SHENZHEN – jwc GmbH, the leading management consultancy in the global exhibition and conference industry, has won the Beijing Daxing International Airport Economic Zone (BDIAEZ) Innovation Competition which explores cities of the future as it aspires to become a world-class “aerotropolis” – an urban area centred around an airport – in the coming decades.
Jwc GmbH collaborated with China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone Holdings Co (CMSK) and Overseas Chinese Town Enterprises Co. (OCT) on the project. These organizations have previously worked together to develop and position Shenzhen World, which has become one of the most important venues in the world, creating strong additional demand for exhibition and conference space and setting new standards for venue quality.
“This is a great achievement for our team and Shenzhen World. Furthermore, all of our collaboration has been done remotely,” said Jochen Witt, CEO of jwc. He went on to explain that this new area will include an exhibition venue and much more. It will be a completely new city with retail, hotels, entertainment venues and much more. “This demonstrates the country’s investment in the future of the exhibition and convention industry,” said Witt. “It also demonstrates the great confidence in the industry, especially in China, that is returning.”
He emphasizes the importance of China for the trade fair and exhibition sector. “Without China, the sector would not have experienced such growth,” said Witt.
Aerotropolis will include infrastructure for successful trade fairs
BDIAEZ is located in the eastern part of Daxing Airport Economic Zone, south of Tian’anmen, and will offer the most modern logistics and transportation systems with direct connections to Daxing Airport and easy access for exhibitors and visitors.
“Together with CMSK, OCT and other support team members, we have presented a creative and feasible proposal for Daxing. We believe that the Daxing venue will be a new growth engine for the convention and exhibition industry in China and the Chinese economy as a whole. It will also become a masterpiece for the global C&E community. We look forward to leveraging our expertise and experience to develop and operate the Daxing venue. We continue to view China as one of the most important trade fair and conference markets in the world and will continue to expand our activities in the areas of venue strategy and consulting,” said Witt.
Despite widespread closures, Chinese trade fairs continue
Confinement, a challenge
Covid-related shutdowns have hampered China’s return as a trade show and convention powerhouse. A zero-Covid policy led to shutdowns just hours before trade shows were set to begin. This is in stark contrast to two years ago, when China was the first economic power to reopen after the first wave of the pandemic. This is not only impacting trade shows in China, but also the number of buyers and sellers attending trade shows and conventions in other parts of the world.
Among the shows that have been affected is Design Shanghai, which postponed its event until October as the country continues to feel the impact of the pandemic. Most recently, TCT Asia was shut down nine hours before it was scheduled to open at the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center. The show was 99% ready and was set to host 220 exhibitors. According to Duncan Wood, CEO of Rapid News, the show’s organizer, 24 cases were recorded, leading to the closure.
Access an up-to-date overview of what is and isn’t open in China here.
The trade show industry remains optimistic that the country will soon return to pre-pandemic activity levels. According to the latest Global Exhibition Barometer from UFI, the global trade show industry association, China will return to normal activity levels in October.
Contact Jochen Witt at jwitt@jwc.eu.com