To foster a favorable environment for the development of the exhibition industry and to promote its high-standard launch, high-level advancement, and high-quality development in our city, the following implementation plan is proposed in accordance with the guiding principles of relevant documents such as the “Several Opinions of the State Council on Further Promoting the Reform and Development of the Exhibition Industry” (State Council Document [2015] No. 15) and the “Implementation Opinions of the Provincial Government on Promoting the Reform and Development of the Exhibition Industry” (Jiangsu Provincial Government Document [2016] No. 12), and in light of our city’s actual conditions.

I. Development Approach

Fully implementing the new development philosophy and adhering to the strategic positioning of “building a city strong in industry and establishing a regional hub,”we will adhere to the development direction of “internationalization, branding, specialization, and smartization” for the exhibition industry. Guided by the principles of “government guidance, market-driven operations, fair competition, and industry self-regulation,” and leveraging the core “four-in-one” advantages of our region, transportation, industry, and infrastructure, we will focus on enhancing exhibition capabilities, strengthening market entities, improving infrastructure, and fostering innovation. Through these efforts, we will accelerate the high-quality development of the exhibition economy and build a core exhibition city within the Huaihai Economic Zone that leads the Huaihai region, radiates across the nation, and connects with the world.

II. Development Goals

By 2025, we will establish a comprehensive service and support system for the exhibition industry characterized by “scientific industrial planning, a sound policy framework, leading venue facilities, orderly transportation support, and comprehensive hospitality services.” We will foster a new development paradigm for the exhibition industry anchored by high-end conferences, centered on business exhibitions and events, and supported by festivals, cultural performances, and other activities.The city’s direct revenue from the exhibition and convention industry will reach over 1 billion yuan, with an average annual growth rate of approximately 20%, indirectly driving revenue in related service industries to exceed 10 billion yuan.

——Expansion and Upgrading of Exhibition Scale. By 2025, the city will host 100 major exhibition events, with the total annual exhibition area exceeding 2 million square meters. It will establish 1 international brand exhibition, 10 national brand exhibitions, and 20 regionally distinctive brand exhibitions.

— Significant enhancement of conference standards. By 2025, the city will host 3–5 high-end international and domestic conferences (forums, summits) that reflect the city’s unique characteristics, demonstrate high levels of professionalism, and carry significant domestic and international influence.

——Continuous growth of the exhibition and conference industry. By 2025, we will introduce and cultivate 2–3 leading exhibition and conference enterprises with annual revenue exceeding 100 million yuan, and attract 2–3 well-known domestic and international exhibition and conference enterprises to establish headquarters or branches in Xuzhou.

III. Key Tasks

(I) Enhancing the Capabilities of Exhibition Venues

1. Modernize exhibition venues. Support the Huaihai International Expo Center in upgrading its digital service systems to provide integrated services in operational management, personnel control, data collection, and epidemic prevention and control, thereby enhancing the venue’s informatization and smart capabilities; accelerate the construction of outdoor exhibition areas; improve surrounding public infrastructure; and expedite the development of public service sectors such as catering, accommodation, office spaces, retail, and finance to create a high-quality exhibition industry ecosystem.(Responsible Units: Yunlong District Government, Municipal Bureau of Natural Resources and Planning, Municipal Bureau of Housing and Urban-Rural Development)

2. Build a platform with distinct regional competitive advantages. Accelerate the construction of Phase II of the Huaihai International Expo Center, expand the venue area, enhance its capacity, and improve supporting facilities to establish a competitive exhibition scale and functionality, thereby creating a first-class national and leading provincial platform. (Responsible Units: Yunlong District Government, Municipal Bureau of Natural Resources and Planning, Municipal Bureau of Housing and Urban-Rural Development)

3. Actively develop a convention and exhibition economic industrial park. Leveraging venue resources such as the Huaihai International Expo Center, the Olympic Sports Center, and the Dalonghu International Conference Center, we will construct the Huaihai Economic Zone Convention and Exhibition Economic Industrial Park, which integrates exhibitions, sports events, and conferences. We will guide the accelerated clustering of upstream and downstream enterprises in the convention and exhibition industry to establish a full industrial chain encompassing event organization, agency services, business travel, logistics, exhibition design, and venue operations, thereby forming a convention and exhibition industry cluster with comprehensive supporting facilities and efficient operations.(Responsible Units: Yunlong District Government, Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Commerce Bureau)

