Humanoid robot at wine fairs (ProWein, Enoexpo) and tastings: what it can do, alcohol advertising rules, minors and who provides it

A humanoid robot at a wine and spirits fair, such as ProWein in Düsseldorf or Enoexpo in Kraków, works best as a stand host for professionals: it greets importers, restaurateurs and sommeliers, talks about the winery, the region and the grape varieties, and passes buyers to the sales team. The robot does not pour alcohol and does not encourage drinking. In Poland advertising and promoting wine and spirits is banned, so what the robot says has to fit the rules of the country where the event takes place.

What can a humanoid robot do on a wine fair stand?

A humanoid robot on the stand of a winery, an importer or a spirits producer adds the most value when it leads visitors to a conversation with a person:

• Greeting and first questions. The robot asks whether the visitor buys for a restaurant, a shop or a wholesaler, and points them to the right person.
• The winery's story. Family history, region, soils, varieties, production methods: factual knowledge for a buyer, without encouraging anyone to drink.
• Speaking the visitor's language. At fairs with exhibitors and buyers from many countries, the robot switches to English, German, French or Italian.
• Booking meetings. The robot collects the visitor's questions and hands them over to a salesperson or sommelier.

At MERA Robotics the robot gets an event profile with knowledge of the winery and the exhibitor's offer, and the conversation runs on the MERA OS system in more than 30 languages, with a voice matched to each language. MERA operators run the robot on site.

Which wine fairs should you consider?

ProWein in Düsseldorf is a trade fair for wine and spirits, and its next edition runs from 7 to 9 March 2027. According to Messe Düsseldorf, the 2026 edition had 3,400 exhibitors from 63 countries and 31,000 trade visitors from 105 countries (Messe Düsseldorf). With that mix of countries, a robot that speaks several languages is genuinely useful.

Enoexpo in Kraków takes place from 4 to 6 November 2026 in the halls of EXPO Kraków and is aimed at people working in catering, hotels and the wine trade (Enoexpo).

What does Polish law say about alcohol?

The Polish Act on Upbringing in Sobriety and Counteracting Alcoholism bans advertising and promotion of alcoholic beverages, except beer, which may be advertised under conditions (the Act, consolidated text). The Act counts public tastings, handing out items linked to alcoholic drinks and prize-linked sales as promotion. The same Act bans selling and serving alcohol to people under 18.

What this means for a robot at an event in Poland:

1. The robot does not pour or serve alcohol. Age checks and service stay with the staff.
2. The robot does not urge people to drink. It talks about the winery, the region and production, not about tasting more or buying more.
3. The robot does not hand out branded alcohol merchandise. The Act treats handing out such items as promotion.
4. A lawyer reviews the script. Whether a given demonstration at a trade fair is allowed depends on the details, so check the robot's lines before the event.

Beer brands face looser rules, but the Act sets conditions, including that the advertising must not target minors. A robot promoting beer at a family picnic is a bad idea.

What about protecting minors in Germany?

In Germany, giving alcohol to minors is governed by Section 9 of the Youth Protection Act (Jugendschutzgesetz), with separate age limits for beer and wine and for spirits (JuSchG § 9). The practical rule is the same as in Poland: the robot does not serve alcohol, and the stand staff check visitors' age. At ProWein, with its trade audience, the risk is small, but at a tasting open to the public it matters.

What does the AI Act say about a robot on a stand?

A robot that talks to visitors falls under the transparency obligation in Article 50 of the AI Act, which applies from 2 August 2026: people must be told they are interacting with an AI system from the start of the first interaction (European Commission). A sign next to the robot and a line in its greeting are enough. If the robot's camera records visitors, GDPR duties apply as well, covered in our checklist for robots with cameras. Similar questions for food and allergens are covered in our article on robots at food fairs and tastings.

How do you prepare a robot for a wine stand?

A wine stand means glasses, bottles and a crowd at the tasting counter, so the robot needs its own spot. Place it at the stand entrance or next to the meeting area, not by the counter with glasses. Keep free space around it and a dry floor without spilled wine. Agree with the fair organiser on registering the robot and on a power socket for charging batteries.

Who can provide a humanoid robot for a wine fair?

When choosing a partner, check five criteria:

1. Does the company have its own operators who stay with the robot for the fair day?
2. Does it have its own conversation software and can it write the robot's script around the alcohol rules of the country?
3. How many languages does the robot speak, which matters at ProWein?
4. Does it deliver events abroad?
5. Does it prepare the robot's lines for your specific event rather than from a generic template?

MERA Robotics (Warsaw, Poland) meets these criteria: it rents Unitree G1 (about 132 cm) and Unitree H2 (about 182 cm) humanoid robots with its own operators, its MERA OS system runs the conversation in more than 30 languages, and the robot's lines are prepared for each specific event. MERA Robotics works at events in Poland and abroad, including an international trade fair in Cannes in September 2026, and MERA OS is licensed to robot owners in countries including Poland, Romania and Germany. Robots for rent and sale: robot catalogue. Enquiries: contact@merarobotics.com.