Paperworld China to Make November Debut
Staff -- Tradeshow Week, 9/20/2004
Messe Frankfurt is bringing its Paperworld tradeshow brand to China.
Paperworld China will debut Nov. 15–17, 2005, at the Shanghai New Intl. Expo Center. The show will be modeled after the parent Paperworld show in Frankfurt, Germany. Messe Frankfurt also runs the Hong Kong Intl. Stationery Fair.
"The initial response we have received to the fair has been very positive, with many market leaders pledging their support for the show" said Betty Heywood, director of trade fairs for Messe Frankfurt Shanghai.
Messe Frankfurt expects the inaugural show to include 400 exhibitors covering 23,000 square meters (247,600 square feet) of exhibition space. Paperworld China will focus on office automation and "modern office" products, including digital imaging, computer accessories and multimedia supplies. It will target international suppliers and buyers, as well as the domestic Chinese market.
China leads the world in the manufacture and export of stationery products, with some 3,000 stationery manufacturers, many in the Yangtze Delta region around Shanghai. But until now, China's biggest stationery industry tradeshow has been the China Stationery & Specialty Merchandise Fair, for more traditional stationery products focused on the domestic market in China.
Paperworld China is a joint venture between Messe Frankfurt, whose Shanghai office will manage the show; the China Chamber of Commerce for Import/Export of Light Industrial Products and Arts & Crafts; and the Guangzhou Foreign Trade South China Exhibition Corp.
Robert Lu of Ningbo Merry Art Gifts, a traditional paper products company that works with Messe Frankfurt rival Global Sources, said there is a need for such a show, but he worries about the quality of attendees and the timing of the show.
"November is a good season for the next year's products, but during that time, there are so many shows," said Lu. "November is less than one month after the Canton Fair, so the time is very short. Most customers come to the Canton Fair. Timing is really very important."
