Vinitech-Sifel is the unmissable industry event for all players in the wine sector.
Emmanuel Viollet, manager of the trade show for almost two years now, gives us the insight into a multifaceted event which is not afraid to raise crucial questions.
What makes up Vinitech-Sifel’s DNA?
Contact lies at the heart of Vinitech-Sifel’s DNA; the whole wine-producing sector comes together here, alongside professionals from the arboriculture and vegetable production sectors. The event showcases the supply and demand market, offering buyers a rare chance to find all the information they need under a single roof. No other medium provides as much content! The vast range of vineyard, cellar and warehouse equipment, along with bottling and packaging solutions, attracted more than 45,000 professionals in 2022. This figure included 850 French and international exhibitors, and visitors from all around the world. Our success is also due to the mingling of complementary profiles, allowing exhibitors to meet with the full range of business players, from the technical director to the cellar master or marketing manager.
Preparations are currently under way for the 2024 edition of the show, from 26 to 28 November. What new features can we look forward to?
One of the major innovations is the opening of the ‘Go-to-Market’ hub. We developed this sector in response to visitor demand, to promote offers in the ‘downstream’ phase. Wine is being produced, but how do we promote it in an increasingly complex sales environment? The market is no longer what it was a few years ago. This latest hub to guide those selling wine will offer a range of new exhibitors, such as specialist communication agencies, consultants, and transport and logistics experts. This is a strategic focus point for Vinitech-Sifel, which will also be explored in the ‘export’ themes of the conference cycle.
As with every edition, innovation will form the beating heart of the show.
78% of our visitors come to Vinitech-Sifel to discover innovations. This is an essential aspect for the sector, which we develop in association with the Scientific and Technical Committee, and forms the core of the show’s open forum and conference programme. In keeping with the launch of the new hub, the Innovation Trophies will also include a ‘Go-to-Market’ category. As for the Start-up Village, it represents France’s largest gathering of innovative start-ups in this sector with some 50 companies present. The exhibition design has been revamped for this edition, to promote these companies and solutions.
What are the key concerns for exhibitors and visitors to the show right now?
There are plenty, but the first is adaptation to climate change. Knowing how to save the harvest is a major issue. You can lose everything in one hailstorm now. This question is also linked to transition, a societal theme which is omnipresent in our show. The aim is to produce differently by changing the whole approach to production, limiting inputs while respecting the sector’s economic constraints. Vinitech-Sifel also keeps a watchful eye on current societal trends, such as no/low alcohol, the potential of robotics and AI in the vineyard, as well as new containers, and much more.
