On the evening of November 28, Mr. Chen Qianjin, honorary president of the International Exhibition Industry Association, was invited to NZUWI to give a lecture on the topic of “Internationalization and Marketization of China's Exhibition Industry”.

Introduction to the lecturer

Chen Xianjin, graduated from Middlesex University of the UK with an MBA and has served as a senior economist. He is currently the honorary chairman of the International Association of Exhibition Industries (the first Chinese president), the honorary chairman of the China Association of Exhibition Halls, the director of the National Convention and Exhibition Industry Standardization Technical Committee, and he has served as the deputy Director of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce.

At the beginning of the lecture, Chairman Chen talked about the origin and development of the exhibition industry in our country. He mentioned that at the end of the Qing Dynasty, China had already emerged among nations in the field of exhibition: in 1898, the Commercial Bureau was set up in Hankou, in 1905; the “Regulations for the Passage of the Overseas Games” was issued to help enterprises hold exhibitions overseas; and in 1910, the Nanyang Industry Promotion Conference was held in Nanjing. All these are noteworty hallmarks of early China’s exhibition activities.

The Hangzhou West Lake Exposition in 1929, which lasted for several months and attracted more than 20 million visitors, was the largest and most influential exposition in the Republic of China period and fully demonstrated the integration of cultural influence and charm of exhibitions at that time.

After the founding of New China, the exhibition industry in our country steadily progressed, ushering in a lot of “first times” which form the foundation of China's exhibition industry. Chairman Chen emphasized the significance of the Canton Fair in China's exhibition field, which helped break through the blockade dilemma of China at that time and therefore became a key platform for China’s foreign trade exporting.

Furthermore, Chairman Chen said that the reform and opening-up policy is like spring breeze and rain, and China’s exhibition industry has been pushed to a new heights, going through four stages of start, growth, maturity and expansion. In the initial stage, professional enterprises and industry associations emerged in China, and the country opened to welcome foreign investment. In the growth stage, the market players are diversified, the exhibition hall is specialized, and the project breaks out. In the mature stage, China joined World Trade Organization (WTO) and seek development with its strength, taking part in the international society under various transnational competitions. In the growth stage, China has gained an international role with the China International Import Expo (CIIE) showing a new chapter of diplomacy and the follow up of local policies and legislation.

The exhibition industry is like a mirror, reflecting the track of our country’s economic and social development. From the beginning of the late Qing Dynasty, China’s exhibition industry is marching towards internationalization and marketization with every step full of stories and profound meanings.

At present, China has become a major exhibition country, with the number of venues and projects ranking first in the world. However, there are still challenges on the road to a strong exhibition country. In China, the number of world-class brand exhibitions and international enterprises needs to be increased.

At the same time, with the arrival of the digitalization wave, how to break the limitations of traditional exhibitions and empower exhibitions with digital technology is also a challenge to the exhibition practitioners.

After the rebound in 2023, China’s exhibition industry is currently facing difficulties such as macro and micro differences and slowing revenue growth, but there are still opportunities in the changing situation, said Chairman Chen. He suggested that exhibition services should continue to closely follow customer needs, and the exhibition industry should keep up with the policies in order to cope with the current situation and seek steady progress.

Chairman Chen answered the questions raised by the students. He said that although some of the current exhibitions have shifted from offline to online, the value of offline exhibition exchanges should not be underestimated. He discussed with the students how to increase ROI (return on investment) and how to attract exhibitors and visitors, as well as how Chinese exhibition enterprises can open up the global market. He also discussed the role of industry associations in protecting enterprises in the international market.

In concluding, Chairman Chen expressed his satisfaction for the vigorous new force of the exhibition and his expectations for the career development of the students. He advised that we innovate the usage of technology, cultivate professional talent, and flexibly adjust strategies so that we can continue to write a brilliant chapter of the exhibition industry in the changing situation!