Forecasted direct value added from exhibition industry in China 2018-2022
The treasure box is opened
Trade shows and conventions bring considerable economic benefits to the host city in terms of bringing new visitors and attracting investments. Along with the support from Chinese government, the exhibition industry has been growing steadily. In 2018, there were over 280 exhibition venues nationwide organizing over nine thousand trade fairs. Jiangsu was the leading region that year, holding about eleven percent of exhibitions in the country. In terms of exhibition space, Shanghai was the top host in China with a total hall area of almost 20 million square meters. Guangdong and Shandong were the other big contributors to the market that year.
Entering a new phase
In fact, the achievement of exhibition infrastructure in China is significant. In 2015, the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) was opened in Shanghai. As the second-largest exhibition hall in the world, the NECC offers about 500 thousand square meter exhibition space with one-fifth of its area dedicated for outdoor space. In 2019, China constructed the largest exhibition venue in the world - the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center. Clearly, the exhibition infrastructure in China has evolved, while other logistical development, such as exhibition operation and venue management, would be the industry’s next focus.