On August 6, 2020, the Shanghai Exhibition and Convention Industry Association held its fifth session, fourth board meeting at the Science Hall. Representatives from the Municipal Bureau of Commerce, the Coordination Office for the China International Fair for Trade in Services, the Municipal Exhibition and Convention Industry Promotion Center, the Pudong New Area Exhibition and Convention Industry Promotion Center, and the Qingpu District Bureau of Commerce attended the meeting. The meeting was chaired by the Association's Secretary-General, Mr. Jianqing Tu.

During this meeting, 103 member organizations participated, exceeding two-thirds of the total number of member organizations. The board reviewed and approved the Shanghai Exhibition and Convention Industry Association's first-half work report. The board also considered and approved the addition of five member organizations to the fifth board of the Shanghai Exhibition and Convention Industry Association, including Hannover Messe Milan Exhibition (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. The board also approved the appointment of Green Hotel Tourism Group and Shanghai National Exhibition and Convention Center Co., Ltd. as Vice Presidents of the fifth board of the Shanghai Exhibition and Convention Industry Association.


During the meeting, the Association President, Vice Secretary of the Party Committee, Sang Jingmin, presented the Association's work report, detailing the achievements from January to July 2020, which encompassed the following eight key areas:
1. In response to the pandemic, the association proactively took action. On January 27th, the association issued the first industry-specific call to action, urging exhibition companies to take on the responsibility of being the "first line of defense" and contributing to the fight against COVID-19. Subsequently, exhibition industry associations in Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and other provinces also issued similar calls. Following this, the association spearheaded a joint effort with major venues in Shanghai, including the National Exhibition Center (Shanghai), the New International Expo Center of Shanghai, the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition Center, and the Shanghai Exhibition Center, to facilitate more suitable and convenient scheduling for organizers and provide comprehensive solutions.
2. The secretariat actively cooperated with relevant government departments, including the Municipal Bureau of Commerce, to conduct various investigations and organize member companies to submit applications for support policies and participate in various seminars organized by the Municipal Bureau of Commerce. As a result, the Municipal Bureau of Commerce sent a letter of appreciation on February 19, fully acknowledging the association's efforts in carrying out various activities since the outbreak.
3. Actively address and respond to business needs, facilitating a phased and orderly resumption of operations.
① The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented disruption to the exhibition and convention industry. The secretariat has compiled information on the impact on member organizations and communicated this to relevant industry authorities through various channels.
② Association Chairman, Mr. Kang Jingmin, actively participated in a roundtable discussion organized by the State Council's survey team, Vice Minister Wang Suswen of the Ministry of Commerce, and Vice Mayor Xu Kunlin of Shanghai, and presented the industry's actual situation and the urgent need for resumption of operations.
③ In early May, when the outbreak was under control, the Association promptly submitted recommendations to the Municipal Commerce Bureau regarding the resumption of trade show activities in Shanghai, and drafted the "Shanghai Trade Show Industry COVID-19 Prevention and Control Guidelines" and the "Shanghai Trade Show Industry Scheduling Coordination Mechanism," playing a positive role in restarting the industry.
④ The association actively responded to and implemented the major deployment by the Central Committee and the State Council to accelerate the recovery and development of the industry. On May 25th, an online salon was held with the theme "New Approaches to Exhibition Development in the Face of the Pandemic." The salon explored innovative exhibition service models and industry development strategies in the context of new business operations for online exhibitions, attracting a total of 37,674 viewers.
⑤ Proactively provide members with legal consultation services related to the pandemic, and coordinate relationships between parties. This includes: (1) Collaborating with the Shanghai Exhibition and Convention Industry Promotion Center and the Shanghai Municipal Bar Association's Exhibition and Tourism Business Research Committee to launch the "Exhibition and Convention Industry Mandatory Legal Consultation Service" program, providing legal assistance to member organizations; and (2) Patiently addressing and guiding members through various complaint calls, fostering mutual understanding and resolving disputes.