(2) Implement the Exhibition Branding Project

4. Actively Develop Internationally Renowned Exhibitions. Collaborate with national ministries and commissions, national trade associations, and renowned domestic exhibition organizers to attract national touring exhibitions, host specialized exhibitions with strong ties to our city’s industries and significant sectoral influence, and attract large-scale, high-profile consumer exhibitions with strong clustering effects.Leveraging the strengths of the foreign-invested company operating the Huaihai International Expo Center, we will proactively engage with resources from internationally renowned exhibition cities such as Barcelona, Spain, and Hanover, Germany, to actively secure a number of internationally influential exhibitions to be held in our city. (Responsible Units: Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Municipal Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Yunlong District Government)

5. Vigorously cultivate specialty industry exhibitions. Building on our city’s “343” innovation industry cluster, we will foster a series of distinctive professional exhibitions.Prioritize the development of exhibitions in sectors such as construction machinery and safety and emergency response equipment to build distinctive brands with national influence; continue to successfully organize specialized exhibitions such as the Cultural Expo, Auto Show, and Home Expo to enhance their brand impact; cultivate specialized exhibitions in strategic emerging industries such as healthcare, new materials, and energy conservation and environmental protection to establish industry-leading exhibition brands; and support various districts and counties in creating 1–2 large-scale specialty exhibitions centered on their dominant industries.(Responsible Units: Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Industry and Information Technology Bureau, Municipal Commerce Bureau, Municipal Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, and Tourism, Municipal Health Commission, Municipal Market Regulation Bureau; governments of all counties (cities) and districts; Administrative Committees of Xuzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone, Xuzhou High-Tech Zone, and Xuzhou Huaihai International Port Area)

6. Elevate the caliber of conferences.Actively bid for and host national and provincial-level conferences and forums; attract high-end conferences with global influence and industry foresight to our city; elevate the status of events such as the China (Xuzhou) Comprehensive Investment Fair and the China (Xuzhou) International Service Outsourcing Cooperation Conference; enhance the professionalism and internationalization of festivals such as the “Pengzu Fuyang Festival” and the “Han Culture Tourism Festival”; and build conference and festival cultural brands with high recognition both domestically and internationally.(Responsible Units: Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Industry and Information Technology Bureau, Municipal Commerce Bureau, Municipal Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, and Tourism)

7. Amplify the spillover effects of the exhibition and convention industry. Leverage the functions of exhibition platforms to maximize the home-field advantage in investment promotion. Encourage various districts and sectors to conduct targeted investment promotion activities during exhibitions, guiding “exhibitors” to become “investors” and achieving the goal of “attracting investors through exhibitions.”Vigorously attract exhibition and convention companies to host events in Xuzhou; encourage leading domestic and international exhibition and convention companies to establish companies, branches, agencies, or cooperative entities in our city to participate in the operation of the exhibition and convention industry and related sectors, thereby enhancing the industry’s endogenous growth momentum. (Responsible Units: Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Municipal Council for the Promotion of International Trade, governments of all counties (cities) and districts, and the Administrative Committees of Xuzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone, Xuzhou High-Tech Zone, and Xuzhou Huaihai International Port Area)

(3) Cultivating and Strengthening Market Entities

8. Cultivate local exhibition enterprises. Establish companies specializing in or engaging in exhibition business. Encourage local exhibition enterprises to expand their scale and enhance their capabilities in attracting exhibitors and organizing events through various forms such as joint ventures, equity participation, and cooperation. (Responsible Units: Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Municipal Council for the Promotion of International Trade)

9. Establish specialized exhibition companies. Facilitate collaboration between the city’s state-owned platforms and renowned exhibition companies to establish, at an appropriate time, industry-leading enterprises equipped with advanced exhibition concepts, management experience, and professional skills. These entities will operate high-quality exhibition projects and host proprietary brand exhibitions. (Responsible Units: Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Municipal Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Municipal State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission)

10. Encourage diversified operations at exhibition venues. Guide exhibition venues toward diversified operations by adopting a model of “venue management + specialized operations + independent exhibition organization.” While hosting various exhibitions and providing venue services, venues should integrate resources to expand their own exhibitions or co-organized events. (Responsible Units: Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Municipal Council for the Promotion of International Trade)

