Canton Fair’s visitor numbers flat

News this week: The 117^th China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) concluded its spring edition on 5^th May at the China Import and Export Fair Complex. Organised by the China Foreign Trade Centre (CFTC), the organiser reported a year-on-year increase of 3% in the number of regular buyers to over 52,000. Compared with the autumn session in 2014, the number of overall buyers was mostly flat at 184,801 – originating from 216 countries and regions.

The CFTC reported the number of buyers from Asia, the Americas, Africa and Oceania showed encouraging year-on-year growth. Additionally, the number of buyers from countries relevant to China’s “One Belt, One Road” amounted to more than 80,000. Market weakness saw attendees from Europe drop by 18% compared to the autumn session to 30,383.

Chinese manufacturers of smart appliances used the Canton Fair to showcase their latest hi-tech products. Smart products by the likes of Haier, Midea and Chigo accounted for roughly half of the products exhibited by leading home appliance brands, in response to Beijing’s call for increased innovation.

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Reed Exhibitions signs partnership agreement with CFTC Group

News this week: Earlier this week, Reed Exhibitions and the China Foreign Trade Centre (Group) – CFTC Group – held a signing ceremony in Shanghai to announce their new strategic alliance agreement and partnership. Mr Wang Zhiping, chairman of CFTC Group and Mike Rusbridge, chairman of Reed Exhibitions, were representative signatories at the ceremony.

The CFTC Group is China’s leading state-owned enterprise with operations in event organising and is also an exhibition venue provider – including the recently opened National Exhibition and Convention Centre (Shanghai) in Hongqiao and the China Import and Export Fair Complex (Pazhou Complex). The partnership will result in regular executive meetings, resource sharing, professional talent cultivation, exhibition projects, organisation and venue cooperation.

Mike Rusbridge was quoted saying, “Reed’s commitment to China has never been stronger with our eight outstanding member companies who currently organise over 50 events covering 12 specialised industries nationwide. This new partnership will prove mutually beneficial in the joint projects that we intend to undertake together in China. This alliance will remain instrumental to the modernisation and sustained success of the industry.”

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CIFF September to relocate to Shanghai in 2015

News this week: The China Foreign Trade Centre (Group), or CFTC Group, organiser of the China International Furniture Fair (CIFF), has announced the September edition of CIFF will relocate to take place at Shanghai’s China Expo Complex in 2015. The new venue located in the Hongqiao District is currently under construction, and is expected to have a soft opening at the end of 2014 and to be fully operational by 2015.

Established in 1998, CIFF is held twice each year in March and September. According to the CFTC Group, the March edition will remain in Guangzhou at its current venue – the China Import and Export Fair Complex. The March 2013 edition of CIFF reportedly reached 680,000 m² and attracted more than 3,640 exhibitors from 29 countries and regions. The organiser also claimed more than 141,000 trade visitors attended the show over an eight-day period.

The CFTC Group also announced the March 2014 edition of CIFF Homedecor & Housewares segment has been extended by an extra day to 5 days at the request of its exhibitors and buyers.

This post is excerpted from BSG's weekly e-newsletter which is part of our subscription research service, BSG Tracker. Visit our website to find out more about this service. You can also follow us on Twitter for all the latest updates.