Success all along the line: New IFAT convinces in West China

Already the very first IE expo Chengdu is a story of enormous success: From June 27 to 29, 2019, 19,620 trade visitors and 321 exhibitors participated in the West Chinese variant of the Munich IFAT in the Western China International Expo City in Chengdu, a city of 15 million people. With this debut event IE expo Chengdu has already established its position as the leading platform for environmental technology in West China.

Stefan Rummel, the Managing Director of Messe München, is enthusiastic about the successful launch of the trade fair: “Participants’ response has by far exceeded our expectations. The combination of a customised exhibition profile, public awareness of the worldwide IFAT brand and the support rendered by local authorities and industry associations were simply convincing.” Partners of IE expo Chengdu 2019 were the Chengdu Municipal People’s Government, the Chengdu Ecological Environment Bureau, the Chengdu Expo Bureau and the China Environment Chamber of Commerce.

Western provinces insist on sustainable economic policy

For Jiang Gang, Managing Director of the organising company Messe München Zhongmao, it is the high demand for technologies for the fair’s own fields of water, waste, air and soil that is the decisive factor for the success of the first IE expo Chengdu: “With IE expo Chengdu, we have created a tailored platform of solutions for West China’s most urgent environmental challenges. The great outcome is a proof of how much the western provinces insist on taking a sustainable economic course.“ Accordingly, the implementation of a specific regional environmental technology trade fair was important, says Jun Zhang, Director of the Chengdu Ecological Environment Bureau: “IE expo Chengdu 2019 has proved to be an excellent platform for exchange and cooperation for politics, business and research. The show stimulated the innovation vitality of Chengdu's environmental protection industry, its contribution to the overall economic growth and released greater development potential.”

The regional character of the trade fair is reflected in the participants: Most of the trade visitors came from China. There were also a number of delegations, primarily from the Sichuan province and the neighbouring cities in Southwest China. 321 exhibitors represented a total of eleven countries, among them local as well as international brands such as the Chengdu Environment Group, Fluence, Grundfos, Hebei Sailhero, Jingjin, SCIMEE, Turbowin, Veolia and Zenit. The trade fair covered a space of 21,000 square meters in halls 5 and 6 of the Western China International Expo City.

Valuable contacts and an up-to-date supporting programme

According to Jie Ma, Minister of Strategic Investment Centre of the Chengdu Environment Investment Group, IE expo Chengdu proved to be an excellent platform for the exhibitors to present their businesses and make contacts: “IE expo Chengdu has maintained the quality standard set by IE expo China and, in fact, not only that of exhibitors but also that of the trade visitors. It’s a perfect platform for us to get in touch with first-class enterprises at home and abroad.” The General Manager of Prominent Trading (Dalian), Peng Wang added: “The overall effect of IE expo Chengdu 2019 was excellent. Many target customers came to our booth for consultation, not only from the West China, but also from Central and South China.”

With a total of 14 expert forums and conferences, this debut trade fair was convincing also in the field of transfer of knowledge. The highlight was, among other, the China Environmental Industry Summit Forum. Titled “Change and Reconstruction”, the forum was the platform for experts and participants to discuss possibilities of how the use of modern environmental technologies can mark the beginning of a new era of the industry in West China.

Shengwen Gu, President of Sichuan Circular Economy Association, sums it up: “With its large scale, rich contents and great number of exhibitors, IE expo Chengdu 2019 has made positive contributions to the fight against pollution in West China.”

Next year, IE expo Chengdu will be held again in Western China International Expo City, from June 30 to July 2, 2020. Prior to this, the Chinese environmental technology industry can look forward to another IFAT fair in their country: At IE expo Guangzhou, held from September 18 to 20, 2019, about 600 exhibitors will show their customised solutions for the market in South China; the organisers expect more than 30,000 visitors in the China Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou.

More information on cd.ie-expo.com.