HAIKOU, China, Dec. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The first phase of the Alcohol Innovation & Investment Conference (AIIC) 2022, themed "Innovation and Science for a Thriving Future", took place in Haikou, the capital city of South China's Hainan province, on December 21.
The conference was co-organized by the China National Association for Liquor and Spirits Circulation and the Hainan Provincial Council for the Promotion of International Trade, with guidance from the Hainan Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, and the support of the China Light Industry Enterprise Investment and Development Association, the Haikou Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Yunjiu, and HIMICE Communications Group.
The first phase of the conference adopted a combination of online and offline formats. The guests included government leaders, ambassadors to China, Nobel Prize laureates, academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, economists, university professors, industry experts, and leaders of wine industry associations from Sichuan, Chongqing, Henan, Yunnan, Hainan and other places. The guests gathered together to discuss topics related to innovation and investment in the wine industry.
A live broadcast of the conference, simulcast on Xinhua Finance, Sina Finance, Xinhua Credit, AIIC, Yunjiu Headline, Yunjiu Vision, HIMICE, and other platforms, was watched by 916,000 viewers. Journalists from Xinhua News Agency, China News Service, people.cn and other leading media organizations covered the event live.
The second phase of the conference will be held at the Hainan International Convention and Exhibition Center from February 20-23, 2023, where the story of the latest innovations across the wines and spirits sector will continue.
The conference is much anticipated by all with a stake or an interest in the sector
Lin Haiyun, a Class 2 inspector from the Hainan Provincial Department of Commerce, said in his speech that the AIIC has built a platform where questions about investment and financing, innovation and development, and new changes in consumer behavior in the liquor industry can be answered. As a domestic open highland and a hot land for entrepreneurship, Hainan is highly consistent with the goals and vision of the conference.
Wang Xinguo, president of the China National Association for Liquor and Spirits Circulation, explained that the conference focuses on innovation in all facets of liquor production, distribution, quality, and culture. The conference organizers also encourage the industry to overcome its inherent limitations and expand into new consumer markets. At the same time, the conference embraces new ideas and business models through collaborations with the financial, scientific, creative, and internet sectors.
Chen Hongliang, vice president of the Hainan Provincial Council for the Promotion of International Trade, said that the liquor industry has benefited considerably from some of the region's unique policies that led to the creation of the free trade port, among them, zero tariffs on multiple items, low tax rates, and improved accessibility for individuals and to transportation". All of these favorable policies have convinced a large number of businesses, including liquor producers and private equity funds, to invest in Hainan.
"It is the right time to hold AIIC 2022, the settlement of the conference in Haikou is a correct choice" Chen Hongliang said.
"The alcohol industry serves as a very important part of China's light industry," Li Guodu, chairman of the China Light Industry Enterprise Investment and Development Association, noted in his speech. The number of investment and financing events in the liquor industry this year totaled 53, an increase of 11% from the previous year, according to the association's monitoring data on investment institutions. The liquor sector remains one of the most favored by investors. "This conference provides an important platform where experts from industry, academia, the world of research, and venture capital firms can discuss the integrated development of the liquor industry."
Dumitru Braghis, Moldovan Ambassador to China, and Mbelwa Brighton Kairuki, Tanzanian Ambassador to China, shared their stories of how their countries developed the liquor industry and the opportunities in China.
Jules A. Hoffmann, the winner of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, discussed the connection between immune cells in the human body and the body's defense against Covid-19 infections.
Yao Jingyuan, a renowned economist, special researcher at the State Council Counselor's Office and former chief economist of the National Bureau of Statistics, delivered a speech entitled "Interpretation of the Strategic Plan for Expanding Domestic Demand and Opportunities for the Alcohol Industry".
Guests from the alcohol industry and elsewhere offer deep insights
At the conference, guests with specializations in many fields shared and discussed a variety of topics regarding innovation in technology, marketing and product creation as well as investment in the liquor sector.
Yang Weicai, senior researcher and director of the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology (IGDB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Liu Chunming, professor and dean of the School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences at Peking University, Su Zhou, executive vice president of Sanya Research Institute at China Agricultural University, and Han Beizhong, professor and doctoral tutor of the School of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering at China Agricultural University, participated in a roundtable discussion on "Seed Innovation and the Alcohol Industry".
Wu Fengchang, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and director of the State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment at the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Zhang Yiwu, a renowned cultural scholar and professor of the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Peking University, Qian Weihong, author of The Real World and professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at Peking University's School of Physics, and Deng Yida, professor and doctoral tutor at Hainan University's School of Materials Science and Engineering and special professor of the Ministry of Education, shared their views within their respective research fields.
Hou Xiaohai, chairman of China Resources Snow Breweries, Ding Jiachuan, managing director and global partner at Boston Consulting Group, and Shen Lixiong, special co-sponsor of the conference and co-founder and president of HIMICE Communications Group, shared their experiences concerning marketing innovation.
Hou Xiaohai said that the brewing sector is now in a period where the focus is on quality and will transition into one where the emphasis with be on organic and healthy products. The industry started out under a planned market economy and graduated to one which saw benefits being derived due to economies of scale. He added that we are now in a period where value is being achieved through a focus on quality, and is on course to transition towards organic and healthy fare. He expects that after the second quarter of next year, domestic beer consumption will increase.
Shen Lixiong believes that the marketing model is changing, tools are innovating, reaching and influencing consumers more efficiently, and making the marketing chain more efficient are always the core of marketing innovation in the wine industry. "Wine marketing innovation is not an optional question, but a mandatory question."
