Review of the 2021 China (Xiamen) International Cross-Border E-commerce Expo
To promote the development of the cross-border e-commerce industry in Xiamen and surrounding areas, attract high-quality cross-border e-commerce enterprises to establish operations in Xiamen, and support Xiamen's investment promotion and the transformation and upgrading of its traditional industries, the Chamber of International Commerce Xiamen co-organized the inaugural Xiamen International Cross-Border E-commerce Industry Exhibition (hereinafter referred to as the "Xiamen Cross-Border E-commerce Expo") in Xiamen from June 11 to 13, 2021. With support and efforts from all parties involved, the Expo was a complete success.
The exhibition achieved significant results. According to incomplete statistics, the total foot traffic reached 62,281 visits, intended orders exceeded RMB 600 million, and cumulative media exposure reached 12.53 million. The event garnered widespread attention from various sectors of society. Nearly 30 central, provincial, and municipal media outlets, including CCTV, People.cn, China News Service, the Xuexi Qiangguo Platform, Guangming Online, International Business Daily, Fujian Daily, Xiamen Daily, and Xiamen Television, reported on the exhibition.
As a major exhibition project for Xiamen, the inaugural Xiamen Cross-Border E-commerce Expo was committed to establishing itself as a benchmark event in the industry, demonstrating the following highlights:
1. Comprehensive Industry Chain Coverage, A Blockbuster Success from its Inception:
The exhibition spanned over 30,000 square meters. Catering to the product selection characteristics of the cross-border industry, it featured five thematic exhibition areas (Platform Zone, Factory Supplier Zone, Service Provider Zone, International Zone & Comprehensive Pilot Zone, Industrial Park Zone) and ten product selection zones. It brought together over 600 high-quality foreign trade supplier enterprises from provinces such as Fujian, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Anhui, 150 service providers, and 30 mainstream cross-border e-commerce platforms. Exhibiting cross-border categories exceeded 300, covering over 500,000 SKUs, encompassing the entire cross-border e-commerce industrial chain. It provided a grand对接 event for over 50,000 core cross-border sellers and high-quality suppliers. Business institutions from more than 20 countries, including South Korea, Canada, Japan, and the Philippines, participated in group delegations, bringing numerous internationally popular products. Despite being its first edition, the venue was densely packed with continuous high energy, attracting a steady stream of sellers from all over the country coming to Xiamen for product selection. With its high-quality factory exhibitors and comprehensive representation of cross-border industrial clusters, it was praised by many professionals as a top-tier cross-border e-commerce exhibition and became a focal point for the national cross-border e-commerce industry in June. It was acclaimed by media like International Business Daily as an 'industry blockbuster'.
2. Active Participation by Leading Platforms, Supporting Events Setting Industry Trends:
The exhibition gathered 30 renowned leading cross-border e-commerce platforms from China and abroad, including Alibaba, Made-in-China.com, Hongkong UKI, Amazon USA, eBay, Wish, Newegg, Poland's Allegro, Philippines' MonMall, India's EVERTRADE, Mexico's LINIO, and other mainstream platforms from various countries and regions, all having booths at the event. These leading platforms co-organized forums and promotion sessions with the organizing committee, featuring numerous industry experts and hot topics, leading industry development trends. During the exhibition, 22 important supporting events were held, including the China Xiamen Cross-Border E-commerce Industry Development Summit Forum, ALIBABA Cross-Border E-commerce Summit Forum, Amazon Global Opening Seller Development Summit, eBay Brand Seller Summit, TikTok Special Session, and Wal-Mart North America New Opportunities session. These events featured 117 speakers and attracted over 20,000 attendees. Experts and entrepreneurs engaged in full and in-depth discussions on the development trends of the cross-border e-commerce industry, proposing solutions and innovation requirements from various perspectives such as product selection, creating 'hot-sellers', cross-border logistics, and intellectual property, all aimed at resolving doubts, addressing pain points for the industry, and helping Chinese cross-border e-commerce practitioners connect with the world and serve globally. These events were widely welcomed by the broad cross-border e-commerce community. At the first heavyweight supporting event—the China Xiamen Cross-Border E-commerce Industry Development Summit Forum—insightful shares were given by Fulbright Scholar and Professor Lu Menglong of the University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Gao Jie (General Manager of Alibaba International Station, Fujian & Shantou Region), Lin Wenkui (General Manager of Sales, eBay Greater China), and Chen Gang (Executive Vice President, Newegg China). The Red Dot Design Museum, jointly with Xiaomi's Grain Barn, launched a thematic forum on 'Design-Driven Innovation and Development in Cross-Border E-commerce', exploring brand strategies for cross-border enterprises based on design.
The exhibition attracted group delegations from nearly 30 cities including Henan, Wuhan, Changchun, and Suzhou, represented by their Commerce Bureaus, CCPIT branches, and business associations. Furthermore, over 20 overseas missions stationed in China from countries including Thailand, the Philippines, Japan, Russia, India, Colombia, Indonesia, South Korea, and Canada participated. Institutions like the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) Xiamen Office, Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia, and the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service organized one-on-one matchmaking events during the Expo. The Global Quality Products Procurement Matchmaking Session, held concurrently, actively promoted interaction and cooperation among exhibiting enterprises. Throughout the event, participating companies extensively explored business opportunities and sought avenues for win-win development. According to incomplete statistics, the intended order value at the Xiamen Cross-Border E-commerce Expo exceeded RMB 600 million. Although the event coincided with a resurgence of COVID-19 cases in Guangdong, which affected the travel plans of some participants from the Guangdong cross-border e-commerce community, the exhibition still demonstrated overwhelming popularity, attracting over 60,000 professional visits.
