The 91st China Food and Drinks Fair wrapped up at Chongqing National Expo Center, Chongqing Municipality on October 15.

During three and a half days, the fair attracted more than 260,000 visitors, and the sum of business transactions reached 20.3 billion yuan ($3.3 billion). With an exhibition area of 204,000 square meters, the fair took place across 13 large indoor exhibition halls and a multifunctional hall between the north and south exhibition areas. It attracted 3,000 exhibitors from both home and abroad.

The exhibition area of foreign exhibitors was approximately 43,000 square meters, accounting for 21.6 percent of the total exhibition area, an increase of about four percent compared with the same time last year, showing the fair’s increasing international influence.

The cumulative attendances were more than 260,000 visitors, including 140,000 professionals. More than 122,000 visitors arrived on the first day, reaching a record high. The sum of business transactions reached 20.3 billion yuan, of which, 10.12 billion yuan was for liquor, 8.29 billion yuan for food and beverages, 1.01 billion yuan for condiments, and 835 million yuan for food machinery and packaging. In addition, during this exhibition, over 20 events were organized covering different scales and different industries, surpassing last year’s fair.

Yang Chenggang, vice-general manager of the China National Sugar & Alcohol Group Cooperation said that from the exhibition area perspective, the area allocated for wines and international spirits, food machinery and packaging was with the same as the previous session. But the food and beverage and condiments exhibition area doubled over the same period. This reflected the development trend of the industry as well as the development level of Chongqing’s food and beverage and condiments industries to some extent.

By Huang Pei

Edited by Brian Salter