SF EXPO was held in Guangzhou for 12 years and then moved to Chongqing in 2014, being held by turn in Guangzhou and Chongqing each year. SF EXPO 2018 will be moved to Chongqing again and go deep into the southwest China market to promote the development of the industry on surface finishing in the southwest and build an efficient, professional, and international exhibition platform. MFN had an interview with SF EXPO organizers, Mr. Zhang Zhi, the General Manager from Wise Exhibition (Guangdong) Co., Ltd, who introduced relevant conditions in the exhibition and discussed the development trend of the industry and exhibition.

After ten years grinding swords, after 10 years of industrial deep ploughing, SF EXPO has become a unique surface finishing industry exhibition approved by UFI and also become a global exhibition.  The rapid rise of SF EXPO has made great contributions to international technology exchange and trade jointly in the surface finishing industry. Since being founded in 2003, SF EXPO has been successfully held 12 times in Guangzhou and twice in Chongqing, achieving recognition by the whole industry! The last Chongqing (China) International Surface Finishing, Electroplating and Coating Exhibition was successfully held in Chongqing International Expo Center on May 11-13, 2016. Attracting a total of 232 well-known exhibitors from 13 countries and regions at home and abroad around the world, it received 9,854 professional visitors both domestic and international, including 16 visiting groups.

Chongqing (China) International Surface Finishing, Electroplating and Coating Exhibition 2018 will be held on May 9 to 11, 2018 in Chongqing International Expo Center (Yuelai New Town), and will feature a series of high-end industry conferences, peak BBS, and technical seminars on concurrent events. Based in Chongqing, SF EXPO will make a great surface finishing industry event in the Southwest!

(?) MFN: What was the effect for last exhibition (2016)?

(!) Z. Z.: SF EXPO 2016 was held in Chongqing successfully and verified the correctness of SF EXPO strategic expansion once again. SF EXPO 2016 received strong support from industrial participants. There were nearly 400 domestic and overseas brands joining the fair.
It attracted 16,000 visits from the principals of purchasing and engineering departments of user companies. The brand strength and market influence of SF EXPO was again recognized in Chongqing, indicating there is great potential in the Southwest market.

(?) MFN: Compared with the past few years, what’s going on the Chongqing market? What are the new changes or trends?

(!) Z. Z.: With the implementation of the national western development strategy, southwest China’s economic development is faster and faster, with mainly manufacturing industry occupying the dominant position in the national economy. The National policy of "One Belt and One Road" has been put forward deeply, and for the economy in the Southwest, is being injected with more powerful motivation. Taking Chongqing southwest center city - Chengdu as the core, there are economic vitality and manufacturing advantages obviously. Chongqing as the only municipality directly under the central government, and the national central city in western China is an important modern manufacturing base and national high-tech industry base; it is also the economic and financial center of the upper Yangtze river region, radiation of Xi ‘an, Luoyang, Zhengzhou, Wuhan, Changsha, Guiyang, Nanning, and Liuzhou such as the Southwest major important cities. Chongqing - Chengdu as the core of "Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle" has become "the fourth pole" of economic growth in China. As the government carries out some national preferential policies on taxes and services, the business investment has increased rapidly in the west. The world’s top 500 enterprises have established offices here one after another. With Chongqing as the core strategic stronghold of the Silk Road Economic Belt, the Southwest market will be bound to usher in even more vigorous development.

(?) MFN: What do you think of the SF EXPO Chongqing Exhibition’s rapid rise in the southwest region? What is the main factor whereby it receives highly recognized praise by the industrial participants?

(!) Z. Z.: The core is market demand, which I just mentioned. Surface engineering involves industry chains, big to the auto industry accessories, small to electronics and watches and glasses, all needing surface finishing. The China Southwest area has developed manufacturing industries in recent years, creating a huge market space for surface finishing industry. Secondly, it cannot do without strong industry association and government policy support. SF EXPO is jointly organized by the China Electroplating Association, China Surface Engineering Association Painting of Branch, Wise Exhibition (Guangdong) Co.,Ltd, and local associations in the Southwest, and has strong influence and appeal in the industry. In the meanwhile, the exhibition also receives support and help from other government departments and relevant departments of the Environmental Protection Bureau of Chongqing, Chongqing Economic and Information Commission, Chongqing Development and Reform Commission, and the Chongqing Association for Science and Technology. Thirdly, there are more than ten years of development and the organizing committee team specialization of operations, and SF EXPO has already gone deep into various industries involved in surface finishing. We have a professional team to promote and attract audience organizations, we have a massive number of domestic and foreign buyers, and with the quantity and quality of buyers rising, the exhibition effect is one of the important reasons why we stand out. Users, plating auxiliary enterprises, heads of engineering departments, and procurement personnel have all come to visit.

