CITExpo 2009 takes place at the Shanghai Everbright Convention and Exhibition Centre between 9 and 11 September. With much significance attached to numbers in the host nation, and nine considered the luckiest of all the single-digit numerals, September 9, 2009, or 09-09-09, is not only an easy date to remember, it is also a very fortuitous one. The organiser of the CITExpo exhibition in Shanghai, Reliable International Exhibition Services, certainly hopes this will prove to be the case, following a year in which the tyre business, like most global industries, has come under increased financial pressure. However, Wilko Fong – managing director of Reliable – told Tyres & Accessories that the worldwide slump has not overtly affected the running of the show.

“It is encouraging that our show has not been affected by the worldwide market shrinking demand,” he said. “At the same moment of last year, this year we have recorded 5 per cent increase in number of exhibitors and 10 per cent increase in sold space. There were 210 exhibitors registered before June 2008, and there are 225 exhibitors registered before June 2009. Also, some exhibitors are feeling that the market is gradually picking up from the bottom already.”