In reaction to the pandemic-driven need to allow 1.5m between visitors, ProWein has radically rearranged its exhibition layout.
German exhibitors, for example, will move from their previous location in Halls 13 and 14 to Halls 1 and 4 which were not previously used for the event, while Austrian exhibitors will shift from Hall 17 to Hall 5. France, Spain and the overseas countries will also have to pack their bags. The smallest change will be for the Italian exhibitors, who will continue to exhibit in Halls 15, 16 and additionally 17. The new spacious daylight in Hall 1 will certainly be welcomed by many German exhibitors.
The provision of the extra space for the visitors has meant that aisles have been widened to six metres to include one-and-a-half metre margins on each side. This allows visitors to taste wines at the exhibitors' counters from the aisles as before and prevented exhibitors from having to reduce the size of their stands, explains the event director Bastian Mingers.
Without these measures, if the exhibition had stuck to the old floorplan, only 24,000 people (visitors and exhibitors together) would have been allowed to move around the fairgrounds. With the expanded area, the maximum possible number of visitors almost reaches the capacity that was reached on the Sunday of the 2019 fair, with a peak of 45,000 people,
Mingers says that bookings from exhibitors are already at a strong level. “From the EU-Schengen area, around 60,000 square metres of space are now occupied, compared with a total net occupied area of 74,000 square metres for the last ProWein in 2019."
Mingers continued that, with the exception of Australia and New Zealand, which are still subject to strict travel restrictions and have already announced they will not be attending, all of the other non-European producing regions are represented, including South Africa, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay California, Oregon and Washington State. The Californian Wine Institute, for example, is already fully booked with 600 square metres, 65 exhibitors and 200 wine producers.
The probable new hall plan for ProWein 2022
Halls 1, 4 and 5: Germany
Hall 5: Austria and Europe
Hall 7.0: same but different
Halls 9 to 11: France
Hall 11: Europe and spirits
Hall 12: Overseas
Hall 13: Portugal
Halls 13 and 14: Spain
Hall 15: Europe
Halls 15 to 17: Italy
Hall 17: Europe