(IV) Promoting the Internationalization of the Exhibition Industry

11. Deepen industry exchanges. Strengthen cooperation and exchanges with renowned domestic and international MICE industry organizations and trade associations, such as the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI), the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE), and the Yangtze River Delta City MICE Alliance. Establish exchange platforms, improve cooperation mechanisms, and promote efficient resource matching. (Responsible Units: Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Municipal Council for the Promotion of International Trade)

12. Encourage industry certification. Guide exhibition enterprises to accelerate certification under international quality standards systems to enhance the level of professional, standardized, and regulated services. Encourage major exhibition projects and leading enterprises in our city to obtain authoritative industry certifications to boost the visibility and influence of exhibition events. (Responsible units: Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Municipal Council for the Promotion of International Trade)

13. Strengthen exhibition organization and participation. Establish connections with countries and regions along the “Belt and Road” and within the RCEP, encourage enterprises to organize and participate in exhibitions overseas, and organize participation in renowned events such as the China International Import Expo (CIIE), the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), and the China-ASEAN Expo, thereby establishing a new framework for organizing and participating in exhibitions both domestically and internationally that is diversified, broad in scope, and high-level. (Responsible Units: Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Municipal Council for the Promotion of International Trade)

(V) Accelerate the Digital Transformation Process

14. Enhance the smart capabilities of the exhibition industry. Promote the application and adoption of next-generation information technologies—including the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, artificial intelligence (AI), and 5G mobile communications—in the exhibition sector. Implement the “Internet Plus” strategy, support organizers in innovating “cloud exhibitions” and providing “cloud services,” and leverage new media, converged media, and user-generated content to create a new exhibition model where physical and virtual exhibitions mutually reinforce each other, and online and offline transactions interact and complement one another.(Responsible Units: Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Municipal Council for the Promotion of International Trade)

15. Establish an Exhibition Information Service Platform. Build a comprehensive exhibition platform that provides information services covering exhibitions and conferences, participation and organization, commodity trading, and project investment. Integrate big data from venues, organizers, exhibitors, and buyers to achieve information exchange and resource sharing, creating a “data lake” for the exhibition economy and enhancing the digitalization level of the industry. (Responsible Units: Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Municipal Council for the Promotion of International Trade)

IV. Support Measures

(1) Strengthen Organizational Leadership. Restructure the Xuzhou Municipal Exhibition Industry Development Leading Group, with the head of the municipal government serving as the group leader and the vice mayor in charge serving as the deputy group leader. This group will be responsible for the overall planning, strategic decision-making, standard-setting, and comprehensive coordination of the city’s exhibition industry. Establish a joint meeting system to resolve issues through a “one-stop” approach. The Leading Group’s Office will be housed within the Municipal Bureau of Commerce, responsible for daily coordination of exhibition industry development, project advancement, and industry statistics.

(2) Improve Working Mechanisms. Establish a guidance mechanism for major specialized exhibitions, actively leverage the functions of relevant departments, effectively strengthen professional guidance and support, and continuously enhance the professionalism and standardization of exhibition organization. Establish a service support mechanism featuring interdepartmental collaboration and vertical coordination to comprehensively manage public security, fire safety, venue setup management, traffic control, public health and epidemic prevention, crowd management, and emergency response during exhibitions.

(3) Strengthen Policy Support. Incorporate exhibition and convention funds into the city’s business development fund for coordinated allocation. This will support the attraction of domestic and international brand exhibitions, the bidding for national touring exhibitions, the cultivation of local brand exhibitions, the optimization of market entities in the exhibition and convention sector, and the enhancement of industry exchanges. Efforts will also be made to promote exhibition and convention brands, thereby effectively enhancing the brand influence and competitiveness of our city’s exhibition and convention industry.

(4) Optimize the Development Environment.Strengthen intellectual property management in the exhibition and convention sector and improve the complaint and resolution mechanisms for intellectual property issues at events. Improve the industry statistical system, establish scientific and standardized statistical criteria, and build a comprehensive statistical framework covering exhibitions, conferences, distinctive festivals, and performing arts and sports events. Fully leverage the role of Xuzhou’s expert think tank in the exhibition and convention sector to provide intellectual support for the industry’s high-quality development. Encourage universities and educational institutions in Xuzhou to offer majors in exhibition and convention management to cultivate specialized talent and effectively strengthen the talent base for the sector’s development.