HONG KONG --(ASIA TODAY)-- The seventh edition of the SPS – Industrial Automation Fair Guangzhou, held from 8 – 10 March 2016 at the China Import and Export Complex, closed with acclaim. Over its three-day run, the fair attracted 521 exhibitors from 15 countries and regions. They showcased a wide selection of products related to robotics, machine vision, sensors and measurement, connectivity systems, drive systems and control technologies over 41,000 sqm of exhibition space. Sourcing these products were a record-breaking 43,907 visitors from over 40 countries and regions.
The Guangzhou fair has once again demonstrated its significance within the industrial automation industry and reconfirmed its role as one of the most influential platforms of its kind in South China. Some of the renowned brands in attendance this year included Balluff, Beckhoff, Cognex, Contrinex, Elco, Epson, Estun Robotics, GSK, Nachi, P+F, Phoenix Contact, Rittal, Turck, Sanyo Denki, Wago, Yaskawa and more. In addition to impressive visitor figures, a total of 168 domestic and international delegations from Bayer, BYD, Foxconn, Huawei, Midea, Mitsubishi Electric, P&G and other reputable companies attended, affirming the importance of SPS – Industrial Automation Fair Guangzhou to the industry.
Mr Louis Leung, Deputy General Manager of Guangzhou Guangya Messe Frankfurt Co Ltd, one of the fair organisers, said: “SPS – Industrial Automation Fair Guangzhou continues to grow by leaps and bounds. This growth is not only a testament to the strong development of the industrial automation industry in South China, but also to the high levels of satisfaction exhibitors and buyers have for the event. Increased visitor numbers are a promising sign that the exhibition is developing in the right direction. In fact, visitors praised the exceptional quality of the various products and solutions on display. Also, based on feedback, exhibitors were pleased with the high number of contacts they were able to make with decision-makers through the show. Overall, I am gladthat the fair has become one of the industry’s must-attend annual events.”
Exhibitors and visitors satisfied with the wealth of business opportunities at the 2016 fair
Industry 4.0 represents the latest trend for the manufacturing industry and the future direction of China’s industrial upgrade. It brings forth a revolutionary method that will drastically improve the quality and efficiency of production. For many suppliers, SPS – Industrial Automation Fair Guangzhou serves as a springboard for tapping the huge industrial automation market in South China.
Capitalising on the current industrial revolution, the Smart Factory Pavilion, organised by the China Science and Technology Automation Alliance, made its debut at the Guangzhou fair in 2016. Mr Jason Wang, the Secretary General of the alliance, noted: “The strong work relationship we established with the fair organisers early on led to our decision to participate in the 2016 edition. Formed by 10 reputable companies who are members of the alliance, the Smart Factory Pavilion showcased various smart factory products, solutions and, most importantly, unique intelligent factory concepts. The fair was a huge success for the pavilion and we will not hesitate to come back again next year.”
For the first time, the China Light Industry Machinery Association invited representatives from over 30 prominent food processing and packaging companies to visit the Guangzhou fair. Ms Wang Xin, Vice Chairman and Secretary General of the association, expressed: “Through my interaction with the buyers in the delegation, I understand that they were impressed with the quality of the show and have gained new knowledge on the ‘Made in China 2025’ strategy as well as the latest developing global industry trends. SPS – Industrial Automation Fair Guangzhou is one of the most influential and professional industry platforms within South China and our association will most definitely continue to support this event.”
Loyal German exhibitor, Phoenix Contact (China) Holding Co Ltd, has participated in the Guangzhou fair since its inaugural edition. Dr Bai Yang, High Performance System Product Manager of the Control and Industry Solutions Segment at the company, expressed: “The fair provided a fantastic opportunity for us to capitalise on the growing manufacturing markets in South China. It is one of the most influential industry platforms and is the first event of its kind that we attended in 2016. The fair gathers and showcases some of the world’s latest automation products and solutions for professional buyers. This event is a must-attend fair for Phoenix Contact and we will, without a doubt, join again in 2017.”