4. The Association's Party Committee issued a call to all members, encouraging them to voluntarily donate, resulting in a total of 10,876 yuan collected from 116 members and prospective party members.
Member companies also took proactive measures, providing support to Wuhan, Hubei, based on their specific needs. Companies such as Shanghai Bohua International Exhibition Co., Ltd., Shanghai Xinyue International Cargo Transport Agency Co., Ltd., and member company Omate Exhibition Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. organized employee fundraising campaigns; member company Yidai Environmental Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. purchased 100 sets of protective suits from Dubai and directly delivered them to the central hospital in Enshi City, Hubei Province.
5、 Membership Growth in the First Half of the Year. As of July 15, 2020, the association has 609 active members, an increase of 38 members compared to the end of 2019.
6. Presentation Engineering Project Qualification Review Results. In the first half of 2020, 12 presentation engineering companies successfully completed the qualification review process. An additional 16 companies are currently undergoing the initial review process, with results to be announced in the near future.
As of the current date, the association's member companies with Level 1, 2, and 3 exhibition and trade show project qualification are 75, 59, and 37, respectively, totaling 171 companies.
7. Actively cooperate with the government to implement the "Shanghai Exhibition and Convention Industry Regulations." The association has disseminated the regulations through various channels. In addition, to support the enactment of the regulations, the association, in collaboration with the Lawyers' Association, has released sample texts for "Exhibition Contracts" and "Venue Rental Contracts." As the first legal and regulatory framework for the exhibition and convention industry nationwide, the Shanghai exhibition and convention industry environment will be more standardized and orderly, and the business environment for the Shanghai exhibition and convention industry will be further optimized.
8、The Association's Party Committee held an election to form a new Party Committee and Discipline Committee. The meeting included: firstly, the acceptance and approval of a work report presented by the Association's Party Committee Secretary, Mr. Chen Jianxin, entitled "Striving Forward in a New Era: Upholding Mission and Promoting Development, and Striving to Build the Association's Party Committee into a Strong Combat Force for High-Quality Development of the Shanghai Exhibition and Convention Industry"; secondly, the election of a new Party Committee consisting of seven members and a Discipline Committee consisting of three members.
Additionally, Mr. Sang Ke Ming, Chairman, outlined the following six key areas for the organization's work in the second half of 2020:
One key initiative involves conducting research and organizing forums and salons to address member concerns regarding innovative service models in the context of ongoing pandemic prevention and control, and to bolster confidence in the industry's development. This initiative also includes the development of a "Green Exhibition" accreditation program.
Two. Collaborate with the Municipal Commerce Bureau to conduct offline and online legal awareness campaigns for businesses within the city's convention and exhibition industry, in accordance with the relevant regulations.
Third, collaborate with the Greater Bay Area integration strategy by launching the Greater Bay Area Convention Alliance.
Four: Continue to support and promote the Canton Fair, actively recommending qualified member organizations to participate in providing services at the Canton Fair.
Five: To refine and optimize the structure and mechanisms of specialized committees, conducting a comprehensive review and organizing relevant activities for each committee.
Six: Continue to conduct thorough reviews of the qualifications of exhibition project enterprises, further accelerating the development of talent in the exhibition and convention industry.
The COVID-19 pandemic presents unprecedented challenges and opportunities for the exhibition and convention industry. This year marks a period of intensive self-improvement, transitioning from passive to proactive innovation in service models. It also involves accelerating the integration of two-way innovation services and driving the digitalization of the exhibition and convention industry, enabling the Shanghai exhibition and convention industry to achieve sustainable and far-reaching development and play a greater role.
The progress report is reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors.
Ms. Wang Lei, President of Shanghai International Exhibition Co., Ltd. (a Vice-Chairman's Unit), presented a proposal for changes to the board of directors, which was submitted to the board for review and approval.

