People's Daily Online, Haikou, November 19th (Reporter Li Xueshan) On the morning of November 18th, the AIIC 2023 Alcohol Industry Innovation and Investment Conference (hereinafter referred to as "AIIC 2023"), hosted by the China Alcoholic Drinks Circulation Association and specially supported by the China Light Industry Enterprise Investment and Development Association, the Department of Industry and Information Technology of Hainan Province, and the Department of Commerce of Hainan Province, opened at the Hainan International Convention and Exhibition Center. More than 2,000 representatives including experts and scholars from all over the country, representatives of government departments from production areas, famous alcohol enterprises, distributors, and enterprises from the alcohol industry chain attended the opening ceremony.
With the theme of "Great Changes: Breakthrough and Rebirth", during the conference, the organizer will hold more than 20 activities such as the plenary session, the roundtable meeting on alcohol industry innovation and investment, the forum on marketing and technological innovation, and the forum on business and creative innovation. It will also jointly release a number of industry reports on the alcohol industry with well-known business consulting agencies.
Facing the rapidly changing market environment, this conference has also been comprehensively upgraded. With more than 20 parallel activities, over 100 keynote speakers, and more than 2,000 participants from more than 10 countries and regions and over 500 enterprises, the scale is unprecedented. It creates a conference and exhibition framework of "forum + exhibition + festival + competition", presenting a more comprehensive picture of the current development of the global alcohol industry, exploring the future development path of the alcohol industry, further consolidating the foundation of the alcohol industry's development, and further promoting the healthy, high-quality, and sustainable development of the alcohol industry.
During the event, the conference specially set up the Alcohol Industry Innovation Exhibition and the Exhibition of Achievements of Famous Chinese Alcohol Brands, gathering nearly 150 international famous brands such as Wuliangye, Laimao, Langjiu, Luzhou Laojiao, and Shanghai Guijiu to participate in the exhibition. Three emerging production areas including Georgia, Gulin, and Zunyi made brilliant appearances.
The Hainan Alcoholic Beverage Lifestyle Carnival and Whiskey Festival, held for the first time, targeted young consumer groups and integrated various interactive gameplay such as the MBTI Tipsy Party. In the "Master Class" specially invited by the French Consulate and the Embassy of Georgia, wine masters gave on-site lectures. The "Master Class" of Loch Lomond Group (China), Kentucky Owl "GQ", and Spey Whiskey will also be held concurrently in the exhibition area to promote industry communication and learning.
Zhang Zhigang, the former deputy director of the Economic Committee of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and the former president of the China General Chamber of Commerce, delivered a keynote speech on "Industrial Changes" at the plenary session. He emphasized that economic recovery is a process of wave-like development and tortuous advancement, and the speed of China's economic recovery is leading among major economies in the world. "The alcohol industry is a promising industry. We must have the determination and confidence to overcome difficulties and strive to achieve the development goals for the whole year."
Wang Xinguo, the president of the China Alcoholic Drinks Circulation Association, pointed out at the opening ceremony that in 2023, the alcohol industry has entered a new adjustment cycle from production to the market: market share is accelerating to concentrate on famous alcohol brands and leading enterprises; new changes have emerged in the channel and circulation ends, and alcohol merchants urgently need to transform. Under the new challenges, Wang Xinguo suggested that on the one hand, the alcohol industry needs to actively embrace cutting-edge technologies, the intelligentization of alcohol production technology, and the digitalization of alcohol circulation and management; on the other hand, the industry should also firmly believe that "artificial intelligence cannot replace experienced masters". The alcohol industry is both ancient and young, and the value of traditional craftsmanship is unparalleled. Making good quality products, building renowned brands, and precipitating culture are the eternal themes of the alcohol industry.
Chen Lixiong, the co-founder of the AIIC Alcohol Industry Innovation and Investment Conference and the president of Zhihai Wangchao Communication Group, said in an interview: "The Hainan Free Trade Port has multiple attractions for the investment of alcohol enterprises. We talk about innovation in the highland of innovation and investment in the hot land of investment. The Alcohol Industry Innovation and Investment Conference will continue to explore new trends in the industry and work with countless new and old merchants to pursue a new blueprint for the alcohol industry."
Liu Liwu, the secretary of the Party Group and director of the Department of Industry and Information Technology of Hainan Province, introduced that in the past five years, various economic indicators in Hainan have been improving. The growth rate of business entities has ranked first in the country for 43 consecutive months, and the average annual growth rate of actual utilization of foreign capital is 63%. From January to September this year, Hainan's foreign investment was 3.048 billion US dollars, ranking seventh in the country. "The resilience, vitality, and potential of Hainan's economy are continuously emerging."
He said that the alcohol market in Hainan is an emerging market. The market size of the alcohol industry in Hainan is about 6 billion yuan, of which 60% is Baijiu (Chinese liquor), 30% is wine and beer. Baijiu, wine, and whiskey have great development potential in Hainan. Currently, investing in the alcohol industry in Hainan has advantages such as policies of the Free Trade Port, resource advantages, geographical location advantages, and environmental advantages. In the next step, as the policy system of the Hainan Free Trade Port is gradually established, the alcohol industry with high tariffs and high added value will have greater development space.
