From 25-27th June 2018, the 8th Expo Project Fair for International Cooperation (EPFIC 2018), the leading B2B negotiation event for promoting the cooperation of the global exhibition industry, was held successfully in Hangzhou International Expo Center, Hangzhou, China. The event was co-organized by Hangzhou MICE Industry Coordination Office and China International Conference and Exhibition Magazine Agency. The theme was “Globalization·Interconnection·Create new heights of convention and exhibition”. This year, the event reached historical high in terms of B2B docking effect, participants number, and the level of internationalization.
Event scale reached historical high
According to statistics, this year, the total number of EPFIC 2018 participants exceeded 1,200, hitting a record high in the event’s history, of which more than 150 were trade visitors invited by the organizing committee. The total area of exhibition was nearly 2,500 square meters. During the event, 17 meetings and sub forums were held. In addition, 7 annual reports on specific topics of the MICE industry were released and received very positive feedback from the participants.
After 8 years of accumulation, EPFIC has gained a high reputation in China. This year, EPFIC attracted exhibition bureaus, MICE associations, and exhibition enterprises from many parts of the country. MICE organizations in many cities participated in a group, such as the city of Suzhou, Changsha, Xiamen, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Taiyuan, Yiwu and others, showing the extensive industry influence and outstanding industry appeal of EPFIC.
Industry leaders spoke on future trends
EPFIC 2018 gained huge support from industry leaders. Chen Xianjin, Honorary President of UFI & Director General of National Exhibition Industry Standardization Technology Committee & President of Shanghai Convention & Exhibition Industries Association; Zheng Zhi, Chairman of China Union of City MICE Associations & President of Xiamen Convention and Exhibition Industry Association, and other industry leaders participated and gave thought-provoking speeches on future development trends of the exhibition industry.
In addition, there were many senior industry players attending various sub-forums of the event, including: Master Lecture, Hangzhou MICE Promotion Meeting, Exclusive B2B Docking Meeting, A Conversation with Government Convention & Exhibition Projects, Convention & Exhibition Center Operation and Cooperation Forum, High-end Interview: A Conversation with Top Multinational Organizers, Overseas Exhibition Forum, Convention & Exhibition M&A Forum, MICE Exchange Meeting, Convention & Exhibition Education Forum.
Excellent B2B docking effect
This year, in order to improve B2B matchmaking effect, the EPFIC organizer organized two Exclusive B2B Docking Meetings. One was focused on matching organizers of auto and machinery shows and quality service suppliers, another was focused on exhibition organizers of other industry sectors. As B2B docking has been the core service of EPFIC, these two sessions was set up based on experiences of past editions. The on-site trade visitors were over 70, and the docking session lasted much longer than scheduled and achieve remarkable effect.
Highest level of internalization and extensive industry reach
As an international event, EPFIC 2018 also welcomed speakers from top global exhibition organizations. Among the speakers were: Mark Cochrane, Regional Manager Asia- Pacific, UFI; Marsha Flanagan, Vice President, International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE); Aloysius Arlando, President, AIPC & CEO, SingEx Holdings, Singapore; Thomas Löffler Chief Financial Officer-Greater China, Messe München Shanghai Co., Ltd. About 30 Chinese and international MICE media reported on the grand event.
The three day event was concluded by the “Golden Five-star” Exhibition Awarding Ceremony and the “Golden Five-Star Night” Gala Dinner. More than a thousand participants from the convention and exhibition industry gathered together. The awards for leading industry players included: Excellent MICE Venues, Emerging MICE Regions, Excellent Exhibition Service Suppliers, and more, witnessing the glorious moments of the 2018 award winners in the year, and celebrating the fruitful achievements of EPFIC 2018.