Secretary-General Tu Jianqing proposed the addition of a new Vice-President, and submitted the proposal for consideration and approval by the Board of Directors.

The Vice President of the Association, Mr. Meng Yi-ning, General Manager of Shanghai Technology Exhibition Co., Ltd., presented the following six recommendations for internal management procedures to the Executive Committee for review and approval:Six internal management systems of the Shanghai Exhibition Industry Association: Membership Association Rules, Board of Directors Rules, Supervisory Committee Rules, Membership Management Rules, Fee Standards and Management Rules, and Branch Office Management Rules.

Secretary-General Tu Jianqing proposes a reduction in association membership fees for 2020, amounting to 3300 RMB, to address financial pressures experienced by member companies due to the pandemic. This proposal will be submitted to the board of directors for review and approval.
Following the review of all matters, Secretary-General Zhu Jianqing read the resolutions passed by the Board. Each participating member organization voted on and approved the resolutions of the fourth session of the fifth Board, with a show of hands and applause.
Mr. Li Lei, Director of the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Commerce Exhibition Affairs Office, presented an overview of the resumption of operations for the Shanghai exhibition and convention industry since the outbreak.
According to statistics, from January to June, 158 exhibitions in this city have been cancelled or postponed, covering an area of over 6.7 million square meters, which represents approximately 1/3 of the total expected exhibition area for the year. In collaboration with the Municipal Commerce Bureau and other relevant departments, and with the active support of numerous enterprises, the city is working to ensure a smooth and orderly resumption of its exhibition industry, while also prioritizing COVID-19 prevention and control measures and facilitating the resumption of business operations. The key areas of focus include:
One key initiative was the enactment of the first national legislation specifically for the exhibition and convention industry, continuously improving the business environment. Following the official implementation of the "Shanghai Exhibition and Convention Industry Regulations," the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Commerce diligently reviewed and implemented relevant measures, including the development of model contract templates, integration with government administrative services for "one-stop" solutions, and the introduction of professional organizations to provide public services.
Secondly, the city is fully committed to ensuring the success of the Import and Export Fair, continuously amplifying its spillover and driving effects. The regulations establish a dedicated section on "Import and Export Fair Service and Support," fully demonstrating the city's commitment to implementing national strategies and advancing reform and opening up at a higher level and with greater depth. This also provides a legal basis for the city to comprehensively carry out all relevant work related to the Import and Export Fair.
Third, actively address the impact of the pandemic and promote the orderly resumption of business and convention activities. Since the beginning of this year, the Municipal Commerce Bureau, in collaboration with the Municipal Public Security Bureau and the Municipal Health Commission, has leveraged the city and district-level large-scale event management mechanisms to fully utilize the positive role of the business and convention industry association, providing guidance on industry-level pandemic prevention and control, and promoting the comprehensive resumption of business and convention activities in the city.
Four: We have meticulously established a cloud exhibition platform to promote the organic integration of online and offline activities. Under the conditions of ongoing epidemic prevention and control, the scale and effectiveness of offline exhibitions in the city have been significantly impacted. The Municipal Commerce Bureau has conscientiously implemented the relevant provisions of the regulations, focusing on "promoting the development of emerging business models such as online exhibitions and creating an organic integration between online and offline exhibition activities." We have launched a cloud exhibition platform to promote the development of online exhibitions.
Next, we encourage our members to work together with relevant authorities to achieve the following three key objectives: firstly, to collaboratively develop a comprehensive strategy for the "Fourteenth Five-Year Plan"; secondly, to continue to prioritize and implement effective COVID-19 prevention and control measures; and thirdly, to promote innovation and sustainable development within the industry.
The Municipal Commerce Bureau will continue to support the development of the exhibition and convention industry association, with the hope that the association can better leverage its role in facilitating communication, promoting industry self-regulation, and fostering international cooperation, leading all member units to contribute to the construction of the city as an international exhibition and convention hub.