MFN had the pleasure to talk to one of the organizers Mr. Zhang Zhi from Wise Exhibition (Guangdong) Co., Ltd regarding the exhibition introduction and industrial trend.

SF EXPO Chongqing is held
catering to the Southwest China market needs

Since the first launch in 2003, SF EXPO has been held for 13 sessions in Guangzhou and 3 sessions in Chongqing. It is one of the global surface finishing exhibitions approved by UFI. Over the past seventeen years, SF EXPO has made an important contribution to the technical exchange and trade connection in the international surface finishing industry. SF EXPO Guangzhou 2019 came to a satisfactory ending on May 23, 2019. The 3-day exhibition attracted 343 exhibitors, and 20650 visitors from 38 countries and regions. Next year, SF EXPO will be held in Chongqing, which is in Southwest China.
Since the implementation of the western development strategy 20 years ago, great changes have taken place in the western region, which has become an eye-catching part of China's economic territory. The accessibility and equalization of infrastructure in the western region have been continuously improved by better combining the structural adjustment and optimization with the expansion of domestic demand, and strengthening the efforts to make up the weaknesses in key areas and weak links in the western region. With the expansion of opening-up as the engine of development, efforts have been made to open up channels and build a new open economic system. The western region has gradually moved from the end to the front of opening up. Therefore, the southwest region has become the emerging market targeted by the surface finishing giants. To conform to the market development trend, in 2013, SF EXPO organizing committee strategically decided to hold SF EXPO biennially in Chongqing, the central city of Southwest China.

(?) MFN: SF EXPO 2018 was the third time held in Chongqing; how was the result?

(!) Z. Z.: Chongqing (China) International Surface Electroplating and Coating Exhibition 2018 & Chongqing (China) International Environmental Protection Technology and Equipment Exhibition were held on May 9-11 at Chongqing International Expo Center. The exhibitions covered an area of 11,500 square meters, which keeps increasing year by year. Concurrent events included 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 Third Sichuan-Chongqing Surface Engineering Technology Communication Meeting, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Comprehensive Treatment Seminar, Surface Finishing New Products & Technology Promotion Conference, Investigation Mission to Southwest China Surface Finishing Market, etc. Concurrent events were rich in content, brilliant, and perfectly complemented the exhibitions.

(?) MFN: SF EXPO 2014 was first held in Chongqing, and how was the result?

(!) Z. Z.: It was a brave and correct choice for SF EXPO 2014 to be held in Chongqing. The exhibition attracted many renowned companies, such as Atotech, Conventya, JCU, Chemetall, Norilsk, Fischer, Hongdart, Ekem, The Second Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, Guangzhou Etsting Plating Research Institute, Join Exper, Baihong, Fengfan, Jadechem, Chuanfu, Huachuang, Pino Aliprandini, Unires, KCI, Batong, Pionmi, Chunyuan, Dalian To-Eastern, Jichuan, etc. Many new products were showcased in the exhibition. Atotech, DOW, and MacDermid held Surface Finishing New Technology and Products Promotion Conferences on site. Many surface treatment processing enterprises and downstream industry representatives all participated in and purchased products so actively that it strengthened our confidence to hold exhibitions in Chongqing.

(?) MFN: Why do you choose Chongqing as the second place for SF EXPO? How is the market situation in Chongqing?

(!) Z. Z.: The decision was made after our organizing committee’s specific market research and analysis. First of all, Chongqing benefits from the ‘One Belt And One Road’ policy of the Chinese government. It is the interchange of Yangtze River Economic Zone and Silk road economic belt that plays a very important part in making the southwest region prosperous. Besides, China's western development policy has also led to the rapid development of the western regional manufacturing industry. As the only municipality and the only national center city in the west, real estate, automotive, military, motorcycle, notebook PC, communication and a lot of manufacturing industries are in large scale and have great development, providing surface finishing and coating enterprises with great market needs. In the past, in the southwest region, surface treatment of some industrial products mostly relied on the eastern and coastal areas. In recent years, under the push of government and industry associations, many surface treatment industrial parks, electroplating parks, and surface finishing concentrated processing zones have been established in Chongqing to introduce electronic plating, plastic plating, metal plating, anodic oxidation, phosphating, spraying, electrophoresis and other kinds of surface treatment enterprises. SF EXPO Chongqing is the product of market trend. The success of the past three sessions of SF EXPO in Chongqing has validated this correct choice. Chongqing is a potential market but lacks professionalism; therefore, we changed the biennial SF EXPO Guangzhou into an annual exhibition alternately held in Guangzhou and Chongqing. The brand strength and market influence of SF EXPO is corroborated again in Chongqing, which indicates the southwest market has great potential.

