Rising fitness enthusiasm makes the market increasingly important for the industry
More visitors, more brands, more international participants - FIBO CHINA impressively underlined its importance as Asia's leading fitness trade show in 2017. 20,589 visitors from 47 countries - 80 percent of them trade visitors - gathered information at the fourth edition of the show in Shanghai in September. This means that FIBO CHINA has increased its appeal by 28 percent within one year. On the exhibitor side, FIBO CHINA also increased: for the first time, 131 companies with 300 brands used the trade show, which is organized by Reed Exhibitions Germany and Reed Sinopharm Exhibitions. One in four exhibitors traveled from abroad - an increase of five percentage points.
Big names in the fitness industry
"These impressive figures confirm our internationalization strategy," says Hans-Joachim Erbel, CEO of FIBO organizer Reed Exhibitions Deutschland. "With our industry know-how and the market knowledge of our Chinese partners, we have developed FIBO CHINA into a platform that brings together manufacturers, retailers and users in an exciting growth market in a perfect fit." An assessment shared by the fitness industry: Numerous international players used FIBO CHINA 2017 to do business with high-profile Chinese buyers - including equipment manufacturers such as Technogym, Matrix, Life Fitness, Core Health, Precor, Hoist, Intenza, SportsArt and DHZ Fitness, major EMS providers like miha bodytec, JustFit, VisionBody and XBody as well as international nutrition specialists such as BioTech USA, Glanbia, Ironmaxx, Labrada, MyProtein, Prosupps, Nutrition Depot, Nutrend and QNT.
80 percent trade visitors
There are currently around 30,000 fitness clubs in China and the interest of their operators, managers and trainers in FIBO CHINA was great: 80 percent of the trade show visitors came from the fitness industry - an increase of five percentage points compared to the previous year. "This means that in its fourth year we can justifiably say that FIBO CHINA is firmly established as a platform for the fitness industry," says FIBO Director Silke Frank. "Not only in China, but throughout Asia." 1,131 visitors traveled to China from abroad - mainly from Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, India, but also from Saudi Arabia, Russia and the USA.
2018: Growth in new terrain
Due to increasing popularity, the show will move to a larger venue next year: the Shanghai National Expo and Congress Center. "The show is growing so fast that we have literally outgrown the current venue," says Hu Kunping, managing director of Reed Sinopharm Exhibitions, linking the move to the prospect of FIBO CHINA growing significantly next year. "We are very confident that we can realize a 40 percent growth. The space available in 2018 is already 70 percent occupied due to the excellent rebooking."
FIBO CHINA 2018 will be held again in Shanghai from August 16 to 18, then at the National Expo and Congress Center.
Source: Bodymedia
Image Source: FIBO China
Published on: 26 September 2017