China's Exhibition Industry Shows Strong Growth with Expanding Scale and Numbers

According to the 2024 China Exhibition Statistics Report 1.0 recently released by the China Exhibition Economy Research Association, the exhibition industry maintained steady growth in 2024, with increases in both the number and scale of offline exhibitions nationwide.  

In 2024, China hosted 8,916 offline exhibitions with a total exhibition area of 146.79 million square meters, up by 1,113 events(+14.26%) and 1.6466 million square meters (+1.13%) compared to 2023. Large-scale exhibitions (over 100,000 square meters) grew significantly to 214 events. The popularity of exhibitions continues to rise across China, with 205 cities now actively competing in the "exhibition economy" sector.  

Top Ten Exhibition Cities and Provinces Dominate Market Share

The top ten provinces by exhibition area are: Guangdong, Shanghai, Shandong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Sichuan, Liaoning, Beijing, Fujian, and Hainan. These provinces accounted for 69% of national exhibition events and 73% of total exhibition space, with the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta regions remaining key drivers. Among cities, the top ten—Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Nanjing, Beijing, Qingdao, Hangzhou, Shenyang, and Chongqing—contributed 47% of national exhibitions and 51% of exhibition space, showcasing prominent leading roles.  

China currently operates 376 exhibition venues, a year-on-year increase of 2.73%. Despite strong demand, major venues like the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (55.36% occupancy rate) maintain high utilization. To meet growing needs, large-scale venues such as the Beijing International Exhibition Center Phase II and Shanghai National Convention and Exhibition Center Phase II are under construction, signaling ongoing upgrades to industry infrastructure.  

Chu Xiangyin, chief researcher at the China Exhibition Economy Research Association, emphasized that the industry must enter a new phase of integration with industrial and urban development, prioritizing content innovation. Traditional exhibitions should adopt digital transformation to amplify the role of technology, accelerate smart upgrades of venues, and promote green and low-carbon practices to ensure sustainable growth.