On December 16, 2021, the fourth general meeting of the fifth session of the Shanghai Convention and Exhibition Industries Association and the sixth council meeting of the fifth session were held online.
The meeting was chaired by Tu Jianqing, secretary-general of the association. A total of 629 member enterprises attended the general meeting, and 108 council member organizations attended the council meeting.
The council meeting and general meeting reviewed the work report delivered by Sang Jingmin, deputy Party secretary and president of the Shanghai Convention and Exhibition Industries Association. In the report, President Sang made a comprehensive summary of the association's work this year and set out plans for the association's work in 2022.
President Sang Jingmin pointed out that, in the exhibition environment of this year with intermittent suspensions and resumptions, the association worked hard to promote the resumption of work and exhibitions. It prepared multiple special reports reflecting enterprises' appeals and calls for resuming exhibitions, actively playing its role as a bridge and link for communicating policy downward and industry demands upward. The association and its member enterprises continued to support the China International Import Expo. It also implemented green exhibition practices, launched the drafting of a green group standard, and promoted the green, low-carbon and sustainable development of the exhibition industry through concrete action. While serving as a government adviser and working partner, the association continued improving member-service quality and providing services such as salons, qualification reviews and exhibition management training. President Sang also introduced work related to the Yangtze River Delta Exhibition Alliance, and reported on membership development, financial income and expenditure, Party and labor-union construction and other matters.
In planning the association's work for 2022, President Sang said that in 2022 the association should fully implement the new development concept, build and improve an innovative service system, and work toward higher-quality development of Shanghai's exhibition industry. He introduced the association's key work for 2022, including effectively advancing tasks assigned to the association under the Plan for Enhancing the Capacity of Shanghai as an International Trade Center during the 14th Five-Year Plan Period, and focusing on promoting the construction of Shanghai as an international convention and exhibition capital. The association should also remain highly alert in pandemic prevention and control, establish and improve long-term mechanisms, and strengthen rational thinking in the face of uncertainty in exhibition organization. It will prepare for the CEO Summit, improve the innovation system, and enhance work quality through talent cultivation, service improvement and Party-building leadership. It will implement the new development concept, strengthen Yangtze River Delta cooperation and linkage, and promote high-quality regional integration of the exhibition industry. It will continue supporting the CIIE, amplify the spillover effects of the CIIE and drive high-quality development of the exhibition industry.
In addition to the work report, the meeting reported on new memberships and withdrawals since the third general meeting of the fifth session, and read out the meeting resolutions.
The meeting also invited leaders of three member enterprises, Shanghai CCPIT Exhibition Display Co., Ltd., Shanghai Liso Exhibition Group Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Jingqiao Exhibition Service Co., Ltd., to share under the topics Diversified Business Strategy to Address Market Challenges, Exploring a Diversified Development Path for Exhibitions under Normalized Pandemic Conditions, and Doing the Right Things to Welcome a Brilliant Spring. They introduced how their enterprises improved services, used diversified business development and effectively controlled risks under normalized pandemic management.
Chen Xianjin, Party secretary of the Shanghai Convention and Exhibition Industries Association, delivered a thematic report titled Reviewing Exhibition History and Strengthening Confidence in the Path, together with reflections on the development of the exhibition industry.
Taking China's reform and opening-up policy as the time marker, Secretary Chen divided China's exhibition industry into two historical stages: from the founding of New China to before reform and opening-up, and from reform and opening-up to the present. He clearly outlined the development history of China's exhibition industry and shared three reflections.
First, it is necessary to correctly understand the relationship between the two historical periods before and after reform and opening-up. Without the Party's decisive decision to implement and firmly advance reform and opening-up, China's exhibition industry could not have achieved its current progress and global position. At the same time, the explorations of China's exhibition industry before reform and opening-up accumulated important ideological, material and institutional conditions for practice after reform and opening-up.
Second, it is necessary to persist in emancipating the mind, seeking truth from facts, advancing with the times, and firmly following the socialist path with Chinese characteristics.
Third, facing a complex and changing external environment, we must follow the logic of historical progress, respond to the trend of the times, answer the expectations of the people, and achieve higher-quality development under more open conditions.
Secretary Chen also offered several thoughts and suggestions for the exhibition industry in the post-pandemic era. First, COVID-19 may become a watershed and turning point in the development history of the international exhibition industry. It may coexist with the exhibition industry and require long-term struggle, so we need views and consensus that are more scientific, calm, objective, comprehensive and dialectical. Second, facing a pandemic that may coexist and require long-term struggle, small and micro enterprises should think more about transformation, development, diversification and innovation. Third, Chinese exhibitions should persist in a market-oriented path, actively promote digital exhibition development, and uphold international development of exhibitions within the new dual-circulation development pattern.
Li Lei, head of the Exhibition Industry Division of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, was invited to attend and speak at the meeting.
Director Li Lei said that in September and October this year, with the association's cooperation, the Municipal Commission of Commerce prepared several special reports requesting relevant departments to promote exhibition resumption. The association also worked with the Municipal Commission of Commerce to revise the pandemic prevention and control guidelines again, creating conditions for exhibition resumption. Although the goal of comprehensive resumption was ultimately not achieved because of overall pandemic-prevention considerations, no matter how difficult the situation is, Shanghai's commerce authorities and exhibition-industry authorities at all levels stand together with all exhibition enterprises. They are fighting side by side, sharing hardship and working together.
As Secretary Chen said in his report, COVID-19 may coexist and continue to be fought by the exhibition community for a long time, and it may become a watershed and crossroads for the industry's development. Therefore, Shanghai's exhibition industry should base its work in 2022 on three points.
First, ideological understanding must be fully improved. Pandemic prevention and control are now normalized and relate to urban safety and social stability. The competent authorities will create all possible conditions to promote exhibition organization. Once exhibitions resume, everyone must make every effort to ensure pandemic-prevention safety, attach great importance to it in thought and form consensus.
Second, many recent exhibitions have followed CIIE pandemic-prevention requirements, including nucleic-acid test certificates within 48 hours and screening of personnel from medium- and high-risk areas. This will remain normal for a long time. Enterprises may need to invest more and bear greater pressure, but they must face and adapt to these changes, preparing in top-level design, operations, funding arrangements, systems and specific plans.
Third, enterprises must strengthen core competitiveness. One focus is digitalization. Digital exhibitions have moved from being a support for exhibition-industry development to becoming a pillar, and they are an active response by the industry to change. Another focus is multi-location deployment. As long as the roots of Shanghai exhibition enterprises remain in Shanghai, diversified deployment and brand output are both important expressions of improved brand competitiveness.
Overall, uncertainty in 2022 remains high. He hoped everyone would make clear judgments about the overall trend and prepare actively. The Municipal Commission of Commerce will continue providing support and services as always. He believed the association can serve as a bridge and link, helping enterprises continue moving along the path of internationalization, specialization, branding and marketization.