The 20th China International Expo Economic Cooperation Forum will be held in January next year.

Journalists learned from the special press conference held this morning by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) for the 20th China International Expo Economic Cooperation Forum (hereinafter referred to as "CEFCO Forum") that the 20th CEFCO Forum will be held in Tianjin from January 8th to 10th, 2025.

The theme of this forum is "Gathering New Quality Productive Forces for a Sustainable Future". It is set to include an opening ceremony, a high-level dialogue with globally renowned exhibition companies, and two plenary sessions reviewing and looking forward to the main global exhibition markets. Additionally, there will be six breakout sessions on "going global" in exhibitions, creating exhibition destinations, empowering with digital technology, embracing a green and low-carbon exhibition era, and innovation and talent cultivation in exhibition events. The forum invites global exhibition industry leaders to discuss the development trends of the exhibition industry under the background of new quality productive forces, to gather industry wisdom, and to voice cutting-edge insights.

Wu Shengrong, the head of the Exhibition Management Department of CCPIT (National Exhibition Bureau and World Expo Affairs Office), introduced that this forum has received high attention and enthusiastic participation from the global exhibition industry. So far, more than 500 professionals from the exhibition industry in 19 countries and regions, including China, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia, Poland, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, India, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, and Hong Kong and Macau of China, have registered to attend, and the number of registrants is still increasing.

"CCPIT, along with four co-organizers, will release the 'Tianjin Initiative', voicing the industry's commitment to open cooperation, strengthening communication and dialogue, embracing technological innovation, reinforcing talent cultivation, and achieving green and sustainable development. In addition to the opening ceremony, plenary sessions, and panel discussions, there will be meetings of the IAEE China Council, UFI China Membership Meeting, China International Chamber of Commerce Exhibition Committee Annual Meeting, Singapore-China Exhibition Industry Exchange Night, host city exchange activities, Tianjin exhibition industry research, exhibition project signings, and the certification ceremony for Certified Exhibition Manager (CEM) and Certified International Event Professional (CIEP), as well as a presentation of the host city for the next forum," said Wu Shengrong.

At present, the preparations for the forum are progressing steadily. Chen Shizhong, Deputy Secretary-General of the Tianjin Municipal People's Government, stated that they will focus on "expanding a circle of friends, presenting two exhibitions, hosting eight meetings, and planning five special activities" to ensure successful implementation. "Expanding a circle of friends" means further expanding the international circle of cooperation in the exhibition industry by hosting the CEFCO Forum; "presenting two exhibitions" means showcasing the 20-year development history of the CEFCO Forum and the achievements of Tianjin's economic and social development through text, images, and videos; "hosting eight meetings" means organizing two plenary sessions and six breakout sessions; "planning five activities" means conducting two docking exchange activities, holding a Tianjin welcome reception, organizing interactive activities for Tianjin's traditional intangible cultural heritage, and thematic inspections.

The CEFCO Forum is the only national-level, international professional exhibition forum approved by the State Council and is the most international and influential annual event in the global exhibition industry. Wu Shengrong stated that the CEFCO Forum has always adhered to the goals of internationalization, specialization, and branding. Each year, it carefully sets topics around industry hotspots, transformation and upgrading, and innovative development, discussing the opportunities and challenges faced by high-quality development of China's exhibition industry. It promotes innovation in management, models, and services of the exhibition industry, accelerates the green and low-carbon transition and the development of standards, and creates professional exhibition brands combined with the real economy. Each forum introduces the global development trends of the exhibition industry and releases the overall situation of China's exhibition economy, effectively guiding the continuous marketization, specialization, internationalization, and branding of China's exhibition industry. Benefiting from the "matchmaking" and "threading" of the CEFCO Forum, China's international circle in the exhibition industry is growing larger, and the presence of Chinese faces in the international exhibition industry is increasing. Many well-known international exhibition companies have settled in China, and a large number of Chinese exhibition companies are going global. Cooperation between China's exhibition industry and the international exhibition industry is deepening, achieving a "two-way rush".