The past months have been more than challenging. Now, however, it almost feels as though spring is in the air with exhibitors and visitors in Shanghai enjoying a refreshing renewal of personal contacts and boosting business via a wealth of product innovations. With detailed hygiene concepts, the concurrent Shanghai Intelligent Building Technology, Shanghai Smart Home Technology and Parking China opened their doors in the Chinese metropolis between 2 and 4 September. These three events are Asia’s first building-technologies trade fairs to once again welcome visitors in Corona Year Zero.
As a ‘one-stop platform’, the three fairs brought together 25,837 trade visitors and 208 exhibitors on around 20,000 square metres of exhibition space. Thematically, the fairs were dominated by technologies that can make a major contribution to overcoming the coronavirus pandemic, e.g., IoT, artificial intelligence, big data, robotics, smart office, smart parking, home safety and security, energy efficiency, 5G, smart cities and, in particular, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning technologies.
Pandemic driving trends in the sector
“Particularly interesting this year were the trends that have emerged from the pandemic. For example, the significance of better-connected buildings and offices was underscored by a new standard for working from home. Additionally, people are spending more time in their dwellings. And this, in turn, has led to an increase in demand for intelligent technologies that can be used to improve the living and working environment”, reported Lucia Wong, Deputy General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd in Hong Kong.
Because the sector is changing rapidly and must react to new advances and innovations, the programme of events proved to be an additional important tool for, inter alia, discovering new opportunities through an interdisciplinary exchange of information. One of the remarkable events was a forum organised by the Intelligent Branch of China Engineering & Consulting Association, focusing on the challenges and opportunities facing the intelligent construction industry in the post-pandemic era.
Stagnation is no alternative
“This is a great source of hope”, said Wolfgang Marzin, President and Chief Executive Officer, commenting on the safe and successful conclusion of the events. “We must learn to cope with the situation and now in particular to strengthen the trade fairs we built up together over the years. The alternative would be stagnation. And that helps nobody. We want to push ahead at the right speed – by analysing, testing and modifying.” When he mentions ‘modifying’, Marzin is referring to the introduction of hybrid fairs. “Nothing can replace personal encounters. Moreover, nobody is pressuring us to make a choice. So why not build on the best aspects of physical encounters and digital features in the interests of all concerned?”
Exhibitor feedback
“It is very important that this year’s Shanghai Intelligent Building
Technology could be held as planned because many events were cancelled
in the first half of this year. We had numerous visitors to our
exhibition stand from the first day on – many more than we expected. The
fair was successful in bringing the smart-building sector back together
and enabling us to effectively start doing business again.”
Lydia Liu, Senior Business Manager, Luxdomo, China
Trade-visitor feedback
“This is a highly professional event and a large number of China’s
leading suppliers are here to present their latest products and
technologies. My aim is to place orders and, after a positive exchange
of business ideas, to collaborate with the exhibitors I met here. The
programme of events offered me a variety of insights such as, for
example, the significance of official lighting and other interesting
trends and subjects.”
Yin Shuo, Vice Director, General Manager Office, Tianjin Zhonghuan Semiconductor Co. Ltd, China
Messe Frankfurt organises many trade fairs for the lighting and building-services technology sectors in Asia, including Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology and the Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition. Headed by the biennial Light + Building in Frankfurt, the company’s lighting and building-technology trade fairs also cover the markets in Argentina, India, Thailand, Russia and the United Arab Emirates.
The next Light + Building will be held in Frankfurt am Main from 13 to 18 March 2022.
