One of the most outstanding shows on the folding carton industry&rsquos calendar next year, sinofoldingcarton 2011, will take place from july 6 to july 8 at the china international exhibition center in beijing. Organized by reed exhibitions, the 2011 event will bring together a large number of the top folding carton equipment manufacturers and consumables suppliers to showcase their full range of folding carton processing equipment. The exhibition will also be a highly effective platform on which exhibitors and buyers can exchange ideas and conduct trade. Thanks to the internet, electronic media is now an integral part of our daytoday lives and the traditional printing industry market has shrunk. Book and magazine printing orders have also declined. The lowering of printing prices and rising labor costs have proved challenging for the book and magazine printing industries, whose profits were already low. On the other hand, the fortunes of the packaging printing industry are on the rise. The packaging industry&rsquos total revenue in 2009 topped usd 1 trillion. In 2010 this figure is expected to increase to usd 1.2 trillion. China has long been considered a key global manufacturer. This will remain the case for at least the next two to three decades, as the country undergoes extensive industrialization and urbanization. As an important part of china&rsquos manufacturing industry, the prospects for china&rsquos packaging industry are bright. In light of this optimism, an increasing number of packaging and printing factories are focused on sinofoldingcarton. Following the global financial crisis, china&rsquos economy is in excellent shape. According to preliminary estimates from the national bureau of statistics, china&rsquos gross domestic product in the first half of 2010 was rmb 17.28 trillion usd 2.59 trillion. As foreign trade recovered, the total exports in the first half of 2010 were usd 705.1 billion. These changes have been accompanied by the northward migration of the national economy center, including the folding carton packaging industry chain. Taking place in beijing, sinofoldingcarton 2011 will provide access to china&rsquos northern market around the bohai rim region, in line with prevailing market demands. The folding carton industry in the bohai rim region has great potential for further development, with over 1,000 packaging printing factories in beijing and tianjin alone. This is the new hub of economic development in china, following in the footsteps of the pearl river and yangtze river delta regions. Furthermore, with its proximity to japan, south korea, and parts of russia, the area is the ideal axis for china&rsquos northeast asia regional partnerships. With the increase in exports and in the demands of the domestic market, the number of folding carton orders is gradually growing. According to statistics from harbin customs, 130 million pairs of shoes were exported from heilongjiang province in the first half of this year. This represents a 10 increase on 2009. Rising exports of shoes mean an increase in the orders for shoeboxes. Shandong&rsquos beer industry is another that is important to the national economy. Currently, china&rsquos per capita beer consumption is 30.2 l per annum, on par with the global average. Experts predict that the beer industry will continue to increase by an average of about 35 over the next five years. The corresponding increase in demand for beer packaging will boost demand for packaging manufacturing equipment. Northeast china has long been an important pharmaceutical base. According to statistics from shenyang customs, pharmaceutical exports from shenyang for the first seven months of 2010 were valued at usd 160 million. This represents an increase of 9 from 2009. From this, we can deduce that the demand for pill boxes is huge. Data from china tobacco shows that cigarette sales reached 25.2 million boxes in the first half of 2010, a 3.5 yearonyear increase. Meanwhile, firstclass cigarette sales in beijing, shandong, and heilongjiang have also risen significantly, surpassing the national average. An increase in tobacco sales means an increase in the demand for cigarette boxes. This means that market demand for folding carton equipment will continue to rise. Against the background of these upward industry trends, sinofoldingcarton 2011 will once again bring together folding carton equipment suppliers, consumables producers, and folding carton manufacturers at the folding carton industry&rsquos premier annual event. Across an exhibition area spanning 20,000 sqm, there will be a full range of processing equipment on display. This will include equipment for folding cartons, hard boxes, plastic boxes and paper bags. Over 300 exhibitors will showcase their advanced technologies and enhance their corporate profiles onsite. Reed exhibitions, organizers of sinofoldingcarton 2011, say that after the 2010 edition of the show, many suppliers showed a keen interest in exhibiting at the 2011 event. The exhibitor signup process is now in full swing. Applications are plenty and booth sales have been brisk. With reed&rsquos efficient organization and the promise of magnificent displays of the latest equipment, this exhibition will surely mark the launch of the folding carton equipment market&rsquos recovery in 2011.
