The Surging Wave of Going Global: Historic Opportunities for Exhibition Services
Against the backdrop of profound global adjustments, Chinese enterprises are experiencing an unprecedented wave of overseas expansion. "Go global or get left behind" has become the consensus among an increasing number of companies. As numerous enterprises sell their products and services overseas, and even establish supply chains, build factories, and open retail stores abroad, the demand for overseas market expansion services has grown exponentially.
Meanwhile, Chinese enterprises' overseas expansion has evolved from simple product showcases to comprehensive global brand promotion, presenting diversified and specialized development trends. To serve these diverse and complex overseas expansion needs, exhibition activities, as vital bridges and catalysts connecting global markets, are playing an irreplaceable role. Exhibition platforms and event marketing serve not only as important windows for enterprises to expand overseas markets but also as critical infrastructure for building global business networks.
According to data from the China Association for Exhibition Economy's "2024 Annual China Exhibition Data Statistical Report," China's overseas self-organized exhibitions (including cooperative exhibitions) increased from 190 events in 2023 to 216 events in 2024, with exhibition space growing from 977,200 square meters to 1,325,300 square meters, showing robust growth momentum. The Asian market dominates (accounting for 46%), with RCEP member countries in Southeast Asia showing the most significant growth, while emerging markets such as the Middle East and Latin America demonstrate strong upward momentum.
Three Major Models of Exhibition Overseas Expansion
With the diversified development of overseas expansion needs, based on different participating entities and organizational forms, current exhibition overseas expansion primarily presents three models:
First Category: Participating in Foreign Brand Exhibition Events. Enterprises or institutions participate as exhibitors or visitors in established foreign brand exhibitions and conferences. This is the earliest, most traditional, and most common overseas expansion approach.
Second Category: Domestic Organizers Hosting Exhibitions and Conferences Abroad. Domestic exhibition companies, industry associations, or government institutions directly organize exhibitions and conferences overseas, bringing together domestic and international enterprises to participate. This is currently the fastest-growing form of exhibition overseas expansion.
Third Category: Enterprises Independently Hosting Activities Abroad. As Chinese enterprises relocate channels, supply chains, and even production bases overseas, with the deepening development of overseas business, more and more companies choose to independently or jointly host partner meetings, new product launches, and other events targeting distributors, channel partners, dealers, and agents abroad. These activities are more precise and highly personalized.
Regardless of which overseas expansion model is adopted, professional digital platforms are essential for support. By connecting organizers, exhibitors, visitors, and other participants, these platforms provide efficient and convenient digital service experiences for the entire exhibition ecosystem. This represents the core value of exhibition digitalization for overseas expansion.
Eight Key Digital Challenges Facing Exhibition Overseas Expansion
However, regardless of the overseas expansion model adopted, domestic organizers and enterprises inevitably face a series of digital challenges when organizing exhibitions and conferences abroad:
Multi-language System Construction Challenges: Building registration systems and official websites supporting different languages involves complex engineering including interface translation and user habit adaptation.
Data Compliance and Security Challenges: Must comply with personal information protection regulations in different countries and regions, such as GDPR and CCPA, involving full-process compliance in data collection, storage, and processing.
Multi-currency Payment Complexity: Requires integration with mainstream payment methods in different countries and regions, handling currency conversion, fee optimization, and other issues.
Time Zone Coordination Difficulties: Cross-timezone event organization requires precise time management and reminder mechanisms to avoid participant confusion due to time differences.
Lack of International Technical Team Support: Absence of professional teams familiar with overseas technical environments and user habits makes it difficult to provide timely and effective technical support.
Network Access Speed and Accessibility: Domestic servers struggle to provide smooth access experiences for overseas users, affecting user engagement.
Communication Service Localization: International SMS and email services must comply with local carrier regulations, involving complex registration and integration processes.
Social Media Sharing Adaptation: Overseas clients primarily rely on LinkedIn, Facebook, X, and other platforms, while domestic clients depend on the WeChat ecosystem, requiring adaptation of social sharing functions for both international and domestic audiences.
