Gateway to the Chinese market

Here 1 300 exhibitors – 1 200 from China and 100 from other countries – will occupy a floorspace of 46 000 m². The expectation is for 40 000 visitors to attend the show, about 10 per cent from abroad. The number of exhibitors will be 44 per cent higher than in 2003. Participation in the event was far lower last year because of the Sars epidemic: the comparable figures were 900 exhibitors and 35 000 visitors, of whom 2 800 came from abroad.
The largest contingent of exhibitors is in the tools category at 53 per cent. The second-largest group consists of suppliers of building materials and DIY products (28 per cent), followed by hardware (10 per cent), then kitchens and bathroom fittings (9 per cent).
The China National Hardware Association is planning to evaluate and grant awards for particularly innovative products in the hardware category and for innovative design in kitchen and bathroom lines. Candidate products will be recognisable by their “New Product” or “Innovative Design” labels, which will allow visitors to have a say in choosing the best entries.
DIY retailers such as Home Depot and Lowe’s will have their own stands at CIHS/PWA as a reflection of their global sourcing activities. Representatives of the Shanghai sourcing centres of both B&Q and parent company Kingfisher are expected to attend the show, as are buyers from Obi as well.
The hardware industry in China has seen rapid development since the start of the country’s opening up policy. Many world-renowned brands have moved their production plants to China, and the hardware industry has also benefited from joint ventures in the opinion of the organisers.
In consideration of the significant role played by trade fairs in the development of a market economy, and the fact that the hardware industry is becoming increasingly internationalised, a number of trade associations began to promote an international hardware market in Shanghai a few years ago. Which resulted in the CIHS being set up.
The CIHS/PWA is the biggest international platform for hardware and DIY products in China.
The CIHS/PWA is now one of the world’s major hardware exhibitions. The event is organised jointly by the China National Hardware Association and Koelnmesse, which brought Practical World Asia to Shanghai last year. The show has also gained the support of the International Federation of Hardware and Housewares Associations (IHA).