On 1-3 February 2010, the 24th Loire Valley Wine Trade Fair will be held in Angers. In 2009 this trade-only event, which gathers the Loire Valley’s entire vine & wine community, attracted more than 9,000 French and foreign buyers and hosted 600 exhibitors. It is thus consolidating its reputation as a truly international marketplace, promoting relationships and transactions between marketers and importers from Europe and the world. In 2010, the fair will confirm its role as a promoter of trade, especially beyond France. ABusiness Convention will again be held, enabling 100 exhibitors to meet with 40 new international buyers on a B2B basis. Another highlight will be the publication of the findings of a study, commissioned by the fair from market-research firm Opinion Way, on “the impact of the VAT reduction in the Horeca sector”. Remember that the Loire Valley is one of the leading wine-making areas in this distribution channel.

The Loire Valley Wine Trade Fair is recognised as an international marketplace for the vine & wine community. Of the professionals who attended, 13% came from European and other export markets. UK buyers are among the best represented: in 2009 they formed 21.4% of foreign visitors. This proportion has grown over the past three years: in 2006 they amounted to 17.6% of importers. Their profile is varied – wholesalers, agents, négociants, brokers, wine shops, etc. – but along with Belgian buyers, they are the foreign market with the strongest presence at the fair. Indeed, several operations are being run specifically for them: a daily tasting workshop held in English, information distributed in English during the fair, and English versions of the website and newsletter… Every effort is being made so the Brits feel at home.

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