China'S Exhibition Industry Needs A Healthy Development Environment

　　 Exhibition Forum -- Challenge, International Integration, Strategic Alliance

(1) About "challenges". As the first part of the thesis, the "challenge" is divided into five aspects. However, it is not in these five aspects that can be directly linked with the second part of the topic "integration" and the third part "alliance". The author believes that the "challenge" closely related to "international integration" and "strategic alliance" should be "the competition caused by the entry of large international exhibition companies into the Chinese market, and the resulting impact on the development of China's exhibition industry".

The first problem here is the so-called "China nation Convention and exhibition industry ". China's accession to the WTO is a major decision and a rational choice for China's economic integration with the world and the in-depth development of China's reform and opening up. With the gradual opening of the Chinese market, the service trade market will also gradually open. As early as a few years before China's accession to the WTO, there had been discussions and debates on the so-called national industry and national brands in China. Finally, there is a consensus that we should understand the problem from the general trend of economic globalization. That is, the deeper China's reform and opening up, the more closely China's economy is connected with the world economy, and the more narrow the understanding of the so-called Chinese national industry and national brand will be.

From the nature of service trade, as a tertiary industry, its function is mainly to provide services for the primary and secondary industries, and also directly serve the masses of the people. Therefore, we should mainly assess the performance and role of exhibitions from the service function. So we can calmly look at the impact and effect of foreign exhibition companies' entry into China's exhibition market.

　　 Foreign exhibitions The company's entry into China's exhibition market will certainly have an impact on some domestic exhibition units. But some famous brand exhibitions came in, the level of project operation was improved, and advanced management experience was learned. Therefore, challenges have positive aspects and promote the role.

I remember an article about foreign fast food entering the Chinese market to compete with the original Chinese catering industry. It is mentioned that we should go from "bringing wolves into the house" to "dancing with wolves" to "training wolves into dogs". I agree with this metaphor very much. The key lies in our own driving ability and control level. Our attitude should be to face the challenge, be cautious about it, accept it and overcome it.

(2) About "connection". We certainly hope to "take international standards as our business rules", because this is a good way to improve the management and operation level of the industry. But the "industry rules" are to safeguard the interests of the entire industry. At present, China's exhibition market and industry have not been fully formed, and the interest relationship between Chinese and foreign exhibition industries and exhibition enterprises has not been straightened out. However, "challenges" have emerged, while "integration" has yet to take place, which makes the situation severe and urgent.

Recently, the report of foreign capital entering the retail industry has attracted attention. A phenomenon called "service industry dumping" has emerged, which is indeed worthy of our conference and exhibition industry peers' research and reference. For a while, those "big cats" in the international retail industry were concentrating their advantages in capital, experience and network to pounce on the "cake" of the Chinese retail market. They even dumped their local profit subsidies to China, aiming to occupy the market and achieve the goal of "giving before taking".

The similar situation mentioned above is also reflected in China's exhibition market after China's accession to the WTO. A number of brand exhibitions that have been launched in the international exhibition market have been transplanted or cloned to China. In China, "coming to exhibition" and "going out for exhibition" are separated, but "coming to exhibition" and "going out for exhibition" have been unified. Therefore, in the face of their occupation, Chinese exhibition enterprises are still hard to match. In order to achieve "international integration", China's convention and exhibition industry's own "business rules" and "track" must first have a "plan". This is the first "lesson" we should do well. {page_break}

(3) About the Alliance. Since "alliance" is "strategic", it must be significant, long-term and mutually beneficial. The author believes that there are two major aspects of domestic strategic alliances and international strategic alliances.

As for domestic strategic alliance, if it is considered as "the strategic alliance formed among exhibition organizers, exhibition hall operators, exhibition service providers and booth builders", the author believes that its development potential is not great. Because the "exhibitors" among the four are "buyers" for other "three merchants", they can play a leading and active role. If possible, "exhibitors" tend to "compare" and "discount" other "three merchants". Only when the supply of exhibition halls is relatively insufficient, some large exhibitions will form a fixed partnership with the exhibition halls (far from strategic alliance, and there are many contradictions). However, institutions such as China International Exhibition Center Group have formed a "four in one" situation. But can this count as the above-mentioned "strategic alliance"?

