In 2021, in the external environment where the prevention and control of COVID-19 has entered the normalization stage, the holding of international exhibitions will face severe situations and challenges. During the 14th Five Year Plan period, Beijing will further implement its strategic positioning as a capital city, taking "two zones" and "three platforms" as the starting point, and taking the construction of a global digital economy benchmark city as the breakthrough point, taking the lead in exploring effective paths to build a new development pattern. International large-scale exhibitions play an important role in linking global resources, promoting the formation of a dual circulation and mutual promotion between domestic and international markets. Against the backdrop of expanding the opening up of the service industry and the inevitable trend of industrial digitization, it is of great significance to explore the experience of online development of international large-scale exhibitions and extract policy recommendations that can be used for reference by Beijing.

Overview of International Large scale Exhibitions and Their Online Development

（1） Standard definition and overview of international large-scale exhibitions

International large-scale exhibition events usually refer to exhibitions with an exhibition area of more than 20000 square meters, exhibitors and visitors from multiple countries, with international exhibitors or visitors accounting for more than 20%, as well as conferences with more than 300 participants, foreign participants accounting for more than 40%, at least 5 participating countries, and a duration of at least 3 days.

At present, the most active international large-scale exhibitions worldwide include Hannover Messe, Internationalie Eisenwarenmesse Koln, Intermat, Conexpo Con/Ag, Milan Heating, Air Conditioning, Refrigeration, Renewable Energy, Kitchen and Bathroom, and Solar Energy Exhibition.

In 2019, China held a total of 172 exhibitions covering an area of over 100000 square meters, of which 46 were held in Shanghai. The three largest international exhibitions are the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair, 1.185 million square meters), the China International Import Expo (CIIE, 360000 square meters), and the China International Medical Equipment Fair (360000 square meters).

（2） Attempt and exploration of online exhibitions

1. Concept and characteristics of online exhibitions

The Event Industry Council (EIC) in the United States has a specific explanation for online exhibitions, but the definition given by EIC is relatively rough for both conferences and exhibitions. EIC's interpretation of virtual trade shows is that "exhibitions of products or services can be viewed on the Internet". It should be noted that in foreign countries, "virtual trade shows" and "virtual conferences" are more commonly used.

Online exhibitions are categorized and hierarchical. Simply moving exhibition booths online, moving visits online, and hosting virtual displays or even forming a commercial closed loop relying on powerful e-commerce platforms all belong to online exhibitions. This is also an important reason why foreign countries distinguish virtual trade shows/events from hybrid trade shows/events.

The future trends of online exhibitions can be roughly summarized as follows: creating value is the foundation of survival, building an omnichannel marketing platform is the essence, digital transformation is the means, precise audience organization is the core, content driven is the soul, and online and offline integration will be the mainstream mode.

2. Development status of online exhibitions

The exploration of online exhibitions began in 2003. The SARS epidemic has had a severe impact on physical exhibitions where crowds gather, and China's "online exhibitions" have quietly emerged, with large-scale exhibitions setting up online platforms. In 2009, due to the global economic downturn, many companies reduced their travel budgets and began hosting hybrid events, spreading real-time on-site activities online to remote employees. In 2015, Alibaba's B2B business group signed an agreement with Bowen, the world's second-largest exhibition organizer, to leverage their respective strengths, integrate online and offline exhibition models, and make more innovative attempts.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pushed the fast forward button for online exhibitions, and Internet giants have laid out online exhibition fields. On May 7th, Alibaba and the Shanghai Council for the Promotion of International Trade announced their joint establishment of Cloud Exhibition Co., Ltd. in Shanghai; On May 19th, the first Baidu Online Wedding Expo kicked off; On June 16th, the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) partnered with JD.com to launch the "Cloud based CIFTIS". At the same time, Japan and Dubai are trying remote exhibition modes to explore the integration of online and offline.

At present, China has become the world's largest exhibition and convention country, which endows us with the responsibility of leading and promoting industrial development. On April 13, 2020, the "Notice of the General Office of the Ministry of Commerce on Innovating Exhibition Service Models and Cultivating New Momentum for the Development of the Exhibition Industry" clearly stated that efforts should be made to accelerate the transformation, upgrading, and innovative development of the exhibition industry, actively create new online exhibition platforms, promote the integrated development of online and offline exhibitions, and cultivate leading online exhibition enterprises and brand exhibitions.

Online practice mode of two international large-scale exhibitions

（1） "Internet plus Exhibition"

This is the primary mode of applying Internet technology to the exhibition field. In 2011, the China Industry Exhibition Network operated by Shanghai Wangsheng Exhibition Company, a subsidiary of Wangsheng Business Treasure, became a network platform that integrates exhibitors, buyers, and international buyers through e-commerce. It provides various services such as online advertising, exhibition networking, comprehensive exhibition solutions, and global exhibitions. Gofair, a global online exhibition platform based in the United States, is dedicated to providing video sales platforms for global exhibitors. It mainly provides services such as automatic translation and multilingual marketing, short video promotion, official website automatic synchronization, and video automatic editing, enabling foreign trade enterprises to conduct cross-border exhibitions.

