Suzhou's show man

A panoramic view of Suzhou International Expo Center

China's exhibition industry has developed rapidly in recent years and has become a prominent growth point in the country's economy.

However, of the dozens of large exhibition enterprises, only a small number actually post a profit while others can't make ends meet.

"My practice tells me that the best resolution to the problem is to communicate with the outside world and let people know about our strength in hosting large exhibitions and events with state-of-the-art facilities and services," Chen Gang, CEO of Suzhou International Expo Center Co Ltd, tells China Business Weekly.

A graduate from Dalian Fisheries University in 1988, Chen spent a few years working in the coastal city before returning to Suzhou, his hometown, in East China's Jiangsu province, in 1995.

He started his career as project manager in charge of investment and fund management for the administrative committee of Suzhou-Singapore Industrial Park.

Then in 2002, he was chosen from among several candidates to take charge of the construction of the Suzhou International Expo Centre (SIEC).

Though he had little knowledge of the exhibition industry, he saw its promise and believed it would become a booming sector.

He traveled around the country visiting heads of large exhibition centers in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and other cities, learning about the industry.

Meanwhile, he used the Internet to develop a global view of the business.

"When I learned that the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center is well-known in the business, I contacted Cliff Wallace, managing director of the center, by email. He was kind enough to reply immediately and later he became adviser to my center," Chen says.

With Wallace's help, Chen became acquainted with more people and visited major exhibition centers in Germany, Britain, Belgium, Italy and France in 2003, before SIEC formerly came to operation in 2004.

"The visits to those places was an eye-opener for me and I was further convinced that China's exhibition industry would contribute a lot to the national economy," Chen says.

Chen Gang

Almost all exhibition centers in China only serve as venue providers, which can be a waste of resources.

During Chen's visit to Germany, it dawned on him that the German model of self-organized exhibitions and events could be both resource-saving and profitable.

So from its inception in 2004, the SIEC has not only provided a venue for exhibitions and conferences, but also organizes its own events, which has helped nurture the local exhibition and conference market and has brought in more economic revenue.

Now the SIEC organizes independently several events each year, including the Suzhou Real Estate Sector Exhibition, Suzhou International Industry Exhibition, Tourism Trade Fair and the China International Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises Fair.

Chen has also been active in international exchanges in order to increase the SIEC's profile.

"I try to get to know people in the circle on every possible occasion and tell them about SIEC so that they remember and come to us when they plan exhibitions and events," Chen says.

His first SIEC promotion was at an international exhibition forum held in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong province, in 2003.

"I asked the organizer for a chance to make a speech but was first refused because our center had not started operation and few people had heard of us. But they finally agreed to give me a few minutes," Chen says.

His speech turned out to be a success and drew people's attention to the SIEC because he was the only Chinese participant who delivered a speech in English.

To establish an international exchange platform and cooperation network, the SIEC is now member of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) and the Society of Independent Show Organizers.

It also has close cooperative ties with more than 80 foreign embassies and consulates in China and 15 international commercial institutions.

Though the SIEC is relatively young, it is now among the industry' top six in China in terms of the number of exhibitions and revenue annually. Others include those in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Nanjing.

The SIEC's revenue has increased at an annual rate of 30 percent, reaching 42 million yuan in 2007.

"The SIEC has made great progress and I ascribe much of it to my young team and the team spirit of diligence and collaboration they have fostered over the years," Chen says.

Of the 95-person staff at an average age of 34, 85 percent hold a BA or higher and all of them speak good English.

"It is a recruitment requirement that we can communicate with foreign visitors in English as we host more international exhibitions and events," says Wang Yuan, head of the administrative division.

Another reason for the English requirement is that international employees are joining the team.

"I was lucky to be one of the first two foreigners to join Chen's team and I have no difficulties at all in communicating with my Chinese colleagues because they can all speak English," says Tom Ennis, a student from the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom, who is doing an internship at the SIEC.

"Another goal of mine is to build a platform for foreign businesses and enterprises to have their exhibitions in Suzhou and China," Chen says.

China organizes a number of exhibitions in other countries, yet not many countries know about China's exhibition capabilities.

"I want more people to know that we are capable of organizing large scale and quality exhibitions in Suzhou and China," Chen says.

In December 2007, Chen headed a delegation composed of exhibition organizers from Suzhou, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Hefei and Ningbo to attend the IAEE's Annual Meeting & Exhibition held in Las Vegas. It was the first time Chinese delegation appeared at the meeting

"During our stay there, we exchanged information and ideas with many people and visited the Las Vegas Convention Center, Sands Expo Convention Center and factories of the Freeman Group, from which we learned better ways of organizing exhibitions," Chen says.

The IAEE in July decided to launch its China Chapter in Suzhou to tap the potential market in China.

"It will be a big step for us to enter the international arena and promote the exhibition industry in our country," Chen says.

(China Daily 01/28/2008 page10)