Issue 3/2006
05/02/06
China World Elevator & Escalator Expo ’06 - 18-21 April in Langfang Five days in Langfang
Five days in Langfang
Langfang - who had ever heard of this city in China a year ago? Since the CWEE (China World Elevator & Escalator Expo) closed its doors on April 21, 2006, the name Langfang has remained firmly imprinted in the minds and ears of the international lift and elevator family, and now stands as the new venue for Asia’s most important elevator exhibition.
Category: Issue 3/2006
Posted by: Editor
On this note, our sincere congratulations go to Langfang and particularly to Zhang Lexiang, the CEA organizer. We would also like to pay tribute to all participants from Germany (taking part either on the joint VFA stand or independently) who were brave enough to make the journey to Langfang.
Stephan Kretzschmar
Member of VFA-interlift e.V.
National and International Exhibition Management
According to a study published by Research and Market, in step with the development of its economic growth, since 1980 China has evolved to become the world’s biggest lift and elevator market. Demand has increased rapidly since then, peaking in 2004 with an output of 80,000 lift systems. Despite the 610,000 systems currently in operation, there still exists an enormous untapped demand. To reach a par with world standards, an estimated further 700,000 lift systems need to be installed. As a result of this boom, China has become an irresistible magnet to all the world’s big lift manufacturers. The 13 biggest suppliers currently share 74 percent of the market. A number of Chinese manufacturers such as Suzhou Jiangnan, Shandong Best, Zhejiang Giant and Dongnan Hydraulic Elevator etc. are already playing a significant role in the marketplace and could go on to displace the foreign manufacturers in the future.
At present, the structure of the lift and elevator industry is undergoing a process of change in China. While the big foreign corporations are jostling for position and forming joint ventures, China’s own manufacturers such as Ningbo Xinda, Ningbo Shenling, Zhangjiagang Runfa, Shanghai Step and Shenyang Bluelight are rapidly gaining ground. The importance of installation and maintenance has been acknowledged and greater emphasis placed on customer service. This has resulted in the laying down of long-term customer ties and consequently a solid foundation for the Chinese lift producers. The technical know-how demonstrated by Chinese lift manufacturers and the quality of their products are improving all the time. Since the country joined the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 1985, the Chinese elevator industry has been endeavouring to adjust by adopting a series of international standards from the advanced industrialized countries. The implementation of these standards has meant a boost for manufacturers in the domestic market, enabling them to offer the very latest technologies. Consequently they are not only making inroads into their own market but increasingly gaining a footing in the international arena as well.
This year’s Elevator Expo was staged at the relatively new trade fair grounds in Langfang, on a scale which reflected the headlong development of the market. Thankfully the venue still offers scope for expansion, as the three halls were already full to capacity, with exhibitors spilling out into an additional lightweight hall.
Overall the fair stretched over an area of around 35,000 square metres, accommodating some 450 exhibitors displaying their products to an interested trade public.
Hall A, which was also the location for the joint stand organized by VFA and AFAG, accommodated around 45 companies. Hall B, which offered the largest area (13,000 square metres) was home to the giant stands set up by the “big names” of the industry such as Hitachi, Toshiba, Otis Express, Mitsubishi, Kone, Fujitec and so on. The noise level in this hall took some getting used to, and this certainly had a negative impact when it came to conducting business negotiations and discussions with potential clients. The spirit on the first day of the fair was not unlike an arms race, with exhibitors vying to see who could churn the most decibels out of their loudspeakers. From the second day, this situation improved radically when the organizers stepped in to ensure that the volume of music and show performances on the stands was kept to reasonable levels. In Halls C and D, the size of the stands was generally smaller. All the halls were clearly arranged using an open structure, making orientation relatively easy.
In the adjacent congress centre, there were 23 lectures held over the duration of the fair. Representatives of German companies such as Lothar Sieber of Drako Drahtseilerei Gustav Kocks GmbH & Co or Jens Werding of Wittur System Antriebstechnik Dresden GmbH also took their turn on the podium. The lectures elicited a positive response, although more information and more effort to promote this forum would have been appreciated.
The two evening events were also held in the Congress Centre. The gala dinners were attended by high-calibre representatives from the world of politics, from trade associations and also Chinese and foreign industry. Around 400 people attended the two events.
A joint German exhibition stand took part under the organizational directorship of the VFA. Participating were AFAG, Blain, Böhnke & Partner, Dahl, Eden-Design, Lift-Journal, Langer & Laumann, Lift-Report, Lithos, Chr. Mayr, Ing. The stand was located in a prime position. A number of other German companies, some of which had also been represented on the joint stand in previous years, decided to go it alone or in association with their Chinese partners on this occasion. As ever, the joint stand was a shining example of organizational success.
This year, the organizers radically tightened up the question of trade fair access compared to last year’s event in Shanghai. The general visitor quality was very good, and “leaflet collectors” seemed to have been eliminated. This was reflected in the positive response of exhibitors generally to the high calibre of trade visitors. The presence of English-speaking contacts at the entrances or on stands of organizational importance would have been appreciated, however, as this would have helped foreign guests find their way more quickly and easily around the exhibition. The CEA, in particular the organizer of the next Elevator Expo Zhang Lexiang, will certainly be making allowances for the international orientation of this major fair in the future.
Elevator technology apart, another popular topic of discussion at the fair was the distance of Langfang from Beijing and consequences as regards access. Many exhibitors (also Chinese) were accommodated in Beijing, as Langfang is as yet unable to offer sufficient hotel capacity. Travel time was around one hour, although it should be borne in mind that a journey within Peking can easily also take this long. In addition, the Elevator Expo in China has now reached such proportions that it requires a well structured trade fair venue with sufficient space.
But here, too, the organizers could be relied upon to assist, with bus shuttles laid on from several hotels in the capital to and from the trade fair grounds.
All in all the event was a resounding success. It only remains for me to offer my heartfelt congratulations to the organizers, whose courage and commitment certainly paid off. Preparations for the next Elevator Expo in 2008 can now get under way.
3/2006
