Reifen China, RubberTech visitors reach 12,000

The sixth Reifen China show took place at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre on 14-16 November, with two neighbouring halls housing RubberTech China 2012 simultaneously on an exhibition area of 11,500 square metres in total. Representing an increased number of nations, exhibitor stands included large displays near the entrance for leading Chinese manufacturers such as Double Coin, Shandong Linglong, Techking, Hangzhou Zhongce and Cooper Chengshan, while less familiar and almost brand new names mingled with visiting stands from India (Apollo) and Europe (Deldo, Interstate and Profil) in the rest of the hall. Joint organisers Messe Essen – responsible for Germany's market-leading Reifen show – and the China United Rubber Corporation welcomed visitors on the first day; the latter's general manager Ma Junhua said that Reifen China's "six years of previous success" was "inseparable" from the support of visitors and exhibitors. Overall, 112 exhibitors from 15 nations – newly including Poland and Russia – were present at Reifen China showing tyres, wheels and garage equipment.

Chairman and CEO of Messe Essen Frank Thorwirth said that the increasing support for the show from Europe is a sign of its “growing internationality”, though Tyres & Accessories noted the high proportion of domestic visitors, while the vast majority of exhibitors T&A spoke to suggested the primacy of Asian market interest. The conjoined shows of Reifen China and RubberTech China attracted a total of 12,000 visitors from 64 nations over its three days, with around eleven per cent of the total number of visitors from abroad (including Hong Kong and Taiwan). While that figure represents an increase of around seven per cent on the number of visitors in 2011, it also shows that the number of nations represented by those visitors has dropped by 13 from last year.

T&A asked Messe Essen’s project manager at the event, Xiang Zhi, what he thought of the internationality of the event, he said that the organiser “would still like to grow” the number of international stands, which numbered 20 in 2012. Exemplifying potential growth markets for this show’s visitors, Zhi mentioned Australasia, due to proximity, while visitors from Africa and the Middle East could potentially provide an increase in footfall, given their markets’ general “preference for cheaper products”.

As Thorwirth noted, Reifen China takes place “in the middle of one of the most attractive markets in the tyre sector”, and – as a visitor to the show from a major UK wholesaler put it – interest in upcoming Chinese factories’ developments in Europe has been further piqued by the surprising label ratings claimed by some very new players in the sector. Tyre labels appeared on a number of stands, including more established export brands such as Jinyu’s Evergreen, the tyres presented by trading company Best Choice International and relative newcomer Tire Technology Alliance’s Primmax and Arcron brands.

However, given that the introduction period for European tyre labelling had been completed two weeks before the start of the show, it was also notable that many exhibitors were not displaying labelling results, including some of China’s most prominent exporters to Europe. Putting the many vagaries of implementing tyre labelling legislation to one side, the sight of some tyre brands that come to the UK without the label generally gave the impression that some exhibitors were not necessarily pitching to European visitors.

Messe Essen and its Chinese partner China United Rubber Corporation (CURC), with the support of Bundesverband Reifenhandel und Vulkaniseur-Handwerk e.V. (the Federal Association of the Tyre Trade and Vulcanisers) said Reifen China offered “an information and ordering platform for the growth market of China”. The parallel RubberTech China fair continued to offer “an outstanding synergetic effect”, according to Messe Essen. Xiang Zhi told T&A that part of the idea of continuing to hold the Shanghai show annually was due to its links with the longer-standing RubberTech – this year was the 12th edition of the twin show. Another two reasons he gave were the continued improvement it offers to “the Reifen brand” and the speed of development in the Chinese industry. Potential future initiatives could include the increased presence of garage machinery, such as tyre changers and wheel balancers.

Alongside the stands in the halls, the RubberTech China 2012 Forum helped to provide an outlook of the latest developments of the market, including expert speakers such as Hui Jing, product manager at Bekaert, talking through general trends of steel cord development in radial tyres and VMI chairman and CEO Harm Voortman, who focused on tyre production methods.

In conclusion, the organisers of Reifen Essen’s subsidiary event said the exhibiting companies were “pleased about well-visited booths, excellent networking possibilities and numerous business deals”. Ultimately, they said, a boom “was not to be expected due to the slight decline in the Chinese economy”, but the trade fair continues to attract repeat interest; “on the last day of the fair, rebooking for Reifen China 2013 already registered an 80 per cent repeat reservation rate.” While repeat business is important for the strength of Reifen China’s base, it will need to increase numbers of both international exhibitors and visitors in order to increase its relevance both in the Chinese market and across its export markets, and this is the stated goal of Messe Essen.

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