R+T Asia once again lived up to its reputation as the most important trade fair for sun protection systems and doors/gates in the Asia/Pacific region: the 15th edition of the trade fair was the most successful in the history of R+T Asia with a very pronounced increase in the number of exhibitors and visitors and the amount of exhibition space. 642 exhibitors (2018: 507), 41,505 visitors (2018: 34,263) and 65,000 gross square metres (2018: 50,000 m²) of exhibition space are the new record figures which consolidate the status of R+T Asia as a must-attend event for the industry.
For 82 international exhibitors R+T Asia was the industry meeting point in Asia. The trade fair enables exhibitors to present their company on the market for the first time and also cultivate contacts with customers from China and the entire Asia/Pacific region. Onur Kirayoglu, Managing Director of Kirayteks Tekstil (Turkey), confirmed: “We were very satisfied with the trade fair, a large number of potential new customers visited our stand. More visitors would always be positive, but the expertise of the guests on our stand was extremely impressive. Our customers came to Shanghai from as far away as the USA and South America. R+T Asia is also organised very professionally, we can only recommend everyone to take part in this trade fair. “
In the year after R+T in Stuttgart exhibitors from 21 countries, including Belgium, Germany, France, Canada, the Netherlands, Spain, South Korea, Turkey and the USA, presented their products and services. In addition to companies which were represented for the first time, the trade fair also attracted exhibitors from Europe who now want to become active in China after a break of a few years. The new exhibitors at R+T Asia included, for example, Vertilux (USA) and Gaviota (Spain). Ricardo Giner, Managing Director of Gaviota, was impressed with his company’s participation in the trade fair for the first time: “This was truly a great success! We are very satisfied. We fully attained our objective of getting to know the Asian market and understanding it better. We had customers from Korea and Japan, i.e. the entire region on our stand, but also from South America and India. We will definitely come back again next year!“
The third largest company delegation (14 companies) came from Germany. Since 2006 the German Pavilion has provided exhibitors with the opportunity to test the Chinese market in a cost-effective way. Karl Gerlinger from Gerlinger Industries (Germany) was impressed with the concept of the German Pavilion: “We came a good deal closer to attaining our objective of acting as a global supplier. We met customers here from all over the world – from Korea and the USA through to Mexico, but also from Germany. The visitors to the trade fair were very receptive to innovative products which we can offer them. We benefited here from the existing network between exhibitors and visitors. Our participation in the German Pavilion was ideal in this respect.”
A 21 per cent increase in the number of visitors also proves that R+T Asia has for years consistently featured the right focal points and topics. The trade fair grew substantially with 28,721 visitors alone from China, i.e. an increase of almost 15 per cent. Over 30 per cent of visitors came from all parts of the world to Shanghai, primarily from ASEAN countries, Europe, the USA and South America.
InnovAction Programme as a visitor magnet
The InnovAction Programme, which offers innovative companies a platform containing an exhibition area, expert talks and an award, proved very popular. In the area of sun protection Burda Worldwide Technologies (Germany) won this year’s InnovAction Award for a modular system for climate control of outdoor areas. The company won the R+T Innovation Prize in Stuttgart in 2018. In the exhibition area for doors/gates ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems (Sweden/China) won first prize for the high-speed gate RR3000 R.
Burda Worldwide Technologies took part in the InnovAction Hub in Shanghai for the first time in 2018. This year, the company from Eschborn exhibited in the German Pavilion. Managing Director Jiri Burda was impressed with the outcome of R+T Asia: “My expectations were certainly exceeded, the trade fair went very well! The German Pavilion was exactly the right way to present our products in Asia and further develop our product portfolio. The visitors were very knowledgeable and I received a large number of order inquiries. Our product is Made in Germany. That goes down very well, and I really see great potential here in future.“
Wide-ranging accompanying programme makes a big impression
The topic of Smart Homes is also very prevalent on the Chinese market. The special show entitled “Smart 2025 Experience” and the accompanying conference “AIoT Smart Home Summit” attracted large crowds. Specially conceived for Chinese visitors, this integral part of the accompanying programme will be further extended next year.
The new accompanying event HD+ Asia, an exhibition for home textiles and decoration, was also impressive with 25 exhibitors and a gross exhibition area of 5,000 square metres. The target visitor groups, i.e. designers and interior architects, appreciated the additional information on offer in the Soft Decoration Design Summit, the Cadex Conference and Materia, an exhibition for materials.
New opportunities due to a move to a different trade fair centre
The next R+T Asia will take place from 17 to 19 March 2020 in a different location, i.e. the NECC National Exhibition and Convention Centre in Shanghai. In addition to an annual guaranteed date at sufficient distance from R+T 2021, this move also provides growth opportunities: larger halls are the basis for a future increase in the amount of exhibition space and exhibitor numbers. Thanks to the new venue, the thematic structure can be maintained and new topics and special shows can be added to the trade fair.
