The success of the annual China International Small and Medium Enterprise Fair (CISMEF) in the past two years has helped it better attract domestic and overseas small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) for its upcoming session, according to the organizing committee.
As of August 7, more than 16,400 domestic and overseas business people had confirmed their participation in the upcoming event, sources with the organizing committee said.
This year's fair, which will also run parallel with the Sino-Italian Small and Medium Enterprise Fair, will be held on September 15-18 at the Guangzhou International Exhibition and Convention Centre in Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong Province.
This year's CISMEF is also sponsored by a number of Italian State-level governmental organizations, including the Italian Presidency of the Council of Ministers, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Trade and the Italian Ministry for Environment and Territory.
A large business delegation, consisting of at least 1,500 Italian business people to be headed by the Italian Prime Minister, will show up at the four-day event.
As of the end of July, a total of 400 Italian SMEs have confirmed their intention to display their merchandise and another 300 SMEs will join in the investment project match-making event at the fair, to seek business co-operation with their Chinese counterparts, sources with the organizing committee said.
"As this year's CISMEF has been upgraded to an international grade, more overseas SMEs are showing interest in participating in the upcoming event," Liu Xiaojie, an official from the organizing committee, told reporters at a regular work conference in early August.
According to Liu, there will be at least 10,000 business people from overseas countries and regions, including the United States, Germany, France and Japan, attending this year's event.
A special promotional website www.EC.com for the fair was also launched early this year, helping offer instant information to domestic and overseas business people and SMEs, according to Liu.
"The website has helped us contact more than 37,000 Italian SMEs which have already established trade and economic relationships with Chinese enterprises," Liu said.
By the end of July, about 3,000 business people had registered for participation through the website, according to Liu.
Liu said that there would be a 120,000-square-metre exhibition hall, containing 5,000 booths at this year's fair.
The exhibition hall is divided into nine sections, which include textile and clothing, shoes, caps and trunks, toys and craftwork, food and medicine, household electric appliances, electronics, machinery equipment, furniture and lamps, ceramics and building materials, and a special area to display the service industry for SMEs and international SME development.
According to Liu, 16,402 domestic procurement companies have confirmed their participation in the upcoming event.
Large procurement groups from China and abroad, such as the United Nations procurement agency, as well as Chinese governmental procurement agencies at central and provincial levels, will respectively give briefings on procurement requirements and procedures at an SME Procurement Seminar, which will be held in conjunction with the fair, according to Liu.
In terms of a financing service for SMEs, Liu said the fair would set up a financing consultation and negotiation centre, where the China Banking Regulatory Commission and at least 100 banks will promote its services targeting SMEs.
In addition, there will be a special seminar for SMEs and financial organizations, according to Liu.
As of the end of July, a total of 41 domestic banks have registered their participation in the seminar.
