WineStyle Hamburg
- a success story

WineStyle (www.winestyle.de) is an international wine trade fair for the public, held annually at the Deichtorhalle Hamburg. It has been organised in this venue by WMS Weinevents & Marketing Services GmbH since 2008 and has enjoyed increasing popularity since this date. While the number of exhibitors has continuously risen from an initial 67 to the recent 125, the number of visitors in 2011 rocketed from 3,000 to 5,000. This fully exploited, and in some cases exceeded, the exhibition hall’s capacity limits. In Hamburg, WineStyle serves a sales market that is highly regarded among direct marketing wine producers due to the inhabitants’ outstanding purchasing power (and willingness to make purchases!) and the city’s distance from any wine regions. However, even local specialist retailers and gastronomes now know this as a professionally organised event with exhibitors that offer outstanding quality at reasonable prices

Market potential is far from exhausted
WineStyle adds an Autumn date in 2012

As a traditional trading centre and the economic hub of Northern Germany, Hamburg has what it takes to host a wine event of far larger proportions than is possible in the Deichtorhalle. With more exhibitors, more seminars and more expertise, it would be possible to gain far greater media coverage for wine than has been possible to date and thus support the regional wine market as a whole. Following repeated exhibitor requests for an Autumn event to supplement the existing Spring event, WMS has booked ‘Hall H’ of the Congress Center Hamburg (CCH) for 17-18 November 2012. We are therefore delighted to have secured a venue for our exhibitors and partners that offers not only the best transport links in Hamburg but also sustainable growth opportunities.

The WineStyle trade fair concept

Despite its change of venue to the CCH, WineStyle will remain a public trade fair with a profile that is clearly tailored to wine. Wine, wine tourism and wine culture – that is the message! And this message will also be highlighted by an appealing seminar programme. Our experience has shown us that visitors value direct contact with the producers. They want an authentic experience, to feel good and to find out about wine-related topics. They often come to the trade fair with friends and acquaintances with whom they enjoy sharing their discoveries. WMS has taken this into account and created an open, communicative hall design. We have not installed any walls between the individual stands and are focussing our services and equipment on things that are professionally required: tasting counters, fridges, spittoons, wine coolers, glasses, water and bread – all in a perfect ‘all-inclusive’ exhibitor package.

The Costs

Compared to an art gallery, it costs a lot more to hire a congress hall and make it ‘cosy’. Despite this, we firmly believe that our concept justifies the additional costs. Exhibitors can book a 5 m2 (inline) stand for EUR 1,200.00 (plus VAT) or an 8 m2 (inline) stand for EUR 1,700.00. In both cases, the costs include a tasting counter and use of half a fridge. Where available, corner stands can be booked for a surcharge of EUR 200.00. Peninsula stands with an area of 10 m2 cost EUR 2,100.00 for the space alone. All prices are to be understood as ‘package prices’ and include the catalogue entry and the complete glasses/bread/water service.