China International Small and Medium Enterprises Fair is set to open its 16th session in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong province, on June 24, with a special package of measures and activities aimed at improving services and increasing the agreements signed.

The fair, also known as CISMEF, which was first held in 2004, has developed into one of the largest of its kind in China and has become a platform for overseas SMEs to enter the Chinese market, as well as for domestic SMEs to go global.

An approved event of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, or UFI, the fair will be held from June 24 to 27 at Area A of the China Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou.

As of May 30, a total of 2,568 stands, including 1,062 booked by overseas exhibitors had been confirmed. Delegations from 35 countries and regions, 23 of which are involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, are set to attend, as well as international organizations, said Wu Hong, deputy director of the fair's organizing committee.

Fiji will become the first Pacific island nation to exhibit at CISMEF, together with two other newcomers - Uruguay and Ethiopia, said Wu.

"CISMEF has won high recognition from SMEs worldwide and attracted their wide participation, as our international cooperation has been expanded in both scope and content over the past 15 years," Wu said.

Malaysia will act as the co-host country for the second time, according to the fair's organizing committee. A total of 50 companies from the country have booked an overall exhibition area of 1,500 square meters to display their specialty food, culture and tourism products as well as educational services, Wu said.

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization, which promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability, will also co-host the fair for the third year in a row.

New measures

For the first time, the fair will set up an exhibition zone for more than 1,000 leading Chinese SMEs to show their specialized, refined, unique and innovative products and achievements, said Wu, who is also the deputy director general of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology.

"We are inviting model exhibitors to launch their latest products and industrial leaders to announce their needs, to attract qualified suppliers during the fair," she added.

Another first will be an innovative service zone which will pool public service providers, technology transfer organizations, smart manufacturing solution suppliers, financial service providers and telecommunication technology service providers, according to the organizing committee.

The secretary department of the fair's organizing committee said it is actively seeking feedback with regard to the needs of the exhibitors from home and abroad in terms of finance, sales and technology. As a result, it hopes to solve problems faced by these SMEs, helping them reach optimal service providers.

"The move aims to give substantial assistance and quality services to exhibiting SMEs so that they could get even more from the fair," Wu said.

The organizing committee is also encouraging participating provinces and cities to invite more buyers to the fair.

Guangdong, as the host province, will invite 10,000 companies to seize opportunities and carry out procurement at the fair. Meanwhile, nearly 20 industry and trade associations will bring their member companies to the fair, while 14 professional corporate partners selected by the secretary department will invite at least 6,000 professional buyers to the fair, according to the organizing committee.

"Other provinces and cities are expected to bring in another 20,000 buyers, which will create more business opportunities and development potential for exhibitors from home and abroad," Wu said.

To improve efficiency and promote deals being signed, the organizing committee will arrange 10 matchmaking activities among buyers and exhibitors, in terms of intelligent manufacturing, energy-saving and environmental protection, cold chain, electronic technology, information services, healthcare, textiles and garments.

The organizing committee said an online version of the CISMEF has been set up to create the most open and frictionless platform for exhibitors.

More than 600 exhibitors have registered and have a presence on the online platform so far, using it to list company information, showcase their corporate image and products, and look for business partners.

Overseas highlights

A total of 13 countries and international organizations will dispatch official delegations to attend CISMEF this year, including Mexico, Fiji, Malaysia, Iran and Vietnam.

The United Arab Emirates, co-host of the session last year, will introduce its SME fair in Ras Al Khaimah in November this year.

There will be three matchmaking activities specially designed for SMEs from home and abroad, according to the organizing committee. More than 200 companies from nine domestic and overseas delegations will attend the fair, covering business areas of packaged food, cosmetics, jewelry and more.

Some of the overseas delegations, including Malaysia, Fiji, UAE, Sri Lanka and Russia will organize commercial promotion conferences during the fair. The Fijian and Nepali delegations will stage artistic performances and folk dances while the Thailand delegation will hold a food festival.

Organizers of the 2019 CISMEF provide more information about the event to media on Thursday. [Provided to China Daily]