Development of the Exhibition Industry in Pudong New Area in 2015
Source: Exhibition Office of the Commerce Commission of Pudong New Area.
With the opening of National Exhibition and Convention Center in Hongqiao, various exhibition-industry operations in Pudong New Area adjusted in 2015. The total exhibition scale, number of exhibitors and number of visitors all declined to varying degrees, but the number of exhibitions and international exhibitions both reached new highs.
I. Basic Development
In 2015, Pudong New Area held 247 exhibitions, including 224 international exhibitions, up 12.27 percent and 21.08 percent respectively from the same period of the previous year. They accounted for 32.98 percent and 91.8 percent respectively of the city's total. The annual total exhibition area was 7.0551 million square meters, down 13.16 percent from the same period of the previous year and accounting for 46.67 percent of the city's total. In 2015, Pudong New Area attracted about 99,800 exhibitors and about 5.4236 million visitors, down 18.8 percent and 16.56 percent respectively from the same period of the previous year.
Major branded international exhibitions held in 2015 included East China Fair, Shanghai International Informatization Expo, Shanghai International Hospitality Equipment and Supply Expo, China Shanghai International Optics Fair, China Refrigeration Expo, International Solar and Photovoltaic Technology Exhibition, China International Bakery Exhibition, Kitchen and Bath China, Shanghai International Green Building Materials Expo, Shanghai International Children Baby Maternity Industry Expo, Mobile World Congress Shanghai, China Digital Entertainment Expo and Conference, Furniture China, China International Sewing Machinery and Accessories Show, and Music China.
In terms of conferences, Pudong New Area held 13,500 conferences in 2015, including 2,679 international conferences, down 7.75 percent and up 29.55 percent respectively from the same period of the previous year. The number of participants was about 1.6048 million, including about 289,500 overseas participants, down 13.61 percent and up 57.78 percent respectively from the same period of the previous year. Representative international conferences included the 2015 China Meetings and Tourism Industry Development Forum, the 2015 IATA World Cargo Symposium and Mobile World Congress Shanghai 2015.
II. Development Features
1. The number of exhibitions reached a new high, but total exhibition scale declined significantly.
In 2015, Pudong New Area held 247 exhibitions, including 224 international exhibitions, up 12.27 percent and 21.08 percent respectively from the same period of the previous year. They accounted for 32.98 percent and 91.8 percent respectively of the city's total. The share of international exhibitions in the city's total rose from 71.71 percent in the previous year to 86.49 percent, further highlighting the international character of Pudong's exhibition industry. At the same time, because National Exhibition and Convention Center in Hongqiao was put into use, Pudong New Area's total exhibition scale declined significantly. The annual total exhibition area was 7.0551 million square meters, down 13.16 percent from the same period of the previous year and accounting for 46.67 percent of the city's total.
2. The number of new exhibitions increased further.
In 2015, 41 exhibitions were held in Pudong New Area for the first time, with a total scale of about 720,000 square meters, up 36.67 percent and 105.7 percent respectively. They included a number of heavyweight international exhibitions, such as CES Asia 2015, Asia Outdoor and Sports Fashion Exhibition 2015, and Shanghai International Ad and Sign Technology and Equipment Exhibition, which moved from Guangzhou to Shanghai New International Expo Center for the first time.
3. The exhibition industry had a clear driving effect.
The upstream and downstream sectors of the exhibition industry include exhibition services, transportation, tourism, advertising, decoration, catering, communications and accommodation, strongly driving and forming a sizable tertiary-industry consumption chain. As the total exhibition scale, number of exhibitors and number of visitors all decreased to varying degrees, it is estimated that Pudong New Area's total exhibition-industry revenue this year was about RMB 75.08 billion, including direct revenue of about RMB 8.117 billion and indirect revenue of RMB 66.963 billion. Among exhibition economy related service industries, related tourism consumption such as catering, accommodation, sightseeing, shopping and cultural entertainment was about RMB 39.213 billion, accounting for 52.23 percent of the total direct and indirect revenue of the exhibition industry.
III. Main Measures and Results
Pudong continued to focus on service, highlight service and improve service, with emphasis on smart exhibitions, further improving exhibition service levels and ensuring Pudong's leading position in domestic exhibition services.
1. Issued Shanghai's first exhibition service standard.
After more than two years of standardization work, Shanghai New International Expo Center established a relatively scientific and complete exhibition service standards system, further improving the service level of venues in the new area.
2. Built smart exhibitions.
The Hui Shenghuo app has been released. It is currently the only innovative exhibition service application platform in China. It embodies the Internet Plus concept and integrates comprehensive services and management applications, combining venue intelligent management, surrounding services and public services into an information release tool and management platform. It enables all-round online-to-offline and offline-to-online interaction and improves the overall core competitiveness of Pudong in exhibitions, tourism and commerce.
Breakthroughs were also made in wireless network construction for venues. Shanghai New International Expo Center has now achieved full wireless network coverage inside the venue, with good test results and user experience.
3. Integrated exhibition resources to create synergy and enhance service advantages.
For several major exhibitions in 2015, such as China Shanghai International Technology Fair and Furniture China, venues, organizers and relevant government departments cooperated more closely than ever and carried out extensive coordination. This included shuttle buses between venues and multiple hotels, reception service points at airports, and distribution of exhibition materials at major hotels. Detailed work was carried out in exhibitor recruitment, promotion and on-site organization, fully demonstrating Pudong New Area's favorable exhibition environment and service level.
IV. Development Trends
In the past two years, the new area has strengthened exhibition investment promotion, achieving notable results in attracting international and domestic exhibitions. A number of new well-known domestic and overseas exhibitions have settled in Pudong. In 2015, Pudong New Area held 41 new exhibitions, with a total scale of about 720,000 square meters. Major examples included CES Asia 2015, Asia Outdoor and Sports Fashion Exhibition 2015, and Shanghai International Ad and Sign Technology and Equipment Exhibition, which moved from Guangzhou to Shanghai New International Expo Center for the first time.
As of the end of February 2016, Pudong New Area was expected to host 30 new exhibitions in 2016, mainly including International Smart City Expo - Shanghai Pudong, Asia Amusement and Attractions Expo, and Shanghai International Bio-Fermentation Products and Tech Equipment Expo, with a total scale of about 650,000 square meters. For example, International Smart City Expo - Shanghai Pudong, organized by Shanghai Huidu Exhibition Co., Ltd., will be held in June 2016 at Shanghai New International Expo Center concurrently with Mobile World Congress Shanghai. The Commerce Commission of Pudong New Area and the Economy and Informatization Commission of Pudong New Area strongly support this exhibition and hope to use the Mobile World Congress Shanghai platform to cooperate with the organizer in smart exhibitions, smart tourism and smart commercial districts, strengthen the Smart Pudong brand image, increase international exchange and cooperation, and promote the innovation and application of communications technology in related industries.