（2） Remote virtual booth+physical offline booth

This is an innovative model that fully integrates online and offline. The Osaka International Machinery Elements Exhibition in October 2020, the Tokyo International Electronic Components and Manufacturing Equipment Exhibition in January 2021, and the Arab Tourism Exhibition in May 2021 all adopted remote participation and a combination of online and offline methods. International exhibitors will have physical booths and on-site interpreters provided by the organizers to assist visitors. At the same time, exhibitors also have a virtual booth where they can establish contact with potential customers on-site remotely through online meetings. After the on-site exhibition, a one week "online exhibition" can still be held to fully continue the popularity of offline exhibitions, ensuring that buyers and sellers can complete more timely communication and exchange online, and realize more possibilities for transactions.

（3） Online display+live streaming marketing

This is an all-weather and all-round exhibition mode. After the outbreak of the epidemic, China Foreign Trade Center (Group) relied on Tencent's technical support to fully "move" the 127th Canton Fair online, providing online display, 24/7 online promotion, supply and procurement docking, online negotiation and other services. The main features of the online Canton Fair are: firstly, establishing an online display docking platform to promote the online display of all 25000 participating companies; The second is to provide live streaming marketing services, establish online live streaming columns and links, and set up 10 × 24-hour online live streaming rooms for each participating enterprise. Similar to the Canton Fair, the 2021 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in the United States has established an online exhibition platform and real-time communication system. Exhibitors, buyers, and visitors can enter the online exhibition through the page, visit exhibits, negotiate in real-time, or book meetings.

Analysis of the Current Status of the Development of Beijing's Convention and Exhibition Industry

（1） Beijing's exhibition industry has strong international influence

In 2019, the number of UFI certified enterprises and institutions in Beijing ranked first in the country (30/159), and the number of UFI certified exhibitions (10/140) ranked second in the country. After years of resource accumulation and brand cultivation, a number of professional technical exhibitions held in Beijing, such as the International Automobile, Construction Machinery, Clothing and Apparel, Metallurgical Casting, Petroleum and Petrochemical, Refrigeration Equipment, Information and Communication, Building Materials, Lighting, Sound and Musical Instruments Exhibition, have become well-known industry exhibitions in Asia and even the world. For example, the Beijing International Business and Convention Tourism Exhibition (IBTM China), which is a subsidiary exhibition of Reed Exhibitions (RTE). RTE provides business solutions for multiple continents, with exhibitions including IBTM World, IBTM Arabia, IBTM Americas, IBTM APAC, and IBTM China.

（2） In recent years, the number of exhibitions in Beijing has been decreasing year by year

Although Beijing's exhibition capacity is in the first tier nationwide, in recent years, due to the strengthening of the core functions of the capital, large-scale exhibitions have been continuously relocated and new projects have been decreasing, resulting in a slow decline in the number of exhibitions. As shown in Figure 1, from 2011 to 2019, the number of exhibitions held in Beijing decreased from 486 to 324, and the gap with Shanghai and Guangzhou continued to widen. In 2019, ranked by the number of exhibitions, Beijing ranked sixth in the country, with a decrease in the number of international large-scale exhibitions and insufficient growth potential. The weak growth in the number and scale of exhibitions held in Beijing is the result of other cities diverting exhibition resources, and it is also Beijing's proactive choice to develop the exhibition service industry in the process of gradually clarifying the functional positioning of the "four centers" city.

Figure 1: The number of exhibitions held in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou from 2011 to 2019

（3） Beijing is relatively weak in venue resources

Although Beijing ranks second in the country in terms of the number of exhibition halls (8) after Shanghai (9), its total exhibition area is only 289600 square meters, far behind Shanghai and Shenzhen, and only ranks ninth in the country. Only the China International Exhibition Center (New Hall) in Beijing has a total rental area of over 100000 square meters, ranking 21st in the national venue rankings. Beijing only holds around 10 exhibitions of over 100000 square meters annually. Due to the limited size of the venue, the largest exhibition in Beijing in 2019 was the 28th China (Beijing) International Wallpaper and Fabric Exhibition (200000 square meters), ranking only 35th in the country. As shown in Figure 2, from 2011 to 2019, the exhibition area in Beijing remained stable with a slight decrease, while the exhibition areas in Shanghai and Guangzhou steadily increased. In 2019, ranked by exhibition area, Beijing ranked fourth after Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chongqing.