Also returning as an exhibitor was Epson China (Shenzhen Branch). Mr River Chen, Project Manager at the company, expressed: “SPS – Industrial Automation Fair Guangzhou is one of the best trading platforms for the industry in South China. For the second year, the fair has helped our company expand our client base and gained new business opportunities for various commercial applications. The show, which attracts the industry’s top players, was well organised and had high visitor flow. This fair should not be missed and we will most definitely return again next year.”
Ms Angela Chang, Marketing Communications Manager at Balluff (Shanghai) Trading Co Ltd, shared the same sentiments. She said: “Our main goal is to promote our brand and products within China and, more importantly, to exchange technological insights with other professionals. I can say with confidence that the Guangzhou fair has developed into one of the most successful trading platforms in South China and its effectiveness for attracting the right audiences is a core reason that draws us back to the show every year. Recognising the importance of this event, we plan to continue participating and visitors can expect to see Balluff again at the 2017 edition.”
Exhibitors were not the only ones to recognise the exhibition’s value. Visitors also found it easy to source their targeted products and network with knowledgeable industry players. Mr Wayne Wu, Staff Industrial Engineer at Lenovo Information Products (Shenzhen) Co Ltd, mentioned: “I visit the Guangzhou fair every year to not only stay updated with the latest manufacturing technologies and trends but to also have a very effective sourcing tool for our company. This year, I connected with many suppliers offering robotics and machine vision-related products and have scheduled meetings to discuss future cooperation opportunities with them.”
First-time visitor, Mr Vittorio Rubbiani, Export Manager at Prima Electro SpA, echoed: “I came to source industrial-grade connectors, drivers and servo motors for the CNCs my company manufactures. In a matter of minutes, I was able to connect with a number of interesting contacts and the quality of the products being displayed was equally impressive. The organisation of the fair is top-notch and comparable to the SPS IPC Drives events in both Germany and Italy.”
Concurrent events revealed the outlook on the automation industry
Apart from offering brand and product diversity, SPS – Industrial Automation Fair Guangzhou also provides the latest information on market trends through a series of concurrent events. The 2016 edition featured over 100 seminars that addressed an array of topics related to industrial automation, Industry 4.0, connectivity, sensor technologies and more.
The concurrent events received positive reviews from both supporting firms and attendees. Mr KS Yeh, General Manager at IEI Integration Corp, provided an engaging presentation on developing Industry 4.0 and IoT technology trends in China. He said: “As a long-term speaker and loyal exhibitor at the fair, the fringe events act as a great platform for industry professionals to exchange insightful market information. The audience actively asked questions, reaffirming their professionalism and interest in the latest industrial automation news.”
First-time speaker and Product Manager at Contrinex Electronic Technology (Shanghai) Co Ltd, Mr Richard Huang, shared equal satisfaction for having the chance to present his company’s latest sensor products and provide insight on industry trends. He stated: “I was very pleased with the feedback from the attendees as they showed high levels of interest in the company’s products. What is more, a number of attendees also came to the Contrinex booth for further discussion and sourcing after my presentation. Overall, I appreciative of the organisers’ for offering us speak at the seminars.”
Conference attendee Ms Shi Hongyan, Mechanical Engineer at Prime Technology (Guangzhou) Inc of the 3CEMS Group, praised the wealth of information available at the fair. She commented: “The seminar speakers presented a comprehensive review of cohesive solutions for a new era of manufacturing. I was introduced to everything from the basic concepts of Industry 4.0 and supporting technologies utilised in smart factories to the planning of cyber-physical systems and data collection processes throughout the entire value chain. I am certain that the knowledge I gained will be beneficial to our future product development.”
SPS – Industrial Automation Fair Guangzhou is jointly organised by Guangzhou Guangya Messe Frankfurt Co Ltd, the China Foreign Trade Guangzhou Exhibition General Corporation, Guangzhou Overseas Trade Fairs Ltd and Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH. Associate sponsors are the Guangdong Automation Association, Guangzhou Automation Association and Guangzhou Institute of Scientific Instrument.
The next edition of SPS – Industrial Automation Fair Guangzhou will take place from 1 – 3 March 2017 at the China Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou, China. For more information, please visit www.spsinchina.com.
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Media Contact:
Eric Chan
Tel. +852 2238 9972
eric.chan@hongkong.messefrankfurt.com
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