The 12th China Expo Forum for International Cooperation (CEFCO 2016) opened at Yinchuan International Convention Centre, Yinchuan, Ningxia, on January 13. Over 600 representatives from exhibition companies, industrial organizations, government departments and research institutions of 21 countries gathered to exchange ideas and discussed cooperation and development. Vice Chairman of the CCPIT Wang Jinzhen, Vice Governor of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Wang Heshan, officials from Department of Trade in Services and Commercial Services of the Ministry of Commerce of the P. R. C. and President of The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) Sergey P. Alexeev attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. Lin Shunjie, Director General of the Trade and Investment Promotion Department of the CCPIT, chaired the ceremony.
Wang Jinzhen said, China's economic development and widespread use of new technologies have provided golden opportunities for development of China's exhibition industry and international cooperation. Provided that China realizes and adapts to the new normal as well as transformation and upgrading, China will be able to shift from a big exhibition country to an exhibition power.
To this end, he made a three-point proposal: first, seize the opportunity to upgrade, grasp the national strategic opportunities like construction of domestic and foreign trade zones and "Internet +", adopt the Internet thinking, accelerate the market-oriented, professional, international, branding and informationalized process, avoid simple expansion in terms of number and scale, and focus on quality and differentiated competition. Second, boost the transformation and upgrading of the national economy, fit timely and effectively into the national strategies like “One Belt and One Road”, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development and Yangtze River economic zone development, enlarge the function of exhibition industry constantly, promote regional economic development effectively, make efforts to build trade exchange platforms, in order to create more opportunities for expansion ofmutually beneficial cooperation. Third, speed up the "going global" pace and learn the successful experience from countries and regions with developed exhibition economy.
Wang Heshan said, in recent years, Ningxia takes the initiative to get involved into the“One Belt and One Road” construction, unswervingly implements the strategy spearheaded by opening-up, promotes large-scale development through large-scale opening up, gives full play to the advantages of Ningxia Inland Opening-up Pilot Economic Zone and Yinchuan Comprehensive Bonded Area, and creates investment environment that is “best in West China, better than East China.”He added, since China-Arab States Expo is permanently settled in Ningxia, the autonomous region Party Committee and the government have been actively encouraging development of exhibition economy, vigorously promoting the brand andmarket-oriented development model. Now the region's yearly exhibition scale and number is expanding, convention facilities are improving and experience in holding exhibitions is growing.
The forum was co-sponsored by the CCPIT, People's Government of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, International Association of Exhibitions and Events and the Society of Independent Show Organizers. Themed “New economic pivot, new exhibition starting point", the forum aims to aid the exhibition industry to grasp development trend of key industries and seize opportunities in key areas, seek new pivots to achieve industrial and regional economic restructuring through exhibitions, and inject new momentum to the exhibition industry along with service for overall economic development.
The two-day forum focused on topics such as“Global Economy and Solutions to MICE Industry”,“Fresh Space for Growth in the Emerging Markets”,“Better City, Better MICE”,“MICE Innovations in a Post-Internet Era”, “Success Stories of Overseas Brand Shows”,“Multiple Choice From Expansion, Specialization and Internationalization”, etc. It contained 3 plenary sessions, 4 concurrent sessions, and supporting activities like seminars and promotion of local and overseas projects.
