Paperworld China
China International Stationery and Office Supplies Exhibition
Shanghai New International Expo Centre, Shanghai, China
18 – 20 September 2014
Paperworld China achieves 12% growth in visitor numbers
Spotlights were the DIY studio and Oriental Culture areas
A strong line-up of fringe programmes add value to the show
The 10th edition of Paperworld China, China’s leading international trade fair for stationery and office supplies gained double-digit growth in visitor numbers and received positive feedback from exhibitors and visitors. The show was held 18 – 20 September 2014 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, Shanghai, China.
The show welcomed 22,357 visitors, a 12% percent increase when compared to the previous year. These visitors came from 63 countries and regions and the top 10 overseas countries and regions represented were: Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia, Germany, the US, Thailand, Russia and India. The show is a one-stop professional platform covering a completed range of products ranging from basic and fashionable stationery and office supplies to corporate gifts and DIY materials.
Commenting on the exceptional results of the show, Ms Fiona Chiew, Deputy General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co Ltd said: “I am very pleased to see this year’s Paperworld China has attained such outstanding results, demonstrating its growing significance to the stationery and office supplies industry in the region over the years. Additionally, the show attracted 501 exhibitors from 18 countries and regions including Australia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Portugal, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Turkey, the UK and the US. Our resounding success is greatly contributed to the support from our partners, trade associations and organisations. With their strong resources and connections, the show welcomed a number of local and overseas buying groups. It also featured pavilions from Taiwan, Ningbo and Wenzhou, as well as the DIY Studio and Oriental Culture.”
The annual trade fair was highly praised by exhibitors. Liberty Stationery Corporation, a leading pen manufacturer, was one of the exhibitors at the Taiwanese pavilion. Ms Annie Ho, Assistant Sales Manager, praised the organisers’ effort: “So far I’ve received about 80 enquiries from different countries. We also met a Brazilian buying group which was invited by the organisers. The arrangement is absolutely helpful as it brings more business opportunities to us. Paperworld China is definitely a leading show for the industry in the region, providing an ideal platform for us to expand to the overseas markets.”
ES&D Co Ltd from Korea was one of the booths packed with visitors at all times during the three-day event, as they showcased their patented and uniquely designed cutters that received many awards for their safety functions. The company’s representative Mr Chung Yeol Yu said: “We want to develop our business in China, so we chose Paperworld China. Our products received a very good response at the show. More than a thousand visitors came to our booth on the first day and we met buyers from the US, Germany and Japan.”
China’s vast market potential attracted European suppliers to find business opportunities. Italian exhibitor Xilocart Studio was a newcomer and their booth received much attention from visitors as they were the only company which uses unique ancient woodblock printing technique for their photo albums, notebooks, notepads, document holders and greeting cards. “I participated in Paperworld China because Shanghai is an interesting and exciting market. I’ve met a lot of enthusiastic buyers who showed great interest in my artwork,” said the company’s owner, Ms Mariaelisa Leboroni.
Sharing a similar opinion was a regular exhibitor, Wenzhou Lantu International Trade Co Ltd. “The buyers who visited us are genuine. So far we’ve met many buyers from the US, Iran, Korea and Thailand, as well as some buyers from other countries in Europe and the Middle East. The show is an excellent place for serious, in-depth business discussions. Paperworld China is an internationally recognised trade fair that is very influential and professional. It provides a good opportunity for reaching new customers,” noted Mr John Chen, the company’s representative who exhibited in the Wenzhou pavilion.
Local exhibitor Ujipin Network Technology Co Ltd impressed visitors with their international and high-quality stationery, gifts and lifestyle products. Ms Catherine Lu, the company’s CEO, commented: “Paperworld China focuses on high-end products for our target market. We exhibited at last year’s show and we had an outstanding outcome. This year we have very satisfying visitor flow at our booth. We receive about 1,000 professional visitors every day.”
Visitors were also enthusiastic about the abundant opportunities offered by the show. First-time local buyer Mr Peng Lu, Customer Manager of Shanghai Qinglian Trade Co Ltd came to source stationery and office products for his company’s internal use. He praised the importance of Paperworld China for the industry: “I’ve seen a number of industry heavyweights are here at the show such as Uni and Snowwhite. So far I’ve collected adequate information from the exhibitors and I think they will become my potential suppliers. It’s a good opportunity for buyers like me to compare products under one roof.”