(?) MFN: What are the main elements that lead to the success of SF EXPO Chongqing?

(!) Z. Z.: Of course, mainly because of the market needs. Surface Engineering is involved in all kinds of industrial chains ranging from automotive parts to glasses and watches. The fast-growing manufacturing industry in the southwest region provides great market potential for the surface finishing industry. Secondly, it won’t succeed without industry associations and the government’s help. SF EXPO is held by the most authoritative associations including the China Electroplating Association, China Surface Engineering Association Painting of Branch, Chongqing Surface Engineering Association, Chongqing Surface Engineering Technology Society and the Chongqing Painting Industry Association. Thirdly, SF EXPO has accumulated more than 10 years of exhibition experience and is deeply involved in various industries in surface treatment. We have a huge buyer database home and abroad, and the number and quality increases every year. Besides, the satisfactory results of the exhibition are also an outstanding element leading to its success. The purchases from the principals of engineering departments from the users’ enterprises visited the exhibition, such as Chana, LIFAN, JIALING, Wonjan, OUNDER, INVENTEC, Foxconn, Siemens, Honeywell, GM, Southwest Aluminum, Haier Group, CNOOC, Rongtai Auto Parts, Pantons, Dongfeng Automobile, JAC, VALIN , CSIC, Yenova , and BROTHER.

(?) MFN: How does SF EXPO help overseas companies expand the Chinese market?

(!) Z. Z.: SF EXPO organizing committee always make full efforts to ensure the exhibitors’ exhibiting effects by integrating the latest industry information, supply and demand factors, and by increasing market understanding. We will help overseas companies in different ways. For example SF EXPO thinks highly of innovation. There will be new products & technology promotion conferences in SF EXPO where more and more enterprises regard this platform as the first choice to promote their latest product and raise brand recognition. In addition, SF EXPO will organize on-the-spot industrial investigation activities to enable overseas companies know more about the Chinese market and interact with local companies. Furthermore, there are all kinds of concurrent events that help overseas companies get the latest and key industry information fulfilled from a combination of the exhibition and conferences.

(?) MFN: What is the goal of SF EXPO 2020?

(!) Z. Z.: The goal of SF EXPO is to make a real leading international surface finishing pageant of industry innovation. SF EXPO received UFI certification and became one of the global UFI-approved events in the surface finishing industry and greatly raised its overseas influence. Overseas renowned enterprises actively attended SF EXPO and we expanded overseas cooperation to make it more international. The goal of SF EXPO 2020 is to show scale growth increases by 50% and to become the largest and most prominent surface finishing exhibition in the southwest region.

(?) MFN: What is the breakthrough of SF EXPO 2018 that is different from the last exhibition?
 
(!) Z. Z.: SF EXPO 2020 will be held on May 28-30, 2020 in Chongqing International Expo Center, the biggest multi-functional integrated modern intelligent exhibition venue in the western region. In 2020, the exhibition will showcase five categories in a more specialized and refined way. The high-end concurrent events are also worth anticipating, including The Anticorrosion Technology on Automotive Seminar held by the Society of Automotive Engineers of China, Chongqing Surface Engineering Association & Chongqing Surface Engineering Technology Society Annual Meeting and 2020 Western China Paint & Coatings Summit. The concurrent exhibition, Asia-Pacific International (Chongqing) Industrial Coating Exhibition, as a new exhibition theme, is in the process of inviting exhibitors and visitors, which will enrich the SF EXPO 2020. We will present a fantastic industry pageant to the world! Welcome all friends home and abroad to visit SF EXPO 2020 in Chongqing!
SF EXPO and MFN are renowned exhibition and media in the surface finishing industry and keep a long-lasting cooperation relationship. Best Wishes to SF EXPO 2020 in Chongqing!

MFN would like to thank Zhang Zhi for this interview!

For Information:
Wise Exhibition (Guangdong) Co., Ltd.
Room 307, Jiaxing Building
No.15 Jinju Road, Guangzhou Avenue
Haizhu District, Guangzhou
510300 P.R. China
Tel. +86.20.29193588 / +86.20.29193538
Fax +86.20.29193591
E-mail: sfexpo@hotmail.com
www.sf-expo.cn/en