表1 2019年全国展馆面积前10名城市

|Excel下载

Table 1 Top 10 cities in terms of exhibition area in China in 2019

Figure 2 Exhibition Area of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou from 2011 to 2019

（4） Insufficient human resource reserves for international large-scale exhibitions

The talent required for the exhibition industry needs to have knowledge in various aspects such as planning, operation, construction, marketing, and logistics. Therefore, smooth talent transportation channels and abundant human resource reserves are crucial for the internationalization and high-quality development of the industry. As of 2019, there are a total of 7 universities in Beijing that offer undergraduate programs in exhibition and convention, ranking fourth behind Guangzhou (9), Chengdu (9), and Shanghai (8), and tied with Wuhan. But a more serious problem than the shortage of students and graduates is the loss of professional talents. Based on past data, more than half of graduates majoring in exhibitions choose industries unrelated to exhibitions, resulting in a significant loss of talent in the exhibition industry. Exhibition industry personnel have strong mobility, and there is a serious loss of compound management talents with knowledge and abilities in planning, operation, on-site service management, and other aspects. There are very few talents who possess both professional knowledge of exhibitions and international perspectives, as well as practical experience in large-scale international exhibitions. The current output of exhibition talents has not yet matched the level of industry development, and it is even more difficult to meet the talent demand to support large-scale international exhibition activities and serve the construction of the capital's international exchange center.

Suggestions for Developing the Exhibition Service Industry in Beijing

At present, the relocation of non capital core functions and the positioning of urban functions as "four centers" has led to a downward trend in the number and scale of exhibitions in Beijing. The main reason is that the development strategy of Beijing's exhibition industry is unclear, and policy formulation is difficult to form a joint force. In 2018, Beijing issued the "Implementation Opinions on Further Promoting Innovative Development of the Exhibition Industry", proposing that the exhibition industry in Beijing should adhere to serving the functional construction of the "Four Centers": adapt to the normalization needs of major national events, optimize spatial layout, and improve national government activities and major national event facilities with high standards; To serve the construction of technology innovation centers with global influence and the cultural capital of socialism with Chinese characteristics, improve the long-term mechanism of service guarantee, and enhance the guarantee capability of the exhibition industry's "four centers" function construction; Create a favorable environment for serving the construction of the "four centers" function. However, the international large-scale exhibitions in Beijing are still trade shows that have been held for many years, failing to fully unleash the role of the exhibition industry in supporting politics, culture, international exchanges, and technological innovation.

Online exhibitions have brought new opportunities for the development of Beijing's exhibition service industry. In response to the normalization of epidemic prevention and control, six key points for high-quality development of Beijing's exhibition industry are proposed.

Firstly, we will focus on cultivating and incubating Beijing exhibitions with distinctive characteristics of the capital city.

Beijing has strong international influence and market radiation advantages. Online exhibitions have overcome venue and space limitations, helping to make up for Beijing's shortcomings and rebuild its attractiveness to international and large-scale exhibition events. In the new stage of industrial transformation and upgrading, improving quality and efficiency, and developing to a higher level, Beijing should have a clear positioning, not follow the trend and seek big, but develop the capital's exhibition brand towards branding, specialization, refinement, and specialization. Cultivate and incubate characteristic exhibitions that are in line with the functional positioning of the capital city, and form differentiated competitive advantages with the development of the exhibition industry in surrounding cities. Firstly, establish an online international Beijing exhibition brand, organize large-scale international exhibitions with distinctive features of the times in line with global development trends, and continuously expand the advantages of online capital exhibitions by leveraging the influence of existing international exhibitions such as the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS); Secondly, hold characteristic exhibitions that are in line with the strategic positioning of the capital city and match its core functions, fully integrating Beijing's political, cultural, technological innovation, international exchanges and other theme elements into online exhibition construction. Hold exhibitions such as the World Cultural Heritage Derivative Creative Expo and the Protection and Restoration of Ancient Buildings; Furthermore, fully considering the economic benefits of exhibitions and leveraging the advantages of Beijing's industries, cultural and technological exhibitions, as well as service trade exhibitions such as the Beijing International Tourism Expo and the Beijing International Business and Conference Tourism Exhibition, should be held.

Secondly, we will focus on optimizing and improving the infrastructure supported by digital technology.

To do a good job, one must first sharpen their tools. The most important aspect of online exhibitions is to "link" domestic and international demand and supply through digital technology. On the one hand, various methods such as purchasing services and entrusting operations are used to improve Beijing's online infrastructure construction and strengthen the technical support for online exhibitions. By utilizing technologies such as the Internet of Things, cloud computing, and big data, we aim to promote the construction of smart venues and achieve functions such as audience information dissemination, customer relationship management, real-time monitoring of exhibitors, and post event data mining. This will enhance the effectiveness, accuracy, breadth, and depth of exhibition activities and improve the exhibition experience. On the other hand, develop new formats derived from "Internet plus+exhibition industry". Establish a specialized online platform for comprehensive and multi-dimensional promotion and display of products, and utilize network technology to facilitate negotiations and transactions between organizers, exhibitors, and buyers. At present, online exhibitions are still in the stage of exploration and rapid development. Therefore, we should go deep into all aspects of the exhibition, use digital technology to improve the featured services of online exhibitions in Beijing, understand the development status of international online exhibition technology in real time, constantly improve and develop online simultaneous interpreting, online sharing and other functions, enhance the online experience and on-site sense of the exhibition, and form the unique digital technology advantages of online exhibitions in Beijing.