Brazilian buying mission leader Mr Renato de Castro, Executive Director for Baumann Consultancy Network, was very pleased with the broad selection and the quality of products, especially those presented by Chinese exhibitors. He remarked: “Our retailers are buying in large quantities. We see a lot of cooperation opportunities between China and Brazil. There’s huge demand for Chinese products in Brazil and we hope to build direct relations between producers here and our retailers. The online channel is a major trend for accessing a larger group of consumers. It’s important to know how it can integrate into retail sales. This is also why we are here to observe the retail and online sales situation in China.”
Spotlights were the DIY studio and Oriental Culture areas
One of the attractions at the show was the DIY studio which caught much attention from visitors. This special zone was triple the size of last year’s. The zone supporter DIY Industry Promotion Council of Shanghai Creative Industry Association also launched the opening ceremony of the DIY Industry Promotion Council at the show. Ms Ping Xin, the association’s Secretary General commented: “DIY industry is already mature in overseas markets. But it’s still a new and emerging market in China. Traditional stationery and office supplies industry in China is gradually transforming to ‘experience economy’ due to changing consumer demand. I believe the collaboration with Messe Frankfurt will allow both of us to maximize resources and channels by demonstrating the rewarding prospects of this industry to distributors at the show.”
Another highlight was Oriental Culture, which was supported by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Shandong Sub-council. Exhibitor Kingstudio is China’s leading tin craft company, specialising in tin handicrafts for the royal family. Mr Qianjun Wang, the company’s representative said: “This show is a high-end and professional platform to promote our artwork and craftsmanship to consumers. We have a lot of mid- to high-end customers, particularly big enterprises which will buy our handicrafts as their corporate gifts.”
A strong line-up of fringe programmes add value to the show
To celebrate the show’s 10th edition, a number of fringe programmes were featured for attendees to establish new contacts and keep abreast of the industry trends.
A great atmosphere was found at the Corporate Culture Seminar hosted by Mr Yi Zhongtian, a highly admired scholar of Chinese culture and history, who shared his view on contemporary corporate culture. It drew a large audience aiming to gain invaluable insights and his seminar received active participation from the audience.
“Mr Yi gave a very good analysis of the evolution of contemporary Chinese culture which I can apply to our enterprise. As we are in a Chinese society, western style management concept cannot totally fit into our company. We have to understand Chinese history and tradition to develop a good corporate culture,” commented audience member Mr Lei Wang of Shanghai Baixin Cultural Goods Co Ltd.
Another show highlight was the auction. A number of valuable items including high-end cultural gifts, limited edition artisan works and modernly designed brand-name stationery sets were available for auction. Mr Xiao Qian from Yilin Cultural Communications successfully bid a number of products. He said: “The auction products are very attractive and I bought a few items including a brand-name notebook and a Waldmann 90th anniversary limited edition pen.”
Another event was the Entering Global Supply Chain with Confidence Forum presented by Mr Jeff Cao, Asia Forestry Hub Manager for Bureau Veritas. The forum closely looked at global buyer’s sourcing policies, international trade regulations and certification schemes. Audience member Mr Xing Fei Dong from International Wood Products (Kunshan) Co Ltd commented: “The forum gives us a full picture of the industry trends which I find it very useful for our business and I have a better understanding of the global industry development.”
Paperworld China is organised by Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co Ltd, the China Chamber of Commerce for I/E of Light Industrial Products & Arts-crafts and Guangzhou Foreign Trade South China Exhibition Corp Ltd. The next edition will be held in September 2015 in Shanghai New International Expo Centre.
For more information about the show, please visit www.paperworldchina.com, or send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Other shows under the Paperworld brand include:
- Hong Kong International Stationery Fair
12 – 15 January 2015, Hong Kong - Paperworld
31 January – 3 February 2015, Frankfurt - Paperworld Middle East
2 – 4 March 2015, Dubai - Playworld Middle East (co-located with Paperworld Middle East)
2 – 4 March 2015, Dubai
For more details about these fairs, please visit
www.global.paperworld.messefrankfurt.com
Background information on Messe Frankfurt
Messe Frankfurt is one of the world’s leading trade fair organisers, generating around €545 million in sales and employing some 2,000 people worldwide. The Messe Frankfurt Group has a global network of 28 subsidiaries and around 50 international Sales Partners, allowing it to serve its customers on location in more than 150 countries. Messe Frankfurt events take place at more than 30 locations around the globe. In 2013, Messe Frankfurt organised a total of 113 trade fairs, of which more than half took place outside Germany. Comprising an area of 578,000 square metres, Messe Frankfurt’s exhibition grounds are home to ten exhibition halls. The company also operates two congress centres. The company is publicly owned, with the City of Frankfurt holding 60 percent and the State of Hesse 40 percent. For more information, please visit our website at www.messefrankfurt.com.