Barcelona Wine Week (BWW), the leading trade show in quality Spanish wine, is taking the leap from one to two pavilions in 2025, to meet the high demand from both exhibitors and visitors alike. What will the new space be like? And what objectives have the organisation set for the next edition? In this interview, Céline Pérez, the event’s director, gives us a preview of the keys to BWW 2025.
After the success of the last edition, BWW will be expanding in 2025 and go from filling one to two pavilions of Fira Barcelona. What brought you to that decision?
Meeting the high demand for participation from our exhibitors and visitors. Growth wasn’t exactly an objective in itself, rather it was the response to the high demand and interest in being at Barcelona Wine Week 2025. The trade show has grown by 34% in just four editions, and this February we closed with record numbers: 952 exhibiting wineries from all over Spain, 73 DOs and over 21,000 professional visitors, 20% of whom were international. These figures went far beyond all our expectations. It’s clear that the show’s success reflects the success of the industry itself, which is at a crucial moment in its history.
How will the model of quality and distinction that is the event’s hallmark be maintained?
We remain committed to our main goal: provide an inclusive, high-quality platform that best showcases Spanish wine to the international stakeholders in the market. In 2025 we will grow in all key performance indicators, but our priorities shall always be excellence and quality. We will continue offering our exhibitors great business opportunities and our visitors a veritable immersive journey through the Spanish winemaking regions, and remain being a hub for knowledge on the latest trends, the great challenges ahead and the most renowned experts. We will do so with the help of the MAPA, FEV, ICEX and CERCV, who have all been loyal partners in making sure Barcelona Wine Week remains an international beacon in the world of wine.
How will the different industries represented be distributed in the new location?
We will be offering an equal experience in both pavilions, with the same participation models and ensuring a balanced distribution of all sectors and activities. To do this, the exhibition space will once again be divided into three main areas: BWW Lands, which will bring together the wineries organised by Designations of Origin and other quality seals; BWW Brands, with wineries, groups, distributors and producer associations; and BWW Complements & Tech, with companies offering equipment, accessories and services. Let’s not forget BWW Collectives and BWW Impulse with small business and microwineries from all over Spain.
Will business once again be the show’s leitmotiv?
Of course. Our task consists of holding a B2B fair, but our goal goes further: we create a space where the business community can interact and work, connecting buyers and sellers face to face to generate business over the long term. This remains our main priority: the sight of exhibitors busy with plenty of buyers packing their stands, closing preliminary business deals.
Will BBW’s partnership with ICEX once again bring the show key international buyers in the export of Spanish wine?
We are convinced that the need for an internationalisation strategy is paramount for Spanish wineries. That’s why at BWW 2025 we will further strengthen our trade strategy to offer participating companies with real growth opportunities, both in the Spanish market and in priority countries for Spanish exports. To do this, we will once again count on our partnership with ICEX and MAPA. Together, we will be inviting 700 key international buyer to the event—50 more than the previous edition—who come from strategic markets such as the United States, Germany, Canada, Netherlands, China and the United Kingdom. What’s more, we will once again have a programme directed towards the domestic market to ensure the attendance of the key buyers from our own country.
How did visitors rate their experience at the previous edition?
The satisfaction surveys have come back with very high scores: 90% of the professionals who have visited us consider the show to have met their expectations. What they value most is the possibility of finding such a well-structured pictures of Spanish wines in a single trade show, with all its winemaking regions, one that highlights its rich diversity.
In addition, 75% of buyers report having closed at least one business deal during the trade show days. That is a very high indicator, clear proof that we have a working model.