On April 24, the 18th China Forum for International Cooperation in Exhibition Economy (CEFCO 2023) opened in Shaoxing, Zhejiang province. Exhibition industry professionals from 20 countries and regions gathered in the ancient city of Shaoxing to put forward insights, gather more consensus and contribute wisdom on promoting the cooperation and development of the international exhibition industry.
The forum was co-sponsored by China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), International Association of Exhibitions and Projects (IAEE), Independent Group Exhibitors Association (SISO) and International Congress and Conference Association (ICCA), and hosted by China Chamber of International Commerce, Zhejiang Council for the Promotion of International Trade and Shaoxing Municipal People's Government.
Chen Jian 'an, Vice President of CCPIT and Vice President of China Chamber of International Commerce; Zhang Jiasheng, Vice Governor of Zhejiang Provincial People's Government and member of Provincial Party Group; McGold, President of International Exhibition Industry Association; David Du Baide, President and CEO of International Exhibition and Project Association; Chen Jianzhong, President of CCPIT Zhejiang; Shaoxing City leaders Warm, Shi Huifang, Tan Zhigui, Wei Wei, Ding Ruxing, Wang Tao and other guests attended the opening ceremony.
Chen Jian 'an said that the exhibition is an important platform to guide industrial development, promote technological innovation, promote economic and trade cooperation, and stimulate consumption upgrading, is an important bridge linking production and consumption, supply and demand, domestic and foreign countries, and is a "booster" of opening up and a vane of foreign trade and economic development. According to statistics, in the first two months of this year, the number and area of exhibitions held by professional exhibition halls in China increased by 1.1 times and 62%, respectively, and enterprises went abroad to participate in exhibitions with high enthusiasm, and China's exhibition economy showed a recovery growth trend. The convention and exhibition industry should play a leading role in promoting industrial transformation and upgrading; We should seize the opportunity of the recovery of the exhibition industry and help expand international economic and trade cooperation. We should deepen opening and cooperation in the exhibition industry to help build an open world economy.
Zhang Jiasheng said that Zhejiang attaches great importance to the development of the exhibition industry, encourages the development of the exhibition economy as an important starting point to promote the in-depth implementation of the "No. 1 open project" in our province, and hopes that with the help of this forum, further strengthen the communication, exchange and cooperation with friends in the exhibition economy at home and abroad, stimulate the vitality of innovation, and promote the healthy development of the exhibition industry; Promote industrial cooperation and promote the double cycle at home and abroad; Show the style of Zhejiang, highlight the role of "important window", and contribute to a higher level of opening up.
According to McGold, the exhibition industry has entered a new era: an era of recovery, expansion and innovation. After the epidemic this year, China's convention and exhibition industry has seen vigorous development, with domestic and foreign exhibitors and visitors returning offline. The annual CEFCO has always been a major event for the convention and exhibition industry, where leaders of the exhibition industry come together to discuss the opportunities and challenges ahead. The International Exhibition Industry Association looks forward to continuing cooperation with China's convention and exhibition industry and continuing to support the high-quality development of China's convention and exhibition industry.
On behalf of Shaoxing Municipal Committee and Government, Warm extended congratulations to the forum. He pointed out that this forum is the "first" to be held offline after the epidemic, and it is also the "second" to be independently hosted by a prefecture-level city, which is timely and significant. In recent years, Shaoxing City has anchored the development goal of "building an international exhibition destination" and promoted the level of the exhibition industry to continue to climb to a high level. Shaoxing exhibition industry has a high degree of correlation with pillar industries, linking both ends of production and life. Shaoxing exhibition industry "ecosystem" construction speed is fast, has become a bridge between enterprises and the market. Shaoxing strives to deepen regional integration and coordination, accelerate the depth of opening up in the whole area, and strive to build an open city of cohesion and outreach. Embrace the east wind of Yangtze River Delta integration development, and bravely pick the "golden pole" of Hangshao-Ningbo integration; Relying on the advantages of China's ultra-large market, we will attract global resources and factors in an all-round way and improve the quality and level of economic and trade cooperation.
With the theme of "Integrated Innovation, Empowering the Future", the forum adopted a combination of online and offline approach, inviting more than 600 representatives of exhibition enterprises, industry organizations and government departments from 20 countries and regions to attend. The forum consists of two plenary sessions, eight sub-sessions and a number of thematic activities, the topics of which are mainly related to "Strengthening the opening and cooperation of the international exhibition industry, maintaining the stability and security of the global industrial chain", "getting rid of the haze of the epidemic," Creating the Future of Exhibition ", the international exhibition market in the new era and the prospect of Chinese enterprises going overseas, the promotion role of information technology on the exhibition industry, creating a soft environment for the healthy and rapid development of the exhibition industry, the development trend of the domestic exhibition industry, etc.
During the forum, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade released the China Exhibition Economic Development Report 2022. Shaoxing City held the signing ceremony of Shaoxing exhibition industry project, 10 projects signed on the spot; Also held the Shaoxing City exhibition industry development think tank experts appointment ceremony, 8 experts were hired as the first batch of Shaoxing City exhibition industry think tank experts.
It is understood that the China Convention and Exhibition Economy International Cooperation Forum was founded by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade in 2005, has developed into the largest scale, the highest specification, the most international exhibition industry annual event, has been held in Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Macao and other 17 cities.
(The above pictures are provided by the CEFCO 2023 Organizing Committee)