| On January 16, the annual gala for the international expo industry-the 5th China Expo Forum for International Cooperation (CEFCO 2009) was brought to a successful close. CCPIT Vice Chairman Wang Jinzhen, Mr. Cliff Wallace, Executive Vice President of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI), Mrs. Margaret Pederson, Chair-Elect of International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE), Mr. LEWIS SHOMER, Executive Director of the Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO) and Mr. Chen Gang, Vice Mayor of the Nanjing Municipal Government attended the closing ceremony and delivered speeches.
The forum was attached great importance by the Chinese national leaders. CPPCC National Committee Vice Chairman Abdul'ahat Abdulrixit attended the forum in person and delivered a keynote speech, expressing his ardent expectations for the sound and continuous development of China’s expo industry. The forum was also given full support by the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Commerce and the Municipal People’s Government of Nanjing. High attention has been drawn from relevant expo organizations home and abroad as well as expo professionals and businesspersons. Altogether 49 guests from 12 countries and regions made excellent speeches on the forum. Nearly 600 domestic and foreign expo experts, governmental officials, economists and delegates of relevant business associations attended the forum.
During the three-day forum, in accordance with its aim of opening-up, cooperation and win-win and the change of current economic situation at home and abroad, centering on its theme of sustainable development of the expo industry in the age of knowledge economy, the forum provided an wonderful platform for domestic and foreign expo professionals to participate in a series of theme events like the development tendency of the expo industry in the coming decade, world expo and the expo economy, the designing and operating of exhibition centers in China’s city groups, the road of sustainable development for the expo industry, expo education and training and expo crisis management. Dialogues were had among international expo elites, officials of the expo cities, scholars and experts of economy and expo-relevant fields and expo industry representatives on how the expo industry plays its part in expanding export and domestic demand and how the expo industry realize its sustainable development while promoting economy and trade.
As one of the three biggest expo events around the world, the CEFCO always focuses on the new characteristics and tendency of the national and international expo industries and strives to release the latest research results concerning the expo industry as soon as possible. The Annual Report of China’s Expo Economy released by the CCPIT is one of the most important achievements of this year’s forum. CCPIT Vice Chairman Wang Jinzhen said that the CEFCO will continually perform as the authoritative information release platform of the expo industry by providing more functional information for the attending parties and promoting theoretical study and practical exploration concerning expo industry.
At the closing ceremony, organizers of the CEFCO also signed cooperation agreements, which is the beginning of a new round cooperation among CCPIT, UFI, IAEE and SISO. The 6th CEFCO will be held in Xi’an in January, 2010. On behalf of the organizers, Vice Chairman Wang Jinzhen invited the attending delegates to gather in Xi’an for the 6th CEFCO in one year.
Held during the same time, the 10th China International Exhibition & Conference Exposition was also closed successfully.
The China Expo Forum for International Cooperation, initiated by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and jointly organized by UFI, IAEM and SISO, was first held in January, 2005. Now it has become a brand forum for the international expo industry and an annual grand meeting for expo professionals around the globe to communicate, negotiate and cooperate. It has made great contribution to strengthen cooperation and to harmonize relations in the expo markets both home and abroad. | 
