SIEC Announces China Cycle 2006 Fully Booked

SIEC Announces China Cycle 2006 Fully Booked

April 12, 2006

    SHANGHAI, China, April 12 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
Shanghai International Exhibition Co., Ltd. announced today
CHINA CYCLE 2006, the 16th China International Bicycle and
Motor Fair, will be held in the Shanghai New International
Expo Center on April 17-20, 2006, as originally scheduled. 
This year, however, the show is already fully booked due to
the lack of exhibition space.  Unfortunately, the new Hall
E3 and E4 will not be completed on time.  The organizers
have made available every inch of space to feed the growing
needs of the exhibitors, including the outdoor area. 
Despite the set-back, statistics are still exciting, with
all seven exhibition halls and the outdoor space being
utilized, accounting for more than 900 exhibitors and
85,000 square meters.

    Local Companies: Eager to Expand

    In 2006, many local companies chose to increase the
size of their stands, some up to 300 square meters.  Some
intend to keep their booths simple, leaving more space
available for buyers.  It seems that local companies have
benefited more from the annual Shanghai show, treating it
as their primary export channel. The growing number of
international buyers makes them quite satisfied with the
show, and this is the only show in China that can offer
such high quality international buyers. 

    At the same time, the local industry is more
represented than ever before. Major players in the industry
attend the show annually and this in turn helps to attract
more buyers from abroad, especially for those focusing on
mid and low range products. 

    International Companies: Growing Steadily

    International brands have seen a steady growth.  In
2006, international brands will be given the best locations
in Hall W1, while local and Taiwanese brands are in Hall E1.
 Most of these come from the US and Europe.  Some have
already entered local markets, including Shimano, Trek and
Specialized, and still hold the largest exhibition spaces,
as they continue to invest in the Chinese market together
with other marketing activities.  As many international
buyers come to Shanghai, the show lures more European small
and medium-sized company.  This year, the show will welcome
companies from Pakistan and Canada for the first time.  The
international brands in attendance bring with them various
product lines, focusing on more sports-related products,
such as bike racks, BMXs and accessories.

    New Development in the IBD Market

    In the past year, the IBD market has seen a rapid
development in China.  IBD stores have become popular in
big cities.  There are no official statistics, but taking
Shanghai as an example, four news IBD stores opened in the
past year, including Trek's concept store, Giant's 400
square-meter mega store, GR Bike's Italian Bike showroom,
and "Labici," specializing in Italian products. 
The same story has been evident in other cities too. 
Meanwhile, there are a growing number of biking activities
and many people have begun to rethink the role of the bike,
seeing it more and more as a leisure sport.  We can imagine
that if this trend continues, a premium market can be
expected.

    About Shanghai International Exhibition Co., Ltd.
(SIEC) 

    Shanghai International Exhibition Co., Ltd. (SIEC) is
jointly invested by Shanghai World Expo (Group) Co., Ltd.
and the Council for the Promotion of International Trade,
Shanghai.  The SIEC was founded on July 1st, 1984 with the
approval of the Ministry of Foreign Trade & Economic
Cooperation and the People's Government of Shanghai
Municipality. 

    The SIEC is a full member of Union des Foires
Internationales (UFI).  The SIEC has held 500 international
exhibitions of various themes and sizes.  It also has
successfully held a number of solo exhibitions at national
level. 

    "AUTO SHANGHAI," "SHANGHAITEX,"
"CHINA CYCLE," "FASHION SHANGHAI,"
"ELE/PT COMM CHINA" are among the first eight
exhibitions approved excellent by THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE
OF SHANGHAI CONVENTIONAL & EXHIBITION INDUSTRIES.

    For more information, please contact:

     Kevin Zhou
     Project Manager
     Tel:     [phone]
     Fax:     [phone]
     Website: http://www.siec-ccpit.com      

SOURCE  Shanghai International Exhibition Co., Ltd.