Introduction to CEFCO
China Expo Forum for International Cooperation (CEFCO) was founded in 2005 and is co-hosted by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) along with four international non-governmental organizations, namely UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI), the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE), the Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO), and the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA). Approved by the State Council of China, it is a state - level and international forum in the exhibition and event industry. After two decades of cultivation and development, it has emerged as one of the premier and most impactful annual events in the global landscape.
Since its inception, the Forum has upheld the principles of "Openness, Cooperation, and Win-win" and has established an international, professional, and branded platform to exchange ideas and seek collaborations among global enterprises, industry organizations, government departments, professional media, and research institutions. The Forum aims to foster open cooperation between Chinese companies and foreign counterparts, lead the evolution of the global exhibition and event industry, and contribute to establishing an open world economy.
CEFCO is held annually in various cities across China. To date, it has successfully convened 20 editions in Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Chengdu, Nanjing, Xi'an, Hangzhou, Haikou, Chongqing, Wuxi, Kunming, Ningxia, Macao, Qingdao, Qionghai, Nanning, Fuzhou, Shaoxing, Nanchang, and Tianjin.
Through participating in the Forum, the guests can gain an exceptional experience and access to extensive cooperation opportunities in the ensuing dimensions.
Firstly, engaging in face-to-face communication with professionals from the global exhibition and event industry to foster friendships and discuss potential collaborations. CEFCO has steadfastly adhered to its original mission, dedicated to fostering exchanges and collaboration both domestically and abroad. Every year, CEFCO extends invitations to relevant international organizations and agencies, administrative authorities from diverse nations, globally prominent enterprises, as well as industry luminaries in the exhibition and event sector. Discussions focus on the development trends of the global exhibition and event industry and expound on practical cooperation initiatives. CEFCO has effectively fulfilled its function of "bridging the gap" and "weaving connections", having successively attracted tens of thousands of professionals from over 30 countries and regions to partake.
Secondly, CEFCO offers access to the latest and most authoritative information on the major exhibition and event markets in China and globally. The CCPIT releases the Annual Report on China's Exhibition Industry at each edition of CEFCO. This report summarizes the development trends of China's exhibition industry in the previous year and provides an analysis and forecast of future trends. Widely influential both at home and abroad, this report provides crucial guidance for the development of the industry and serves as an important reference for foreign enterprises seeking to explore the Chinese market. Moreover, international exhibition and event organizations such as UFI, IAEE, SISO, and ICCA release their data and analyses on the major markets in China and around the world during the Forum every year. This presents an excellent opportunity for practitioners to understand the development trends of the global exhibition and event industry and capture business opportunities.
Thirdly, CEFCO facilitates engagement with stakeholders spanning the entire Chinese exhibition and event industry value chain, thereby enabling the realization of substantial collaborations. Annually, CEFCO draws in enterprises from every segment of the Chinese exhibition and event industry's upstream, midstream, and downstream echelons. Additionally, administrative departments, the CCPIT branches, business associations, and organizations from across the nation actively partake. A vast number of matchmaking and exchange events are conducted, fostering the formation of a number of cooperation intents and the successful implementation of projects. Whether one aims to identify competent and trustworthy partners for penetrating the Chinese market, expand business operations, or articulate issues and requirements, CEFCO stands as an eminently professional and highly efficient platform.
Fourthly, it delves deeply into cutting-edge industry issues and seeks win-win solutions. Every year, CEFCO sets topics centered around industry hotspots such as sustainable development, digital technologies, talent cultivation, transformation and upgrading, innovative development, and international cooperation, with the aim to gather the wisdom of global industry elites, explore opportunities and challenges faced by the industry, jointly promote management innovation, model innovation, and service innovation within the industry, as well as accelerate the green and low-carbon transformation and the formulation of industry standards.