A new strategic alliance was signed on 24 June 2021 at the National Convention & Exhibition Center (NCEC Tianjin), by the Tianjin Commission of Commerce, Messe Frankfurt Asia Holdings and the NCEC Tianjin. The partners announced a new co-operation agreement to expand exhibition business in Northern China.
The Tianjin Commission of Commerce and the global network and exhibition resources of Messe Frankfurt will be harnessed under the accord to develop more international branded trade fairs and events organised at the NCEC Tianjin. The Auto Maintenance and Repair Expo (AMR) will be the first trade show organised by Messe Frankfurt at this new fairground in 2022.
In April of this year, China’s Ministry of Commerce outlined plans to turn Tianjin into a new hotspot for global exhibition busines and, in early June, the Tianjin Government approved the proposal for a Tianjin national exhibition economic zone.
Tianjin is located in the centre of the Circum-Bohai Sea Economic Zone, bordering the Bohai Sea to the east. The NCEC Tianjin was the third state-level exhibition complex to be established by the Ministry of Commerce in China after Guangzhou and Shanghai.
The exhibition centre, which covers 1.38 million sqm, has 550,000sqm of exhibition space and modern conference spaces and a hotel.
As a global player in the trade fair industry, Messe Frankfurt has 30 subsidiaries organises various trade fairs and events in industry sectors including: Mobility & Logistics, Textiles & Textile Technologies, Entertainment, Media & Creative Industries, Consumer Goods, and Technology.
In recent years, the Group and its events have actively supported the new dual-circulation strategy by encouraging innovation and technology exchange, assisting Chinese firms to globalise and international companies to enter China’s market. Today, the company organises 42 trade fairs located in Greater China, including 38 fairs held since the beginning of 2020, attracting a total of 26,052 exhibitors and more than 1.2 million visitors. This includes Automechanika Shanghai, Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics, Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition, Toy & Edu China, ISH China, Music China and more.
According to the new co-operation agreement, Messe Frankfurt and its two Chinese strategic partners will pool resources to foster the development of Tianjin’s national exhibition economic zone and work closely together to establish a world-class platform for exhibitions, conferences and events. They have also agreed to co-operate in terms of local and international marketing and promotion, exhibitor recruitment and training of exhibition personnel.
Mr Jason Cao, assistant managing director, Messe Frankfurt Asia Holdings Ltd, said: “The plan for coordinated development of the Jing-jin-ji (Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei) regional city cluster issued in 2015 has fuelled development in the area, and as a core city in the cluster, the success of Tianjin has been remarkable to see. As a market leader in the trade fair sector, we are thrilled to contribute to the development of Tianjin’s national exhibition economic zone using our global resources and expertise in the field. With the Government’s guidance, we are committed to bringing international trade fair platforms into the city that serve different industries, and to nurture a professional workforce in the region for the exhibition sector.”
Messe Frankfurt also announced that its first international trade fair to be held at the National Convention & Exhibition Center (Tianjin) will be the Auto Maintenance and Repair Expo (AMR), one of 40 plus trade fairs under the Group’s Mobility & Logistics cluster. Scheduled 24–27 March 2022, AMR is expected to attract more than 1,000 overseas and local exhibitors.
Responding to AMR’s relocation, Mr Wang Yanhua, deputy director general of China Foreign Trade Centre, and vice-president of National Convention & Exhibition Center (Tianjin) Co Ltd, remarked: “The co-operation supports the development of the Jing-jin-ji region and illustrates ways that the area is sharing trade and economic activities with the capital city… We sincerely look forward to advancing our partnership with Messe Frankfurt where we can nurture more large-scale and professional branded exhibitions to deliver mutually beneficial results.”
Tianjin has established a complete automotive supply chain, from auto parts manufacturing to car making. AMR can take advantage of the strategic partnership to propel new business opportunities in the region.
Photo: The signing of the strategic partnership in Tianjin. L-R, front row: Mr Jason Cao, assistant managing director of Messe Frankfurt Asia Holdings Ltd; Mr Li Hong, deputy director of Tianjin Commission of Commerce; Mr Wang Yanhua, deputy director general of China Foreign Trade Centre, and vice-president of National Convention & Exhibition Center (Tianjin) Co Ltd.