Liu Wen, a special co-sponsor of the conference and the founder and chief creative officer of Oracle Creative Design (OCD), and Jiang Li, founder of Qingdao Designer FM Alliance and head of Chenxin Gravity-Creative R&D Center, shared their experiences with creative innovation.
Yang Shoubin, founder of Chunguangli Industrial Capital Group and founding partner of Fenghou Capital, Wu Yifei, global partner of Fosun and chairman of Fuyu Wine Development Group, and Liu Xu, deputy director of China Light Industry Enterprise Investment and Development Association, shared and discussed innovation and investment strategies in the wine industry.
First release, first impression: new products, technologies, and services
As a highlight of the conference, a number of new products, technologies, and services were introduced.
Launch of the AIIC Industry Investment Fund
The AIIC Industry Investment Fund was rolled out globally at the first time. It is also the world's first venture capital fund focusing on the wine industry and one that will facilitate effective communication and collaboration between innovative entrepreneurs and industrial investors across the liquor industry.
Huang He, vice president, professor and doctoral tutor at Nanjing Normal University and special professor of the Ministry of Education, gave a presentation on the most recent research results from his team - "CRISPR Novel Reporter Probe Development and Its Application in Food Safety Detection".
Ryan, founder of China's new trendy brand Tumbo, shared his latest creative products and ideas under the tagline "Back to Happy Land with Tumbo in the Metaverse Era".
Gao Haibo, founder and CEO of Blue Whale, elaborated on the company's Social Customer Relationship Management (SCRM) solution - the first direct-to-customer (DTC) and private domain user intelligent operating system for the Chinese liquor sector.
Xu Yingjie, deputy general manager and chief brand officer of Baofeng Wine, shared the company's newest innovations.
The director of Event Wang's project department, one of the event managers and a leader in the convention and exhibition sector, gave a presentation on how its digital supply chain platform empowers the wine industry.
Chen Jun, director and co-founder of Haicang Wine, introduced their lineup of underwater wine cellars specialized in ageing wines under the sea's surface.
Wu Furong, deputy director of the China Convention, Exhibition and Event Society, unveiled a green exhibition platform for alcoholic products and beverages.
Zeng Fanhua, founder and CEO of Hainan Shanlan Wine, promoted the industry's new Shanlan wine category.
Moreover, Dai Meng, director of Content Cloud Strategy at Rabbitpre, presented three world-premiere products the firm had developed to help wineries experiment with marketing in the gen Z era.
New additions and improvements to the second phase of the conference are scheduled for February next year
At the conference, Qin Shuyao, a sponsor of the conference and founder of Yunjiu Media, discussed the topic "Why the Wine Industry Needs to Innovate".
Qin said that innovation has been crucial to the development of Chinese wine culture over the course of the country's wine history. Innovation is also the only path to success for all wine varieties and production regions worldwide. In his opinion, innovation will unquestionably be a determining factor in how long a company can survive in an increasingly competitive market. "AIIC was established specifically to support and encourage innovation in the wine business."
The second phase of the conference will be held from February 20-23, 2023, at the Hainan International Convention and Exhibition Center, and will feature more ground-breaking innovations.
Three major events are planned: a conference, an awards ceremony and an exhibition.
The conference portion consists of four forums: a plenary followed by sessions on marketing and creativity, wine investment, and innovation in technology. More than 100 speakers, including Nobel Prize winners and university scholars, will share the most recent research findings, content, products and cases relating to efforts to reach carbon-zero, artificial intelligence and automation, industrial digitalization and smart retail, innovation in the creation of new wines and spirits, and innovation in packaging materials.
The AIIC Award is a brand-new competition that emphasizes innovation and access to venture capital throughout the wine industry supply chain. The event creates two award categories—Innovation and Venture Capital—alongside awards in 30 annual award subcategories and a one-time 1 million RMB cash prize in an effort to identify, recognize and promote individuals, brands, businesses, and production areas that have delivered innovative and investment-related results across the globe. More than 400 projects have already registered for the competition.
An three-section exhibition highlighting innovation in the global wine industry—a public exhibition area, a theme exhibition area, and a first release area—will be set up alongside the conference. Leading winemakers including Guizhou Maotai, Luzhou Laojiao, Shanxi Fenjiu, and Xifengjiu will take part in the innovation display, along with other well-known brands, among them, Tencent WeChat, SAIC-GM-Wuling, and Seagull Watch.
Industrial investment is another highlight of the second phase. Investors including Chunguangli and Plum Ventures, and brokerage firms including CICC and Haitong Securities will introduce engaging content while conducting matchmaking exchanges with entrepreneurial projects that show innovation.
It should be noticed that the second phase of the conference, which will run for three days and four nights (for a total of 72 hours), will be the first large industry event since the pandemic and in 2023. The number of participants is expected to reach 2,500-3,000.
Additional concurrent events will be held during the conference, including the China Famous Wine Forum, the Fangzunhui Forum, the Southern Wine Industry Conference, the China Wine Industry Future E-Commerce Conference, the AIIC Award Ceremony, and the Wine Industry Qingyun Award Ceremony.
The conference will undertake every attempt to be low-carbon and environmentally friendly including the use of recycled paper supplies and green and low-carbon products. Other noteworthy examples of multiple scenarios and technology applications include real-time AI translation, smart middle platforms, targeted marketing, new wine retail outlets, and drone performances.
There is broad consensus that innovation and investment will become the keywords and primary themes of the future development of China's wine sector. The AIIC will be a crucial venue for global wine innovation, entrepreneurship, investment, and financing.
SOURCE Alcohol Innovation & Investment Conference 2022
