“It is not difficult to define CITExpo as a very internationalised show compared to other industry shows”: Fong

With Shanghai's CITExpo 2010 fast approaching, Wilko Fong – managing director of event organiser Reliable International Exhibition Services – gave a question and answer session covering the make-up of the show's exhibitors, its visitors, the focal theme of this year's show, and related events such as the massive Shanghai Expo 2010 and the Automotive Testing Expo, which takes place in the week following CITExpo in Beijing.

Tyres & Accessories:
In the course of last year we have experienced a severe economic crisis that still is not completely over. Do you think that this will affect the success of this year’s CITExpo?

Wilko Fong:
The worldwide economy was obviously a crisis for many industrial sectors including the tyre industry. However, CITExpo has been showing its unique role in the worldwide tyre industry and not affected by the declining of the worldwide ecomomy. During the eye of the storm last year, CITExpo 2009 was still completed with great success and satisfied most exhibitors and visitors. And according to the figures released by the Chinese Customs, in the first quarter of 2010, the number and value of the exported tyres has increased 20-40 per cent compared to the same quarter of 2009 for Europe, Africa, Latin America, Asean. However tyre exports to the United States have seemed to decline due to the influence of anti-dumping legislation recently.

T&A:
Do you think that the CITExpo can even benefit from the situation?

Wilko Fong:
According to some of the foreign buyers, last year they elected to come to CITExpo only rather than going to several trade shows [as a result of a] reduced travel budget because CITExpo is the most comprehensive largest tyre trade show in the Asian region.

T&A:
Like always, there are winners and losers during a crisis. On what side do you see Chinese tyre, wheel and accessories manufacturers?

Wilko Fong:
In general, I think Chinese manufacturers have been doing very well regardless of the crisis. They have been improving their product quality in order to meet the international standards and gaining the recognition by the worldwide market.

T&A:
You are going to set up the eighth CITExpo this September. Is it difficult to develop the appeal of such a show after all these years?

Wilko Fong:
I believe the best way to develop the appeal of a show is to retain the professionalism of the organization and the effectiveness of this platform for the exhibitors to showcase their products to the buyers and do business. And this is what CITExpo has been doing successfully to the market.

T&A:
What then will be new or unique this year with regards to the show?

Wilko Fong:
Eco-friendliness is the trend of the market nowadays. This year, more of the exhibitors of CITExpo will showcase their latest innovated and eco-friendly products to meet the market demand. Also, companies providing international standards certification services will take part in the show which explains the demand of this kind of service in the market.

T&A:
You used to have the “Automotive Testing Expo” as a concurrent event. Why will it take place now a week after the CITExpo only?

Wilko Fong:
When the Automotive Testing Expo was held concurrently with CITExpo in the past years, we had to run the shows in the exhibition halls in the separate buildings in order to accommodate all exhibitors. Since last year we have separated the two shows into two consecutive weeks due to the expanded scale of both shows in the recent years, so that the shows can be held within the same building now. The exhibitors and visitors were pleased about the new arrangement because of the easier and better audience traffic. Nonetheless, this year the Automotive Testing Expo will be held in Beijing after the week of CITExpo to better fulfilling the domestic market demand.

T&A:
On CITExpo: Who will be the most interesting exhibitors this time? Are there any major first-timers? Are there new businesses/business fields that are attending the first time?

Wilko Fong:
This year, according to the current booking status, we expect more exhibitors from the wheel sector taking part in our show. Also, some new business fields such as standards certification service, product machinery testing equipment will firstly exhibit in CITExpo. That will make CITExpo even more comprehensive.

T&A:
According to your registrations as they are now, how many exhibitors will we expect to see this year at the show?

Wilko Fong:
As of the end of June, which is about three months prior to the show’s opening, we have received over 260 exhibitors. We expect the final number of exhibitors of CITExpo 2010 will reach over 300. On the other hand, the number of pre-registered visitors has also exceeded the number [recorded at] the same time last year. With this fact, we expect that the exhibitors of CITExpo 2010 will experience another successful show with ocean-wide business opportunity.

T&A:
Will we see an even more international show than in the past years? How many exhibitors will be non-Chinese?

Wilko Fong:
If we look at the statistics of past CITExpos, over one third of the visitors were from over 80 countries across the five continents. So it is not difficult to define CITExpo as a very internationalised show compared to other industry shows. However, we admit that the number of foreign exhibitors has been less than the domestic in this show. If we look into this circumstance, it is probably due to the fact that China possesses the top ranked tyre exporting market position and the high competitiveness of Chinese tyre products. These facts might be a barrier for the foreign companies to move their first steps into this market. However, I hope this illusion shall be changed because some of our rebooking foreign exhibitors are telling us the value of exhibiting in CITExpo is that they can meet not only the domestic buyers, but also the international ones.

T&A:
Do you reckon that many manufacturers will present themselves with “green” product developments? And what do you think of this?

Wilko Fong:
Chinese manufacturers have been doing very well in improving or innovating to adopt with the international standards, and of course they understand that eco-friendly products will be highly demanded in the market. We will definitely see more and more eco-friendly products presented by our exhibitors. However, we won’t expect the world to change in one day; it takes time to everybody to move forward gradually.

T&A:
What else will be the dominating products or product categories attracting the most visitors?

Wilko Fong:
Passenger, industrial, OTR tyres will still be the major exhibits in the show. Highlights will be more wheels, tyre maintenance equipments and accessories exhibiting this year. Retreading, tyre production equipment and material will also be exhibited in the show. A complete range of products makes CITExpo a one stop trade show and the best information exchanging platform for the tyre industry chain.

T&A:
Who would be the typical tyre specialist from Europe, Germany or the UK that really needs to visit the CITExpo exhibition, and why?

Wilko Fong:
First of all, I would like to emphasise that the major part of our visitors are from all over the world but not only China. And these visitors’ business roles mainly include decision makers, distributers, traders, technicians, researchers et cetera. The positive feedbacks from the participants of the past seven years of CITExpo has been telling us that CITExpo is an effective platform for exhibitors to showcase their latest products and services to the industry, to exchange information and to meet the targeted people. China has become the top ranked exporting country and Chinese tyre products are undoubtedly affecting the worldwide market significantly now. Professionals of all business purposes such as buying, information exchanging, market researching and testing should visit CITEXPO as a most effective way to achieve their various goals.

T&A:
This year there is the World Expo taking place in Shanghai. Should visitors take some additional time to visit that event as well? Why?

Wilko Fong:
Over 200 countries will showcase their innovation and culture in the World Expo in Shanghai this year, it will be interesting for the visitors from different countries to come to Shanghai even with their family during the CITExpo 2010 show, so that they can visit both CITExpo and World Expo in a single trip for both doing real business and participating in the largest ever World Expo in Shanghai.