31EVENT: One-Stop International Digital Exhibition Solution
Facing these challenges, 31EVENT leverages deep technical expertise and international practical experience to build a comprehensive international digital exhibition cloud platform, providing one-stop solutions for Chinese enterprises and organizers expanding overseas.
Six Core International Capabilities
Multi-language Localization Capability: Supports four language versions including Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English, and Portuguese. This unique multi-language capability not only meets domestic organizers' needs for rapid overseas exhibition market deployment but also provides an ideal cooperation platform for overseas organizers entering the Chinese market.
International User Experience and Compliance Assurance: The platform deeply adapts to registration and login habits of users from different countries, providing personalized information collection field settings. Through CDN global acceleration technology, it ensures international users' access experience while strictly adhering to ISO27000 security certification standards and meeting cross-border data compliance requirements. Country and region lists align with UN standards, with abbreviations following conventional usage in respective countries.
Multi-currency Payment Management Capability: Provides flexible combinations of multiple currencies and payment methods, maximizing cost reduction for users, supporting full-process management of registration fees and ticket collection and refunds for international exhibitions.
Intelligent Time Zone and Measurement Conversion: The system automatically switches to local time display based on user IP addresses, provides official time reminder functions, and supports seamless switching between international and regional measurement units.
International Communication Service Integration: Deep integration with international SMS and email platforms, supporting international mobile verification codes, email verification codes, and password login functions. The registration system intelligently validates postal codes, area codes, and mobile phone number formats for different regions.
Flexible International Deployment Solutions: Supports deployment to mainstream international cloud servers specified by clients, ensuring secure and efficient system operation globally.
Professional International Service Team: Provides multi-language user manuals and tutorials, equipped with bilingual Chinese-English customer service teams, representing 31EVENT's unique international human resource advantage.
Success Stories: Digital Platforms Empowering Enterprise Overseas Expansion
Through years of deep cultivation in the exhibition overseas expansion service field, 31EVENT has successfully provided digital support for numerous exhibition overseas expansion users, with service footprints spanning Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and many other countries and regions. Services cover various organizer types including government institutions, industry associations, exhibition companies, and multinational enterprises, supporting diverse activity formats from large international exhibitions and high-end forums to corporate launches and partner networking events, with service formats including online and hybrid online-offline approaches. The following cases fully demonstrate the important role of digital platforms in facilitating exhibition overseas expansion:
Informa-APLF Asia Pacific Leather Fair: The Asia Pacific Leather Fair organized by Informa Hong Kong is renowned as a top-tier leather exhibition. Sampleroom serves as the leather fair's global online resource platform, providing year-round online promotion solutions and trade negotiations for industry suppliers and buyers. 31EVENT specially deployed overseas (Singapore) servers for sampleroom and provided domestic access acceleration services. Based on overseas user habits, it optimized international language ordering and added international social platform external links, ensuring high-speed stable global access and improving platform service quality. Additionally, it provided multi-language frontend user interfaces and backend management systems, in-site communication, and instant video conferencing tools, providing strong support for international organizers and international users.
Macao International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF) and Other Macao (Three Exhibitions): 31EVENT provided online exhibition services for the 26th Macao International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF) 2021, 2021 Macao International Brand Franchise Exhibition, and 2021 Portuguese-speaking Countries Products and Services Exhibition PLPEX (Macao) (collectively called "Macao Three Exhibitions"), building a four-language online platform in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English, and Portuguese, serving domestic, overseas, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan merchants. The platform supported multiple exhibitions and IP exhibition operations while accumulating data. MIF, founded in 1996, was Macao's first exhibition to receive UFI (Global Association of the Exhibition Industry) certification. Through years of careful cultivation, this exhibition has grown into Macao's annual highly influential international economic and trade event, with continuously improving marketization, professionalization levels, and brand effects. PLPEX builds promotion, display, communication, and exchange platforms for local enterprises, Mainland China, Portuguese-speaking countries, "Belt and Road" countries and regions, and enterprises worldwide, helping enterprises "go out" and "bring in" to broaden development space.
