(Photo/Song Xiaohua, Wang Mengran & Chen Xian)
From emerging brands to established names, companies have found the China International Import Expo (CIIE) an important platform for branding, publicity and business cooperation.
At the 6th CIIE in Shanghai, VERTAXI, a manufacturer of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, showcased its M1 model that features 20 propellers, a capacity of 5 passengers, a maximum payload of 500 kg, a cruise speed of 200 km/h, and a range of 250 km.
The company’s founder and CEO Xie Ling said eVTOL M1 can reduce 2-3 hours of driving to approximately 30 minutes by air. Through its first show at the CIIE, VERTAXI aims to promote the air taxi service and also learn about the new trend of civil aviation, according to Xie.
Whitewash, a startup from the UK, is also making its debut at the fair with a modest booth of one square meter. The company of oral health products has opened a store on Tmall.com and hopes to increase the brand recognition in the Chinese market through the expo, as noted by a staff member.
In the consumer goods zone, Mehdi, whose company sells Iranian handicrafts, expressed pleasure at returning to the CIIE after an absence due to COVID-19. Established in Shanghai in 2016, his import-export company has participated in several exhibitions across China and anticipated that the CIIE can boost sales.
A Kenyan honey brand, also a familiar face in the fair, recounted selling 100 bottles of acacia honey within hours during its first participation - even the display bottle was snapped up. This unique honey is sourced from the nectar of acacia tree buds and valued for its medicinal properties. Now the brand is set to attend the fair annually, aiming to introduce quality honey products to a broader Chinese audience, a staff member at the site explained.
The large-scale expo is also popular among foreign-funded companies. BSH Home Appliances has consistently used the CIIE as a key venue to showcase its innovation. Song Linbing, president of Greater China of BSH Home Appliances, said consumers are increasingly focused on both aesthetics and intelligent functionality, and the CIIE has proven helpful for product research and development in the Chinese market.
Furthermore, Ding Hongyu, senior vice-president of 3M and president of 3M China, shared that the fair helped reveal the vast market potential for drinking water purification, spurring the development of several products that 3M now offers. At the expo, 3M showcases cutting-edge products across home supplies, healthcare and other fields.
