International fashion expo opens today in Guangxi capital

Nanning wants its fashion and exhibition business to develop more and help it become an international city, and it believes that two current events will get it on the road to doing just that.

It is holding the 2011 China International Business Culture Festival and the second China (Nanning) International Fashion Exposition, from June 17 to 20, at the International Convention and Exhibition Center.

The center has 2,000 booths occupied by exhibitors from 30 different countries and from most Chinese provinces and cities, in its 40,000-square-meter space, the vice-mayor, Li Zhiyong, emphasized.

"This year's expo is more focused on building brand names and expanding influence," Li added, noting that the sections have more world-famous luxury goods, and more fashionable cars on display this year.

"This is going to be a really grand festival, a place to experience international fashions, and just an ideal place for all visitors," he said.

The first Nanning exposition was held in 2010 and attracted around 230 representatives of the fashion business from China and overseas, and resulted in 1 billion yuan ($154 million) worth of trade. This year's event appears to be a massive improvement over that one.

Hosts of two events are the Nanning government, the Guangxi region's commerce bureau, and the International Trade Association of China.

Nanning, known as a "green city" because of its lush tropical foliage, is also the venue for the China-ASEAN Expo, and a China-ASEAN trade center.

(China Daily 06/17/2011 page12)