Hua & Hua Million Creative Awards (Singapore): On December 6-7, 2024, the 11th Hua & Hua Million Creative Awards and China-Singapore Entrepreneurs Forum, exclusively sponsored by Yanzhiwu, was held at Marina Bay Sands Singapore. The event, themed "Enterprise Overseas Expansion" and "2 Billion Population Market Strategy," attracted over 500 entrepreneurs from China and Singapore. 31EVENT provided comprehensive digital support services for this event, supporting registration, Singapore dollar ticket payments, seat selection after purchase, and on-site electronic check-in with identity verification.
2025 International Industrial Cooperation Conference (Singapore): To warmly celebrate the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Singapore and fully integrate high-quality resources from international and domestic industrial and supply chains, continuously building high-quality platforms for multilateral and bilateral private economic and trade exchanges, on the morning of May 15, under the careful guidance of China's Ministry of Commerce and special support from Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry, the "2025 International Industrial Cooperation Conference" jointly organized by China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products and Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry was grandly launched at Marina Bay Sands Convention and Exhibition Centre Singapore. 31EVENT provided comprehensive digital support services for the successful hosting of this conference, covering multiple key aspects including diverse website construction, convenient conference registration, and precise participant data management, ensuring the successful hosting of the conference.
Indonesia International Coal and Energy Industry Expo: On May 15, 2025, the 2025 Indonesia International Coal and Energy Industry Expo opened at Jakarta International Expo. The exhibition, supported by Indonesia's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, was jointly organized by multiple authoritative institutions from China and Indonesia. 31EVENT's digital exhibition platform services, building multi-language websites and registration systems, provided strong technical support for the exhibition's international operations.
2025 Asia-Pacific Textile and Apparel Supply Chain Expo (APTEXPO 2025): As the first international industry event in the Asia-Pacific region focusing on supply chain ecosystem construction, scheduled for November 19-21 in Singapore, jointly undertaken by MP Singapore Pte Ltd and China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Textile Industry Sub-Council, and partnering with Singapore's business brand innovation platform FUTR to create a global overseas expansion service platform integrating trade investment, innovation collaboration, and strategic think tanks. 31EVENT provides full-scenario digital services for the exhibition, supporting seamless cross-border participation processes through multi-language registration systems while providing strategic decision support for partner institutions through data tracking and analysis, comprehensively facilitating the Asia-Pacific textile industry's climb toward the high end of the value chain.
4th "Focus on Lion City, Eyes on the World" China-Singapore Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum: On October 11, 2022, the 4th "Focus on Lion City, Eyes on the World" China-Singapore Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum was held in Singapore, with approximately 300 representatives from Chinese and Singaporean government institutions and business enterprises participating. The forum, themed "Unite to Win Challenges, Work Together to Create the Future," aimed to implement cooperation consensus between the two countries in digital economy and other fields. 31EVENT provided digital services for this forum, creating a fully functional micro-site for participants to quickly access forum information while building an efficient registration system to simplify the registration process and enhance participation experience, helping the forum proceed smoothly.
Global Marine Institutes Leaders Meeting—2024 Hong Kong-Macao Marine High-level Forum: From April 20-22, 2024, the Global Marine Institutes Leaders Meeting—2024 Hong Kong-Macao Marine High-level Forum was grandly held in Hong Kong. Leung Chun-ying, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, attended related activities. Deng Yunfeng, Vice Governor of Shandong Province, and Chan Kwok-ki, Chief Secretary for Administration of the Hong Kong SAR Government, attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. This forum attracted 12 academicians from Hong Kong, Macao, and the mainland, along with heads of relevant universities and research institutes, experts and scholars, and industry representatives from marine industry and financial fields—over 150 people gathered to discuss cooperation. 31EVENT, with its professional capabilities, carefully created an information-rich micro-site for this forum, integrating diverse content including conference schedules and guest introductions for participants' convenient access anytime. It also built a convenient registration system, simplifying the registration process and improving participation efficiency, providing strong digital support for the forum's successful hosting.