In addition, there may be another kind of strategic alliance in China, that is, the strategic alliance in the case of "common confrontation with the enemy". The so-called "enemy" refers to a "third party who is under common threat and infringes on common interests". At present, what can be imagined or felt is what some large foreign exhibition companies have done. I remember that on August 20, 2002, the "Exhibition Weekly" of China Trade Daily published an article entitled "Hannover: Can We Win Win?". The article reminds everyone to pay attention to each other's tactics. That is, in terms of implementation means, "they may first find a Chinese partner as a stepping stone, and then gradually weaken the role of the partner. They may turn against visitors and enter the room; or they may separately suppress or buy off existing exhibition projects to try to achieve" take all ". We must not take lightly the serious nature and far-reaching impact of this situation.".

Our hope is that through various strategic alliances, more "aircraft carriers" and "fleets" with Chinese characteristics in the exhibition industry will gradually be formed that can compete and compete with large companies like "Hannover". Accordingly, we require our national exhibition authorities to draw on international advanced experience and combine China's reality to formulate a set of development goals, strategic strategies and implementation methods of the exhibition industry with Chinese characteristics; Actively support large-scale exhibitions with their own intellectual property rights, brand advantages and competitiveness; At the same time, reasonable interest adjustment should be carried out to meet the interest needs of different exhibition organizers in various aspects and levels, and to optimize and integrate the existing exhibition resources. Only in this way can the national policy support for the domestic exhibition industry be reflected.

As for the international strategic alliance, the author believes that it is the product of "balance of power" in the final analysis. Without sufficient strength, what about the "League of Nations"? From the analysis of the actual situation of China's exhibition development, it can be seen that several domestic famous brand exhibitions have gained a firm foothold, so they do not have the requirement of "alliance" at present. For example: Beijing International Machine Tool Exhibition, Auto Exhibition, Shanghai Mould Exhibition, etc. However, a large number of other small and medium-sized exhibition projects are not suitable for the current situation, nor can they qualify as "League of Nations". In addition, there are some projects between the above two situations, and the other party has already "expressed", but there is no substantial progress at present. In the final analysis, in order to obtain the opportunity and status of equal dialogue, we must pay attention to our own construction and enhance our own strength. In this way, the goal of "alliance" - to achieve "maximum interests" and "win-win, multi win" can be changed from ideal design to reality.

(4) Make a good article around a good topic. The China International Conference and Exhibition Forum in Shenzhen this autumn has indeed selected a good topic. The topic has a high starting point, new content and strong international character. However, if we want to make a good article under this good topic and combine the actual development of China's exhibition, it is very important to issue a targeted "prescription". Or it may be fruitful to really "compare notes" and "discuss" with foreign counterparts on more "sensitive" issues.

In addition, the author also believes that we need not only forward-looking, strategic and international topics like "Challenge, International Integration and Strategic Alliance", but also targeted, effective and realistic issues like "the status, role and government management of the exhibition industry" in combination with the reality. Therefore, the author does not think that which topic is "outdated" or "unable to keep up with the situation"; It is hoped that "high and low matching" and "combination of far and near" on the topic will prevent the "profound" topic from becoming "high and low", which will make people feel "disappointed" and "lose nothing".

At present, domestic forums, summits, trainings, lectures and other activities related to exhibitions are increasingly frequent. This is the outstanding performance of the vigorous development of the exhibition industry. However, in my humble opinion, what is more needed now is to summarize and sort out these insightful views and the theory of "a hundred schools of thought" as soon as possible, and to carry out further in-depth discussions and analysis in a planned, systematic and targeted manner, with a view to eventually forming public opinion and theories that have a certain influence on China's exhibition industry, And further promote the formation of an environment conducive to the healthy development of China's exhibition industry. This should be the common goal and mission of our professionals.