The world's largest advertising equipment exhibition, Ad-Print-Pack-Paper Expo, which is opening again in Shanghai, is focusing on attracting more buyers from the Middle East to cash in on the huge demand in the area.

Organizers of the four-day event, which begins on July 2, expect the number of Middle East buyers, as well as their orders, will increase by 30 percent from last year's level under its marketing campaign in the region.

"It is one of the top regions in the world in terms of demand for advertising equipment and buying power," said Zhang Dingguo, general manager of the Shanghai Modern International Exhibition Co, a unit of the city's World Expo (Group).

His reason is that the region doesn't make most of the advertising equipment while the demand for sophisticated products like LED screens, labels and press machines is growing.

The exhibition, known as APPPEXPO, attracted about 200 buyers from the Middle East last year, with the majority from Iran, Israel and Qatar. The total number of overseas buyers at the event last year was 15,000.

The company is working with agencies in the Middle East to advertise in local airports, hotels and trade Websites. It also sending e-mails to more than 40,000 buyers to brief them on the latest event information.

The company expects to receive more than 20,000 overseas buyers this year among a total of 100,000 visitors at the Shanghai New International Expo Center in Pudong.

The exhibition site size will be doubled to 120,000 square meters to host 1,200 exhibitors from nearly 30 countries and regions, including Hewlett-Packard, 3M and China's top press machine makers.