Chinese Enterprises (Singapore) Association 24th Anniversary Celebration: On February 10, 2023, the Chinese Enterprises (Singapore) Association welcomed the important moment of its 24th anniversary and successfully held a grand celebration. Important guests including Liu Yanling, Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Culture, Community and Youth of Singapore, Sun Haiyan, Chinese Ambassador to Singapore, Zhong Manying, Economic and Commercial Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Singapore, and Tan Zhiyong, President of the Chinese Enterprises (Singapore) Association attended, along with 500 people from government institutions of both countries, friendly business associations, member enterprise representatives, friends from all walks of life, and news media. To ensure smooth event development, 31EVENT created dedicated websites and micro-sites, with websites comprehensively displaying detailed information about event background, agenda, and guests, while micro-sites provided convenient mobile formats for participants to access key information anytime, anywhere. Meanwhile, 31EVENT's efficient registration system simplified the registration process—participants could complete registration with just a few steps, greatly enhancing participation experience and providing solid digital support for the successful hosting of the celebration.
"Green Lion City" Concert: On February 9, 2023, Lulian International Bank partnered with Singapore Chinese Orchestra to successfully host the "Green Lion City" concert on February 8 at Singapore Conference Hall, presenting audiences with a spectacular Chinese music cultural feast. To enhance audience experience and strengthen event interactivity, 31EVENT provided comprehensive digital services for this concert, carefully creating a fully functional micro-site for event promotion and information access. The micro-site featured beautiful interface design, not only detailing basic information such as the concert's theme, time, and location but also incorporating introductions to Singapore Chinese Orchestra and highlights of performance repertoire, allowing audiences to gain in-depth understanding of event details in advance.
China-Southeast Asia Economic and Financial Forum: In November 2022, the inaugural China-Southeast Asia Economic and Financial Forum was held in Singapore, with speakers from policy, business, and academic fields from Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Singapore, and Indonesia engaging in in-depth discussions on regional and global economic policies, industry and financial market trends. 31EVENT created official websites, micro-sites, and English registration systems. Official websites gathered comprehensive information, micro-sites provided convenient mobile experiences, and English registration systems operated efficiently and smoothly. With digital assistance, the forum proceeded smoothly, effectively promoting exchange and cooperation between China and Southeast Asia in the financial field.
Trip.com Group X Saudi 2023 Workshop: From January 3-5, 2023, Trip.com Group and Saudi Tourism Authority held a workshop in Singapore. This event brought together key stakeholders from both sides to explore new pathways for tourism development and promotion. To ensure smooth development of this international event and broad audience reach, 31EVENT provided important digital services, focusing on creating English websites and efficient registration systems.
Digital Empowerment: Building a New Ecosystem for Exhibition Overseas Expansion
Under the new global landscape, digitalization has become the inevitable path for exhibition overseas expansion. Facing complex and changing international environments and increasingly strict compliance requirements, traditional manual operation models can no longer meet the professional needs of modern exhibitions. 31EVENT not only focuses on technical platform construction but is also committed to building a global exhibition digitalization ecosystem network. Through establishing strategic partnerships with Hong Kong, Singapore, ASEAN, Central and Eastern Europe, and other global destinations, it provides more comprehensive digital infrastructure support for Chinese enterprises and organizers expanding overseas, promoting overall improvement in cross-regional exhibition digitalization levels.
With the deepening advancement of the "Belt and Road" Initiative and the continued release of RCEP dividends, under this historic opportunity, as more Chinese enterprises join the overseas expansion ranks, digital exhibition services will become an important bridge connecting China with the world. 31EVENT will continue to deepen its international layout, contributing more strength to the global development of China's exhibition industry and enterprise overseas expansion strategies.
