tastings and talks. These tastings will feature wines from around the globe. The master classes will also include organic wine tastings and a blind tasting led by Paolo Basso, voted the world’s best sommelier in 2013. Talks will focus on subjects as diverse as the US market, with a special talk entitled “Inside the US wine market”, moderated by Tom Matthews, editor of Wine Spectator, speakers will be a panel of key players in the US market. Food will also play an important role in some of the exhibition’s master classes. Gault & Millau, the renowned French food guide, is organising a series of wine and food pairing workshops starring duos of top chefs and sommeliers. The duos will demonstrate how to pair the various textures, flavours and aromas of different wines and foods. What are the main market developments affecting the sector as the gates open at Vinexpo Bordeaux? There are a number of reasons to be optimist: The Americas now takes on the baton as engine of global wine growth, the Chinese distribution is getting more mature, there are signs of an economic upturn in Europe, new growth markets are emerging and a new generation of consumers is arriving. Vinexpo is a picture of all these trends. Don’t miss our trade talks on two different but key markets for the future: On Tuesday 16 th June at 10:00 am, we organize with our partner Wine Spectator a conference on the US market. On the next day at 10:00 am, we shall discuss about the emerging African markets. Both conferences are open to all Vinexpo participants. What are the key trends at Vinexpo in terms of exhibitors? There are 2,350 exhibitors from 42 countries this year. Visitors will have the chance to test two other initiatives of the Vinexpo team: three tasting flights are organized to strengthen three categories which are major trends in the global market: rosé wines, sparkling wines and sweet wines. There is also SPIRITUAL, a 10 VINEXPO DAILY / PREVIEW EDITION / TUESDAY 9 TH JUNE 2015
d Service at Vinexpo this year’s “big event”… NEWS @ VINEXPO “LES TERRASSES” The new premium concept has attracted 12 brands and prestigious houses, which is 2 times more than the former “Club du Lac”. Placed at the heart of the event, these companies benefit from optimal visibility, thanks to a double-opening of their stand - both towards the Interior of Hall 1 and the Lake. Companies include Baron Philippe de Rothschild, les Grands Chais de France, Champagne Deutz, the champagnes Lanson, Tsarine, and Besserat de Bellefon, Chilean exhibitor Viña Concha y Toro, the Tuscan Tenute Piccini, Advini, group Thiénot, Bordeaux trader Borie Manoux, the Taillan group, the Boisset group, as well as the new association of Italian premium wineries “Italian Signature Wines”. Its members include famous vineyards such as Tenute Allegrini, Feudi di San Georgio, Fontanafredda, Planeta and Frescobaldi. concept-bar on Spirits which we had successfully launched in Hong Kong last year, and which comes to Bordeaux for the first time. And in terms of trade visitors… How are their numbers and source markets evolving? We expect more than 45,000 visitors from about 120 countries. Vinexpo has always been a major show for visitors from the Americas and from Asia- Pacific. This year again we expect the greatest buyers from these two regions to come to Bordeaux. But Europe is also key to us, especially as some European market are showing signs of recovery. What will be new in terms of Gastronomy? As part of its “facelift”, Vinexpo wanted to forther bolster the already strong connections between the world of wines and spirits and that of gastronomy. This is why the show has given a choice place to cuisine, an indispensable partner of the industry. There is a diverse and qualitative choice of restaurants, as well as food and wine workshops, hosted by renowned sommeliers and chefs. Finally, what is Vinexpo going to be like in 10 years? Vinexpo will be the leading partner of the industry of wines and spirits. Wherever our events take place, attendees will expect to find new opportunities for their business, to grow their network, but also to have a good time. After all, this is everything what our industry is about. WHEREVER OUR EVENTS TAKE PLACE, ATTENDEES WILL EXPECT TO FIND NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEIR BUSINESS, TO GROW THEIR NETWORK, BUT ALSO TO HAVE A GOOD TIME ONE2WINE MEETINGS One2Wine meetings are Vinexpo’s new highly targeted tool for business meetings allowing visitors (only to Club Vinexpo) to directly program the business meetings with producers proposing the products they seek - and exhibitors (only direct) meet buyers who are looking for the products they have for sale. The One2wine meeting concept is a personalized business meeting tool that saves time for everyone and makes one’s presence at the show even more effective. TASTING FLIGHTS Tasting Flights, the new concept of free tasting of Vinexpo, gives the keys to a fast, professional, international and comparative tasting. On the programme will be such things as the exploration of the emerging trends of roses and sparkling wines, as well as the rediscovery of sweet wines. Equipped with Enomatic distributors, guaranteeing at the same time protection against oxidation and an ideal serving temperature, each of the three Tasting Flight spaces is dedicated to 48 wines (16 for sparkling) of a single category but from different origins. Riedel glasses are available for tasting. The décor of the spaces has been produced in partnership with Fédération Française du Liège and the APCOR (Portuguese Cork Producer Association). Each wine has its datasheet, also indicating the location of the corresponding producer or dealer stand. This innovative concept, proposed in a resolutely modern and functional framework thus encourages visitors to go on to meet the producers of their new discoveries. SPIRITUAL For the first time at Vinexpo Bordeaux, a concept bar, SPIRITUAL, animated by Spirits Business magazine, is installed in the heart of Hall 3. The preparation of cocktails is a strong growing trend, and will be a highlight at Spiritual thanks to the participation of highly reputed Mixologists, members of the United States Bartenders’ Guild (USBG). Numerous workshops and tastings will reveal the secrets of cognacs, whiskies, vodkas and tequilas. 20 minute master classes by renowned specialists will highlight various aspects of wine tasting and the serving of spirits. Mixology classes will be held throughout the day. At the end of day the bartenders will twirl their bottles as part of the flair bartending competitions. VINEXPO DAILY / PREVIEW EDITION / TUESDAY 9 TH JUNE 2015 11
