Are you looking for expanding your wine business? Planning on entering the China market but want more updated market information?

To help buyers and exhibitors realise those opportunities, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council will organise a high-level Wine Industry Conference on 7 November 2013, on the occasion of the HKTDC Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair 2013, to gather industry experts for exchanging ideas on the Conference theme “Driving Growth: Global Wine Industry Trends” . Like previous editions, Ms Debra Meiburg MW will be the programme advisor and moderator to facilitate a fruitful discussion among the panelists and audience.

You will be able to get professional insights and identify new business opportunities by attending this event with the well-known wine industry experts from all around the world.

Please register Limited seating is on first-come-first-served basis.

	Programme Advisor and Moderator: Ms Debra Meiburg MW Director of Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition A resident of Hong Kong for nearly 25 years, Debra Meiburg MW is an award –winning author and speaker who holds the top honour in wine world: Master of Wine. She has spoken for key political figures and business leaders across Asia about the finer points of wine appreciation, and for wine regions on 6 continents about Asian wine markets. Meiburg Wine Media, her multimedia platform for wine “edutainment” reaches over 60 million Chinese viewers monthly through online videos, taxi videos and a wine travel television show called Taste the Wine. Debra is a widely respected wine judge and champion of the wine trade in Asia, and founded the first truly Asian wine competition, the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition, as well as the Guide to the Hong Kong Trade.
	Topic: Grape Leap Forward – Key Trends in the Chinese Wine Industry Keynote Speaker: Mr Li DeMei Vice General Secretary China Wine Association Associate Professor of Wine Tasting and Enology, Beijing Agriculture College Arguably China’s finest winemaker, Li Demei trained as enologist at the prestigious ENITA de Bordeaux. He was attached to Chateau Palmer during the 2001 vintage. Today, Li lectures at the Beijing Agriculture College and is also a guest lecturer at ESA in Angers, France. He was the first Chief Winemaker of the Chinese-French government-joint venture CFM vineyard and winery. A consultant to several wineries in China, one won International Trophy in Decanter World Wine Award in London 2011. He was invited as the judge for several wine challenges in Singapore, HK as well as in Europe. For His improvement and development of Chinese wines, he won 2012 Wine Intelligence 10-for-10 Business Award, on the Decanter Power list 2013 and RVF’s Man of the year in Chinese wine industry. Li Demei is also a contributor and editorial consultant for several magazines in China, and regular contributor for DecanterChina.com. He published two books on wine.
	Topic: The Future of The Wine Advocate in the Asian Landscape Panel Speaker: Ms Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW Editor in Chief The Wine Advocate and eRobertParker.com Born and raised in Maine, USA, Lisa’s wine career began in the UK more than 20 years ago. She moved to Tokyo in 2002, working as a wine buyer for one of Japan’s top fine wine importers and a wine educator at Tokyo’s Academie du Vin. In 2008 Lisa achieved her Master of Wine qualification and the Madame Bollinger Medal for excellence in wine tasting. Now living in Singapore, she was recently appointed as Editor in Chief for Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and eRobertParker.com and remains the publication’s reviewer covering the wines of Australia and New Zealand.
	Topic: ‘Counterfeits and Fakes: Issues Facing Asian Markets and What Can be Done About it’ Panel Speaker: Ms Maureen Downey Ms Maureen Downey worked at brick-and-mortar wine auction houses as a fine & rare wine auction specialist, for over six years. In 2006, Maureen formed Chai Consulting, a private wine collection management firm with offices in San Francisco and London, providing services to clients around the globe. She is passionate about combating wine fraud as an internationally renowned expert in wine authentication.She is also a recognized expert in fine and rare wine inventory management, appraisal, valuation and financial trends of global fine wine markets and is an active wine judge. In December 2012, Drinks Business listed Maureen as one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in the World of Wine.
	Topic: Spanish with Emotions Panel Speaker: Mr Ferran Centelles Collaborator of www.jancisrobinson.com for Spanish Wine, Co-founder of Outlook Wine – The Barcelona Wine School Wine Specialist for website – jancisrobinson.com Selection Panelist for Spanish retail website - www.wineissocial.com (Sommelier at Michelin 3-star restaurant elBulli, 2000-2011) Ferran’s first academic steps were made in cookery schools (Joviat and Cett) and winemaking Schools (Escola Mercè Rossell i Domènech). At that time Ferran started as a stagier at elBulli restaurant and he has spent there the major part of his professional career (13 years within the sommelier team). He was awarded Best Sommelier in Spain in 2006 (Ruinart) and National Gastronomy Award in 2011. He started to teach about wine at the age of 23. Ferran has been judging in some international competitions such as Decanter World Wine Awards and Concours Mundial de Bruxelles. He recently has started a new collaboration with www.jancisrobinson.com as a Spanish wine specialist.