(?) MFN: How can SF EXPO help foreign enterprises to develop the Chinese market?

(!) Z. Z.: Exhibiting for more than ten years, SF, EXPO organizing committee has been trying our best to ensure clients have the best exhibition effect by influencing the effect of the exhibition industry information directly, and providing supply and demand factors such as resources optimized mix meticulously and deep plough market. Hence, we will provide help to foreign enterprises in every aspect. SF EXPO attaches great importance to the promotion of new products, new technologies and applications, and by conducting organization series new product launch every time, more and more enterprises will recognize SF EXPO as a first-choice platform for promotion. Numerous enterprises at home and abroad, with the help of the platform promotion enterprise and product, have realized their brands have taken off. In addition, SF EXPO will organize an on-the-spot investigation industry base of activities, lead the overseas enterprise in-depth market, interact with enterprises, and provide comprehensive accurate insight into the market demand in a timely manner. Also, by providing all kinds of industry BBS and meeting during this period will allow overseas enterprises to gain the comprehensive industry’s latest information and key market information, which will all be united in the conference and exhibition.

(?) MFN: What is the goal of SF EXPO 2018?

(!) Z. Z.: The mission of SF EXPO is to create value for customers. We will do this through professional organizations, the upstream and downstream enterprises, industry associations, industry media and government departments’ effective linkage, truly taking the lead in the international arena of surface engineering technology innovation industry event.

(?) MFN: What is the difference between SF EXPO 2018 and the last exhibition? What will the new breakthrough be?

(!) Z. Z.: Chongqing (China) International Surface Finishing, Electroplating and Coating Exhibition 2018 will be held on May 9-11, 2018 in Chongqing International Expo Center. The 2018 exhibition will show a way of specialization and refinement in operation, five big exhibiting categories to perfectly showcase the scale of further exhibition breakthrough. In the meantime, large conferences are also a feature of the show: High-end concurrent activities make preparations seriously, such as the Chongqing International Surface Engineering Technology Forum 2018, 2018 China (Chongqing) Automotive Surface Engineering and Anti-corrosion Technology Seminar, Chongqing(China)Electroplating and Paint & Coatings Industrial Environmental Protection Technology Summit 2018, The Fourth Sichuan-Chongqing Surface Engineering Technology Communication Meeting, Surface Finishing New Products & Technology Promotion Conference, and Investigation Mission to Southwest China Surface Finishing Market. In addition, four exhibitions will provide linkage with SF EXPO 2018, such as 2018 Chongqing (China) International Industrial Environmental Protection Technology and Equipment Exhibition, The 19th Li Jia International Intelligent Equipment Exhibition, The 75th National Motorcycle and Accessories Trade Fair, and The Fourth (Western China) International Refrigeration Exhibition 2018. We will arrange a free shuttle bus service to pick up visitors for a round trip over these five exhibitions and facilitate purchasers to visit each exhibition. We will continue to make a wonderful industry event. Welcome to all the friends from over the world for the SF EXPO 2018 Chongqing exhibition in China!

(!) MFN: SF EXPO and MFN are well-known exhibition organizations and media organizations in the surface finishing industry, and have maintained exchange cooperation for a long time. MFN thanks Mr. Zhang for accepting this interview, and wish that SF EXPO 2018 will be a complete success!

For Information:
Wise Exhibition (Guangdong) Co., Ltd.
Room A & B, 3rd Floor, Wanyihuaxuan
Building, No.10 Jinju Road
Haizhu District, Guangzhou
Guangdong, P.R.China
Tel. +86.20.29193506/97
Fax +86.20.29193591
E-mail: sfexpo@hotmail.com
www.sf-expo.cn/en