Import expo stretches out as exhibitors flock

According to organizers, the sixth edition of the annual China International Import Expo, set for Shanghai in November, will feature an exhibition area of 360,000 square meters and more Fortune Global 500 companies and industry-leading enterprises than last year.

Since May, the CIIE Bureau and regional commerce departments across the country have been coordinating a series of roadshow events in major cities to increase the number of participants. The most recent roadshows were held on Tuesday in Dandong, Liaoning province and Harbin, Heilongjiang province. They attracted attendees from a variety of sectors, including local governments, industries such as agriculture, transportation and food, and financial institutions such as the Bank of China Liaoning branch.

The Dandong roadshow featured exhibitors of food and agricultural products, technology and equipment in the CIIE that included CP Group, Zealong Organic Tea, Nestle, Rockwell Automation and Keyence. A total of 111 buyers attended the Dandong event, including Liaoning Cuncuntong Transportation and Dandong Yitai Trading.

Organizations such as the China National Chemical Information Center and China Association for the Promotion of International Agricultural Cooperation organized buyers to watch the event online. Government officials, including Wang Yuping, deputy director of the Liaoning Provincial Department of Commerce, Ding Shuwang, deputy special representative of the Dalian office of the Ministry of Commerce and Lyu Fei, vice-president of Bank of China Liaoning branch, delivered speeches at the Dandong roadshow. They said the investment promotion matched the demands of exhibitors and clients in advance, and facilitated precise business negotiations.

The CIIE is aiming to further optimize the experience of professional visitors while continuing to make efforts to enhance precise investment. Improving registration service, exhibition visitation, business negotiations and signing contracts are priorities, according to Ma Fengmin, CIIE Bureau financial director. The expo is also strengthening data empowerment to better connect exhibitors and clients in a precise manner, Ma added.

According to event officials, the CIIE Bureau will organize more investment promotion roadshow activities in various parts of the country based on local industries and the needs of exhibitors, while also initiating activities to further encourage the participation of exhibitors and clients.

At the Harbin roadshow, Ning Feng, president of the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), said: "Heilongjiang enterprises are welcome to attend the CIIE to share the achievement of high-level opening-up celebrated by the expo."

During the Harbin activity, Heilongjiang Jiusan Group signed a memorandum of cooperation with the CIIE for important buyers, along with a pledge to continue to participate in supply-demand matching and purchasing exhibition activities based on the CIIE international procurement platform.

Investment promotion organizations such as the China Fruit Marketing Association, Tianjin Meat Association and WWD China International Fashion News organized online viewings for buyers within the industries, and several other attendees participated in business matchmaking activities with exhibitors.

The Harbin roadshow also invited some exhibitors from the food and agriculture sectors to participate, including the Fonterra Group, the King's Court Estate Winery and consumer goods exhibitors BTW and Winza Jewelry.

Over the past five years, there were hundreds of such roadshows, attracting thousands of company buyers nationwide. As of now, a total of 26 roadshows have been held both online and offline. The general working format of the roadshows is to emphasize the effect of precise promotion. Based on the regional industrial layout and procurement needs, each roadshow activity will highlight one to two key exhibition sections in the CIIE.

Such events will introduce the overall information of the CIIE and then the product of key exhibitors in the related exhibition sections. Some business delegations, cooperative partners and industry organizations will also invite company buyers from relevant industries at the event.