MEDIA SPOTLIGHT  –  Online versions of the China Fastener Show and Zhejiang Haiyan Online Export Fair were inaugurated during August 2020, Fastener & Fixing announced.

The virtual trade show was to boost Chinese fastener companies in the global market and reduce the impact of Covid-19.

More than 200 fastener manufacturing, equipment and mould companies participated in the online exhibition, which drew 1,000 buyers from 35 countries and regions including the United States, the UK, Germany, Italy, France, Brazil, Japan, Turkey and Australia.

During the online exhibition there were face-to-face purchase meetings, keynote speeches, cloud factory visiting and live broadcasts.  In particular the “1-on-1” purchase meeting reduced the impact of not being able to participate in traditional trade shows during 2020 due to Covid-19.

This cloud exhibition integrating exhibition, negotiation, communication and learning may be the start of a new version of the trade show industry.

Zhang Liang, subprefect of Haiyan County Peope’s Government, explained to Fastener + Fixing that Covid-19 has swept the world and brought serious impact to the global economy, many offline exhibitions have been cancelled or postponed and thus blocking normal international economic and trade exchanges.

Haiyan County is a major fastener production base and is known as “Iron Haiyan.”  It has formed a supply chain of raw materials, mould and product production, surface treatment, product testing, equipment manufacturing, logistics distribution, domestic and foreign trade.

Haiyan has 700 fastener companies, including 30 companies with export value of more than US$5 million. Annual fastener export value is pegged at US$600 million – or 10% of China’s fastener exports. Fasteners are exported to 100+ countries and regions.

Sponsored by Haiyan County People’s Government, Jiaxing Municipal Bureau of Commerce, and organized by Haiyan County Commerce Bureau, Zhejiang Fastener Industry Association, and supported by ChinaFastener.com, China Fastener Show (Online) aims to help Chinese fastener companies open up new channels, and build a new platform for Chinese and foreign peers.

The Haiyan County government noted the “digital economy is the trend of the world and the opportunity of the times” and the government has implemented policies to encourage fastener companies to use digital and intelligent transformation, build a fastener innovation service, centralized procurement of raw materials, technology, financial services, and technical training, “so as to further enhance the quality control capabilities and corporate management levels of fastener companies.”

“It is hoped that companies will take this online exhibition as an opportunity to actively explore online sales channels, reduce the impact of Covid-19, and create new growth points,” the organizers stated.  “It also sincerely hoped that through the launch of the trade fair, all parties will build economic and trade cooperation in various forms in more fields so as to promote win-win cooperation and mutual development.”

Editor’s Note: Articles in MEDIA SPOTLIGHT are excerpts from publications that show the industry what the public is reading or hearing about fasteners and fastener companies.