Moscow — Philippine alcoholic beverages received a very hearty welcome at its Moscow debut in one of Russia’s primary trade shows for food and drinks and which had the largest exposition for alcoholic beverages in Eastern Europe and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
The Philippine Embassy in Moscow showcased world-class and award-winning Philippine alcoholic beverages at PRODEXPO 2020 which was held at the ExpoCenter in Moscow on 10-14 February 2020.
The Philippine Embassy exhibit had an average of 60 daily visitors which included potential buyers and social media influencers. This is the first time that the Philippines and its alcoholic drinks joined this key trade fair.
Philippine Ambassador to Russia Carlos D. Sorreta said that the Philippine Embassy Exhibit attracted the interest of many visitors to PRODEXPO 2020 because of greater awareness in Russia of the Philippines. “There is greater knowledge now of our country, our people, history, art and culture as well of our various products. This is a result of our closer relations and the efforts of both the Philippines and Russia to better understand each other,” Ambassador Sorreta explained.
Visitors from all over Russia, Eastern Europe and CIS region were briefed on the products at the Embassy booth before their tastings. They were also given brochures in the Russian language featuring the profile of the four Philippine liquor companies displayed at the Embassy booth, which include the contact details of company representatives. Their responses and reactions were very encouraging. Most of the visitors were curious about the ingredients used and its sources, market prices, company profile of the product, while others asked about recommended pairings with local cuisine.
“Those who visited our exhibit for a taste of our drinks were not disappointed. All praised the great quality and unique flavors of our drinks as well as the excellent bottling and packaging,” the Ambassador said. “We made many important contacts and we will be pursuing these with vigor and we hope that soon we will be seeing our liquor in Russia.”
Ambassador Sorreta said that there has already been a success story with the launching of San Miguel Beer last year at the Philippine Embassy and that “San Miguel Beer is now available in select Russian stores and we hope to increase the number of retailers.”
“Our Embassy Exhibit at PRODEXPO 2020 served as an important industry introduction. This is the first time we participated in a major trade show with our alcoholic drinks,” Ambassador Sorreta said, adding “we have been aggressively promoting this product and even had a special tasting reception last year. But there is nothing quite like joining a trade show of this magnitude.”
PRODEXPO is Russia’s largest trade show in terms of exhibition space, professional interest and market coverage with over 100,000 square meters of exhibition space, and more than 2,600 exhibitors from 70 countries (https://www.prod-expo.ru).
“In promoting our products, there is nothing quite like being able to actually taste and savor them, to hold the bottles in their hands and to fully appreciate everything that comes with a great liquor or beer. For this we are very grateful to our private sector partners Destileria Limtuaco, La Tondeña Distillers, Tanduay Distillers, and San Miguel Breweries for providing us with their great products,” Ambassador Sorreta said.
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For more information, visit https://www.moscowpe.dfa.gov.ph, or https://www.facebook.com/PHLinRussia/ or https://twitter.com/phlinrussia.
