A highly successful CHINAPLAS 2017 concluded its four-day run on 19 May in Guangzhou. Buoyed by very good weather and the plastics and rubber industries’ positive economic outlook, attendees generally projected an extremely upbeat attitude throughout the show.
A record-breaking show
CHINAPLAS 2017 broke three different records – for total number of visitors, the single-day number of visitors, and total exhibition area – eclipsing the performance of all previous 30 editions of the show. A total of 155,258 trade visitors from 154 countries and regions attended the show held on May 16-19. Compared with the previous Guangzhou edition, held in 2015, this year’s event posted a remarkable jump of more than 21% in the number of total visitors.
CHINAPLAS 2017 also set a new record on Day 2, with 56,347 investment-oriented visitors, marking the highest number of visitors on any single day in the show’s history. Ms. Ada Leung, General Manager of Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd., CHINAPLAS organizer, was delighted by the results. “I have never seen such a vast number of visitors before,” she said, noting that all 26 exhibition halls were packed with participants. “Most of our exhibitors were satisfied with the result,” added Leung, further suggesting that, “To some extent, this implies China’s economy has bounced back.”
The exhibition area of 250,000 square meters, meanwhile, represented the largest amount of exhibit space in CHINAPLAS’ history. The show attracted more than 3,400 exhibitors from 38 countries.
“I have to thank my team for their dedicated devotion to CHINAPLAS,” Leung said. “They are so passionate in promoting the show!” Special thanks, she continued, goes to Adsale’s cooperation partners, for their prolonged and sincere assistance in making the event a success. Moreover, the “new normal” of the Chinese economy – marked by accelerated efforts to upgrade and transform entire industries – also was a factor, she said, noting that “CHINAPLAS provides a platform for technology innovation and helps industries to move further up the value chain.”
Visitor profile and comments
CHINAPLAS continues to become more international, as indicated by the 2017 fair’s number of overseas visitors, which soared to 40,048 visitors, accounting for 25.8% of the total. They came from 153 countries and regions such as Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Russia, and more.
Mr. Patrick Schmutz, Director Asia-Pacific Procurement for Quadrant Plastic Composites AG, said: “The quality of CHINAPLAS continues to rise quickly. Many years ago, low-end machines dominated the show, but now, high-end and advanced machinery is the norm. The high-quality, cost-effective machinery is very attractive to Europeans!”
Lic. Nicolas A. Finkielsztein and Lic. Astrid Grotewold, Commercial Manager and Sales Manager, respectively, from Laquimar, came from Argentina to look for raw materials. They used the terms “professional” and “well-organized” to describe the show. “CHINAPLAS is very well-known in Argentina, even though it’s far away from us. CHINAPLAS is truly an excellent platform connecting suppliers and buyers, and for sure we will come next year!”
Mr. Nohcheol Park, Principal Engineer for Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., commented: “I come to CHINAPLAS to learn about new plastics technology and to find new injection molding for manufacturing home appliances. I found the most impressive exhibit to be the transparent silicone from Sumitomo Chemical. It’s good to have both Chinese and overseas exhibitors in the show.”
New Shanghai venue in 2018
When the show shifts back north next year, CHINAPLAS 2018 will move from its long-time Shanghai venue in Pudong to the new National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) in Hongqiao (http://en.cecsh.com ) – the largest single block building and exhibition complex in the world. The show’s next edition is scheduled for April 24-27, 2018. This change of venue will represent a completely new challenge for the CHINAPLAS team, but all are eager to take it on with a view to delivering an even bigger and better show for the global plastics and rubber industries.
