A surge in visitors from Japan and China helped boost numbers at this year's Drinktec exhibition by 14%.

Japan doubled its representation at last week's event in Germany to 1,170 while Chinese visitors were up 45% to 1,423, organisers said today (27 September). Overall attendance at the 2013 show, which closed in Munich last Friday, stood at 66,886.

The MD of event host Messe München, Reinhard Pfeiffer, said: “The fact that around one-third of the trade visitors from abroad came from outside Europe is highly impressive. Drinktec has thus further consolidated and further expanded its status as the world´s most important meeting place for the beverage sector.”

According to a Messe München survey, 89% of exhibitors and 98% of visitors rated the show “excellent to good”.

The next Drinktec will be held from 11-15 September 2017, organisers said.

At the 2009 show, about 60,000 people attended, with 57% from outside Germany. This year, the proportion rose to 62%.