Service industry buyers meet exhibitors

A "matchmaking" meeting for exhibitors and buyers in the service industry was held on Friday ahead of November's second China International Import Expo.

Over 30 leading companies were introduced to buyers in the hope of making a match for future sales or partnerships.

Among them were logistics companies such as CMA CGM Group and United Parcel Service Inc; financial companies such as HSBC and Standard Charted Bank; companies offering supply chain management services such as Fung Group and Marubeni Corporation; consulting firms including PwC and EY; third-party testing and certification companies SGS and TUV Rheinland; as well as enterprises providing architectural design services or event planning services such as AECOM and GL Events.

Representatives from state enterprises including the Agricultural Bank of China, industry leaders such as Sinoma and Hodo Group, as well as many private companies and small and medium enterprises in service sector and auto industry were among the buyers at the meeting.

Liu Fuxue, deputy director of the China International Import Expo Bureau, said the focus of preparatory work for the second CIIE had shifted from attracting exhibitors to seeking buyers and organizing the expo, and as an important part of the preparatory work, the matchmaking meetings for exhibitors and buyers has already covered five exhibition areas, attracting over 800 exhibiting and purchasing companies to build connections before the event.

PwC, for instance, said it will show its solutions for government and enterprises during the CIIE in development opportunities, digital innovation, enterprise transformation and talent development, and risk and compliance.

"This year, with a larger exhibition booth of over 100 square meters, PwC will hold nearly 20 small forums discussing hot topics such as 5G, Belt and Road, artificial intelligence, digitalization, smart city, and reform of state-owned enterprises," said Elton Huang, leader of China central markets and co-leader of Chinese mainland and Hong Kong entrepreneurial and private business at PwC China.

German logistics company DHL said it will debut its smart drone delivery solutions at the event. 

UPS will showcase the latest development on drone delivery technology at 2019 CIIE, according to Harld Peters, president of UPS China.