The Global Exhibition CEO Shanghai Summit is being held from 19th to 21st June, following a three-year break due to the pandemic.

More than 250 domestic and international CEOs of institutions and exhibition groups and industry association chiefs are set to attend the event, says the Shanghai Convention and Exhibition Industries Association (SCEIA).

According to SCEIA official Chen Xianjin, "the summit will be an important sign of a full recovery of China's convention and exhibition industry and its return to the centre of the global exhibition market, bringing new opportunities to the global convention and exhibition industry.

"Invited CEOs are very excited and hope to make the trip as soon as possible," Chen added. He said China had been the fastest-growing exhibition market, with almost all globally recognised exhibition enterprises establishing subsidiaries in cities such as Shanghai.

With guests at the summit focused on the country's economic prospects, Chen added: "The Chinese business is vital to them."

Furthermore, the exhibition industry has been considered a gauge of the economy's health. Shanghai's exhibition industry is forecast to make a rapid recovery in 2023, according to the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce.

Shanghai's principal exhibition venues are planning to host almost 300 exhibitions this year, whereas back in 2019, Shanghai held 1,043 economic and trade exhibitions, an all-time high.

Chen added that the exhibition industry in Shanghai is currently in recovery mode, and within 1-2 years, the market size should revert to pre-pandemic levels. "Multinational enterprises should seize the new opportunities stemming from China's development," he stated.

The Global Exhibition CEO Shanghai Summit took place each year between 2014 and 2019, featuring over 1,000 CEOs and government officials from over 20 countries.