Through many years’ development, the convention and exhibition industry of Guangzhou has seen increasingly expanded size, extended industry chain, enhanced leading role and improved economic performance. This enables Guangzhou to stably rank among the top 3 cities of conventions and exhibitions of China. In 2015, the convention and exhibition industry of Guangzhou showed a new pattern featuring “obvious increase of exhibition activities and fast concentration of high-end conventions”, according to Guangzhou Global Convention and Exhibition Promotion Conference (Beijing) held in Beijing on July 27. The promotion conference was sponsored by Guangzhou Municipal Commission of Commerce and jointly organized by Guangzhou Lingnan International Business Group Co., Ltd and China Foreign Trade Guangzhou Exhibition General Corp.

 

Diao Ailin, deputy secretary general of the People’s Government of Guangzhou, delivered a speech at the conference. He said that the strategy for the development of the convention and exhibition industry of Guangzhou focuses on four points: first, relying on the advantages in business and trade to form up a cluster of international brand exhibitions; second, basing on key industries to develop high-quality specialized exhibitions; third, making great efforts to develop the convention industry and promote  a linked development of conventions, exhibitions and awards; fourth, implementing the “Internet Plus” mode and innovating the development mode of the convention and exhibition industry; fifth, optimizing software and hardware development and improving the ability to hold exhibitions and conventions.

 

At the promotion conference, Chen Yongfang, Deputy Director General of Guangzhou Municipal Commission of Commerce, introduced the environment and new opportunities of Guangzhou for the development of the convention and exhibition industry. Chen said that Guangzhou is now at a key stage for transformation of economic development mode and upgrading and optimization of industrial structure, and the development of the convention and exhibition economy is a steadfast strategic choice of Guangzhou. In the first quarter of 2016, the number of exhibitions held in Guangzhou, the exhibition area and the number of visitors to these exhibitions showed a stable increase. For the next step, Guangzhou will seize the chance to accelerate the integration of the convention and exhibition industry with three strategic hubs of Guangzhou. Support will be provided for national industrial chambers of commerce and associations as well as central enterprises to hold various conventions and brand exhibitions in Guangzhou. Great efforts will be made to encourage the practice to promote the development of conventions by the development of exhibitions and, in return, enhance the latter by the former. Leading convention and exhibition enterprises will be encouraged to cooperate in diversified forms with international top convention and exhibition enterprises in developing brand companies engaged in this industry and exploring ways to establish convention and exhibition groups. The modes of “conventions and exhibitions + industry” and “conventions and exhibitions + Internet” will be enhanced. The brand awareness as well as the international and specialized development of the convention and exhibition industry of Guangzhou will be improved.

 

Relevant data indicated that the convention and exhibition industry of Guangzhou showed a new pattern featuring “obvious increase of exhibition activities and fast concentration of high-end conventions” in 2015: a total of 482 exhibitions (sessions) were held at 20 main venues of Guangzhou, up 23% year-on-year; the accumulated exhibition area reached 8.617 million square meters; the conventions and exhibitions attracted 13.389 million attendees and visitors, up 2.4% year-on-year. In the first quarter of 2016, 116 exhibitions (sessions) were held at the main venues of Guangzhou, up 52.6% year-on-year; the accumulated exhibition area reached 2.009 million square meters, up 29% year-on-year; 1,766 conventions were held, up 6.3% year-on-year. Following a number of international conventions held in the first half of the year, including the Seventh Round FTA Negotiation between China and Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, the Second G20 Sherpa Meeting and the ASEM Media Dialogue on Connectivity, Guangzhou will hold the Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation, the 2016 China Business Roundtable (under cooperation with World Economic Forum) and other high-end conventions in the rest of the year. In the following two years, it will hold the 2017 Global Fortune Forum and the World Routes 2018.

 

Through the promotion conference, it was confirmed that the “2017 China Rubber Annual Meeting cum. China Rubber Industry Exhibition” and the “15^th PU China” will be held in Guangzhou. The convention and exhibition promotion activities and presentation of exhibition areas during the 6^th Expo Project Fair for International Cooperation recently held by the government of Guangzhou in Beijing won high praise of all circles related to the chambers of commerce and associations in Beijing, the key convention and exhibition associations of Guangzhou, convention and exhibition enterprises and related service enterprises.

 

Source: Translated from Invest Guangzhou, August 9, 2016