(Harpers) - Prowein 2013 opened today in Dusseldorf looking to cement its increasingly respected position as the most important business wine event in the global wine industry. Well over 2,000 members o f the UK wine trade are expected to travel to Dusseldorf over the next three days looking to not only conduct business for the UK, but to increase their international distribution and partnerships. Martin Kember, UK wine consultant working with Follador International at Prowein, told Harpers: "In a way this is as much a London show as it is a Dusseldorf show."

He said it was somewhat ironic that the success over the years of the London International Wine Fair in establishing itself as an international show had paved the way for Prowein to grow to the size and scale it now has. Prowein 2013 has attracted 4,783 exhibitors, with some 40,000 international visitors expected over the next three days.