Global firms leveraging CIIE to improve brand awareness, drive growth

The China International Import Expo has become an increasingly important platform for global enterprises to improve brand awareness, extend cooperation with partners and tap business opportunities to drive growth, with participants showing up again at the event demonstrating deeper commitment to the fair via larger presence and elevated exhibits of products and services.

Sotheby's, the world's premier destination for art and luxury, has returned to the CIIE with a space that is five times larger than during its debut last year, bringing a rich array of collectibles whilst introducing an all-new art and culture collecting experience to the public.

"This year, we return to the import expo with a larger booth and more exhibits, a testament to our commitment to new opportunities in the Chinese market where the collecting scene is about to begin," said Jean Qian, Sotheby's managing director, China.

"Many of the pieces that we present this year are new releases or have never been exhibited before and we will be expanding into auctions and other forms of collecting in the future, while actively increasing our categories."

With a focus on enriching collecting experiences, Sotheby's will present a wider array of exhibits spanning across Impressionist paintings, modern masterpieces, and cutting-edge contemporary art by artists such as Pierre Bonnard, Edvard Munch, Mark Rothko, Daniel Richter, Matthew Wong, Antony Gormley, and Ayako Rokkaku.

One highlight of Sotheby's booth this year is Buy Now, which features 15 exquisite handbags to meet the increasing domestic demand for the product, together with a rich and diverse range of categories, including jewelry, contemporary art, sneakers, watches, fashion, and home decor.

Launched in recent years, Buy Now is an online marketplace to empower new ways for collectors to buy and sell beyond the traditional auction calendar. Offering 24/7, 365-day access to exceptional luxury goods and decorative collectibles at a variety of price points, Buy Now will be launched in Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland in late 2022 and early 2023, respectively.

Viewing the Chinese market as a new global base where it has been operating for nearly 30 years, Sotheby's will announce the establishment of its Chinese mainland headquarters in Shanghai during the CIIE, the latest demonstration of its determination to invest in the country for the long term.

For Baker Hughes, the CIIE also seems an opportunity that the American energy technology giant doesn't want to miss, with 2022 marking the fifth consecutive year of its presence.

"The CIIE, which facilitates countries and regions all over the world to strengthen economic cooperation and trade, not only offers us a great platform and opportunity to meet our clients, but also highlight our presence as a testament to our commitment and confidence in the Chinese market," said Cao Yang, vice president of Baker Hughes and president of Baker Hughes China.

"By leveraging the CIIE platform, we hope to deepen our business relations with clients and partners, advance our China strategy, and demonstrate our strong technologies that have huge potential to make a significant impact and support China to reach carbon neutrality."

Baker Hughes's key exhibits this year include the CENefficient Electrical Submersible Pumps System, Lucida advanced rotary steerable service, NovaLT?16 gas turbine, High Pressure Ratio Compressor (HPRC), and 4th generation of Magnetic Flux leakage inspection equipment, which jointly showcase the company's efforts in multiple business frontiers that aim to decarbonize the energy industry.

"With our leading technology and solutions in the energy transition segment, such as CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage), hydrogen, geothermal, and methane emission management, we are confident and looking forward to deeply cooperating with China's three leading state oil companies and state-owned enterprises to drive energy transition forward," Cao noted.

"Additionally, to reinforce our 'In China, for China' commitment, Baker Hughes has the scope and scale to advance a variety of technology solutions to enable energy transition and satisfy our customers' requirements, and to continuously expand our supply chain capability in the country to increase the proportion of the supply chain for Baker Hughes globally."

Hill+Knowlton Strategies, another active CIIE participant, also considers the annual event a perfect platform as the world's leading public relations consulting company leverages the fair's resources and opportunities to assist its clients, mainly Fortune Global 500 firms and industry leaders, in enhancing branding, optimizing market positioning and raising global influence, while facilitating its own growth in the country.

Entering the China market in 1984 as the first international public relations company, Hill+Knowlton Strategies has already set up offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong, providing communications solutions for both MNCs tapping the China market and Chinese enterprises seeking overseas expansion.

"The China market is an enormous and segmented one. Therefore, it is essential to form an effective public affairs strategy based on in-depth knowledge of regulatory trends of a geographic market or industrial segment in which our clients operate or target to explore, so as to mutually benefit the clients' business and the marketplace," said Queenie Sun, senior advisor with GPA China and GPA Shanghai general manager.

"My colleagues and I are committed to deeper understanding of local markets which leads to creating better business solutions for our clients."

A firm believer in the continuously improved business environment in Shanghai and China, Hill+Knowlton Strategies has acquired more insight into newly emerging growth opportunities unique to China, which has registered high-quality economic growth over the past five years.

Looking forward, the company said it expects the CIIE's role as "a branding and communications hub" will be further strengthened and it remains committed to serving as a bridge between global brands and the vast China market full of growth potential.