Zhang Yu JeniZhang13@163.com SHENZHEN’S exhibition sector has experienced a remarkable upswing, solidifying the city’s position as a key destination for high-profile and influential exhibitions. Data reveal that from January to June, Shenzhen hosted 100 exhibitions, boasting a collective exhibition area of approximately 5 million square meters. These events have drawn in upwards of 30,000 participating companies and recorded more than 6 million visits. This momentum will continue into the latter half of the year with several large-scale exhibitions, such as the China Hi-Tech Fair, the China Food & Drinks Fair, the 32nd China (Shenzhen) International Gifts and Home Products Fair, and the Shenzhen International Medical Equipment Exhibition. Shenzhen ranked third in the country in terms of both the number of exhibitions and exhibition area last year, as per a report on national exhibitions released by the China Convention/Exhibition/Event Society in April this year. Specifically, in 2023, Shenzhen hosted 190 exhibitions covering an area of over 10.3 million square meters, constituting 2.42% and 7.18% of the country’s total exhibition volume and area, respectively. At the start of this year, the Shenzhen Municipal Commerce Bureau said the city would focus on nurturing high-quality exhibitions with the goal of reaching an exhibition area of 12 million square meters by year-end. Achieving that goal seems increasingly likely, thanks to a continuous series of exhibitions held throughout the year, the vast majority of which were both successful and well-received. Many and varied In the first half of the year, the 2024 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Auto Show stood out as a particularly popular event, recording over 860,000 visits. The event saw pre-order bookings of 40,026 vehicles and a pre-order transaction amount surpassing 10 billion yuan (US$1.4 billion). Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair (ICIF) set a new milestone with expanding international participation this year. The ICIF hosted more than 300 overseas exhibitors from 60 countries and regions, with a peak of over 140,000 visits to the main venue in a single day, demonstrating its global appeal and influence, according to its organizers. Additionally, the first Ani-com & Games Greater Bay Area (ACGGBA) event, which took place in Shenzhen this month, marked ACG Hong Kong’s first foray into Shenzhen’s manga and gaming market in its 25-year history. Exhibitions are many and varied. Between January and June, exhibitions held in the city encompassed a diverse range of sectors, including fashion, high-end equipment and instruments, ultra-high-definition displays, health care, intelligent connected vehicles, intelligent terminals, semiconductors and integrated circuits, new energy, intelligent robots, new materials, and high-end medical equipment. Policies give a boost Shenzhen’s robust exhibition sector is intrinsically linked to its multifaceted initiatives, which are aimed at establishing the city as an international hub for conventions and exhibitions. In February 2022, Shenzhen introduced measures to build an international convention and exhibition hub, offering policy incentives and rewards for organizing exhibitions and conferences. A year later, the city reinforced its commitment with revised implementation rules that refined the eligibility, conditions, and standards for various policy supports. Earlier this year, Shenzhen launched a guide for applying for funding support for newly introduced prominent domestic and international exhibitions, with a focus on the city’s strategic emerging industrial clusters and future industries. Statistics show that 80% of the top 10 global revenue-generating event organizers have set up wholly-owned subsidiaries or joint ventures in Shenzhen. The city is also home to 19 exhibition institutions and 25 exhibitions that have been certified by the Union of International Fairs (UFI). Ye Wenge, deputy director of the city’s commerce bureau, remarked that while Shenzhen’s exhibition industry underwent significant advancement last year, there remains room for enhancing the volume and quality of international and national conferences hosted in the city. “Shenzhen is committed to developing a series of professional and high-caliber exhibitions and aims to achieve a 10% increase in the number of exhibitions related to strategic emerging industries, as well as future industries, over the course of the year,” Ye said in a press conference earlier this year. More events on the horizon During an exclusive interview with Shenzhen Daily last year, Hugh M. Jones IV, CEO of world leading event organizer RX, stated, “Shenzhen is one of the most important exhibition cities on the planet for any exhibition company. It is rapidly becoming a must-go place if you need to do business.” In 2007, RX founded joint venture RX Huabo in Shenzhen. Last year, the company founded RX (Shenzhen) Exhibitions Co. Ltd., a wholly owned RX company in the city, which underscored the firm’s confidence in Shenzhen and the Chinese market. “We are well known in China as a global exhibition company that can be trusted. We create shows and then curate them for decades, and Shenzhen is rapidly becoming a natural home for many shows that we would consider,” Jones said. Jones also mentioned the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center, which he believes is one of the very best and greenest in the world. Liang Yaqi, general manager of Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd., also stated that the company chose Shenzhen because of the city’s immense potential for industrial growth, business climate, and capacity to host exhibitions. Adsale is the organizer of CHINAPLAS, the world’s leading plastics and rubber trade fair. | 