Government officials, corporate executives and representatives of trade associations at the opening of the Keqiao International Textile Expo last year. Photos Provided to China Daily

Negotiation at the Keqiao International Textiles, Fabrics and Accessories Autumn Exhibition.

Booth reservations for this year's expo, scheduled for Oct 26 to 29, hit a record high this year. More than 560 companies will have displays.

Buyers and suppliers from 41 countries and regions will gather at the 2012 China Keqiao International Textiles, Fabrics and Accessories Autumn Exhibition, which will run from Oct 26 to 29.

Hosted by Keqiao township in Zhejiang province, the expo is sponsored by the government of Shaoxing county, where Keqiao is located. Items that will be on display include fabrics, home textiles, yarn, accessories and textile raw materials.

Exhibition participants will show their products in more than 1,300 booths across the 31,000-square-meter exhibition center in Keqiao.

The exhibition center will be divided into four main areas, including sections for textile products and textile manufacturing machines.

In addition to the expo in Keqiao, there will be other related exhibitions, which are to be held in various venues in Shaoxing, including China Textile City, the Home Textile Market and the Scarf Trading Market.

According to the organizing committee, companies from such countries and regions as Italy, South Korea, Germany, Japan and Mexico have booked more than 100 booths to present their latest achievements in 2012.

The Keqiao International Textile Autumn Expo, one of the largest textile industry events in China, has become an important showcase that helps local companies find business opportunities in the international market.

Official figures show that 567 companies have booked a record 1,300 booths for this year's expo.

Major events to be held during the expo include the Award Ceremony of 2012 China International Fashion Creative Design and the Fair of 2012 China International Fabrics Design.

Better services

The expo's organizers have made a commitment to providing detail-oriented services to participants and visitors.

To give participants a better experience, the organizing committee has invited famous firms to design the interior and exterior of the exhibition center.

In addition, companies are required to design their booths according to the standards set by the organizers, so the exhibition area will look clean and tidy.

Organizers are also strictly reviewing the designs of the individual pavilions to ensure they can meet safety standards.

There will be shuttle bus services running between the hotels and the expo venues. Participants will be transported to the expo center in the most efficient and effective manner possible.

For foreign companies that may require translation services and other value-added services, the organizers are well prepared.

Translation, financial and intellectual property protection services will be provided on site. There will be areas with Wi-Fi access as well as a news center for media. There will also be tea and coffee bars to serve visitors at the venue.

To ensure a good turnout to the expo, organizers have sent promotional teams to many exhibitions and trading events, where they distributed more than 100,000 brochures and other materials.

Organizers also established close relations with chambers of commerce and industrial associations at home and abroad to broaden the client base.

As of today, more than 150,000 exhibition-related mobile messages have been delivered to potential international participants. In addition, more than 400,000 emails were sent to ensure participants are well informed before attending the expo.

History of the expo

When the first expo was held in 1999, it was known as the China Textile City Textile Expo.

In 2006, it was renamed the China (Shaoxing) Textile Expo and was identified as a key exhibition in China supported by the Ministry of Commerce.

In 2008, the event was officially promoted to a State-level textile exhibition.

In 2009, a team of delegates from the International Textile Manufacturers Federation first visited the Keqiao textile expo, greatly raising its international profile.

In 2011, the expo took place in the China Textile City International Convention and Exhibition Center in Keqiao. It covered an exhibition area of 31,000 sq m, with 1,295 booths for 532 exhibitors.

The number of registered professional purchasers exceeded 28,000, of which nearly 5,800 were overseas buyers from more than 90 countries and regions, such as the United States, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Japan and South Korea. Trade volume of the 2011 expo surpassed 5.4 billion yuan.

tangzhihao@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 10/22/2012 page6)