Thirdly, we will focus on promoting the integration of online and offline innovation and development.

Online development has become a necessary measure for exhibition activities under the normalization of epidemic prevention and control. However, online development is not a foolproof solution. The tangible presentation of traditional exhibitions needs to adapt to online modes and integrate development; The original investment attraction, curation, and business model innovation need to be appropriately adjusted for adaptability. Online exhibitions are difficult to completely replace traditional physical exhibitions for on-site communication and other functions. In addition, the gathering and radiation effects of the exhibition industry, as well as the economic benefits and social impact that large-scale exhibitions bring to host cities, are largely achieved through offline activities. The real challenge facing future online exhibitions is how to develop partnerships with participating companies and provide them with more cross-border trade space. Online and offline are not an either or choice, online does not mean "online", but rather the integration of online and offline through data-driven, content production and development as the link. On the one hand, guided by market demand, we should coordinate and balance the online and offline modes, fully understand the diverse needs of different categories, industries, and scales of exhibitions, and adjust and coordinate the specific implementation forms and contents of exhibitions according to industry and market demand. On the other hand, with offline exhibitions as the core foundation and online exhibitions as the means of spatial expansion, we will clarify the most competitive industrial fields and advantageous resource elements in Beijing's international market, and build a unique model for Beijing's exhibition industry with targeted measures.

Fourthly, we should focus on unleashing and leveraging the decisive role of the market in resource allocation.

From international experience, world-renowned exhibition cities such as Hanover, Frankfurt, Las Vegas, etc. have become the host cities for international large-scale exhibitions due to their geographical location as transportation hubs or developed industrial manufacturing and tourism industries. These cities are not capital cities, nor are they the political or economic centers of the country. The location selection of large-scale international exhibitions is in line with the laws of industrial development and market selection characteristics. On the one hand, the development layout of large-scale international exhibitions in Beijing should first follow the principle that the market plays a decisive role in resource allocation, explore the unique market resource advantages of the capital, and transform them into effective driving forces for building Beijing's online exhibitions and attracting numerous international and domestic exhibitors' core competitiveness, thereby introducing more resources and expanding industry financing and integration channels. On the other hand, coordinating the relationship between the government and enterprises in enhancing internationalization and branding levels, improving exhibition infrastructure construction, and effectively exerting the guiding role of the government, making full use of the "two zones" policy, providing a good policy guarantee foundation for investment promotion and attraction of online exhibitions, thereby enhancing market vitality.

Fifth, we will focus on building and creating a first-class online business environment in the capital.

Online makes everything possible, but it also brings new problems and challenges in intellectual property protection, data security management, cross-border data transmission, etc. Risk prevention and control have become necessary considerations. Therefore, synchronously building and improving the comprehensive supporting services of the exhibition industry has become an urgent problem to be solved. In the fields of government services, intellectual property protection, industry regulation, etc., we should explore and take the lead, improve the regulatory system in relevant fields, provide technical support and professional services such as legal consultation, market analysis, and online business negotiation suggestions for online exhibitors, coordinate administrative and legal systems, and smooth communication channels between online government, enterprises, and international markets. At the same time, we should also accurately serve the needs of enterprises and build a high-quality international business environment. Creating more opportunities for exhibitors and visitors to connect is the core value of the exhibition, providing higher time and resource efficiency, and improving the experience of attendees is the key to the success of online exhibitions. Therefore, online exhibitions must establish specialized industry and enterprise service systems, meet the needs of exhibitors and buyers, provide good services and coordination, build an international first-class business environment for online exhibitions in the capital, provide professional comprehensive supporting services, improve the matching degree between buyers and sellers, and truly promote the high-quality development of Beijing International Exhibition.

Sixth, focus on cultivating and attracting international composite international exhibition talents.

We attach great importance to strengthening the training of international talents in exhibition planning and operation, adhere to the combination of training, introduction, and cooperation with internationally renowned exhibition enterprises, and attract foreign high-end talents to participate in the design and operation of large-scale international exhibition projects in Beijing. Encourage intermediary agencies, industry associations, relevant universities, and training institutions to strengthen industry research and jointly cultivate and train international exhibition talents. Innovate the talent training mechanism, smooth the connection channels from schools to industries, and from domestic to international, and promote the international joint training of talents in the exhibition industry.