After its successful premiere in 2015, C-star, Shanghai’s International Trade Fair for Solutions and Trends all about Retail, will return to the Shanghai New International Expo Centre from May 18 – 20, 2016. Next year, C-star will occupy two halls in order to give exhibitors more space to present their latest innovations and solutions for the retail sector.
C-star will again be organized by Messe Düsseldorf Shanghai, a subsidiary of Messe Düsseldorf located in Germany. Messe Düsseldorf is renowned as the organizer of EuroShop (The World’s Leading Retail Trade Fair) held every three years in Düsseldorf, Germany,
C-star 2016 will be clearly divided into four segments:
- Store fitting and design, lighting, refrigeration
- Retail technology
- Visual merchandising and marketing
- Stand design
Hall N5 will be dedicated to POP marketing, expo and event marketing, store fitting and design with a strong focus on non-food retailing, while hall N4 will complete the exhibition range with food technology and equipment, energy management and retail technology.
A new special area will be the Retail Technology Village. Modeled after the EuroCIS trade fair in Düsseldorf, the Village is a response to the fast-growing demand for state-of-the-art technology especially for the retail market, ranging from innovative payment systems and sophisticated security systems to complex IT solutions.
Another highlight will be the Designer Village where leading design agencies will present their latest holistic solutions in visual merchandising and store design.
An extensive supporting program will complement the C-star 2016 exhibits. One of the show’s highlights will be the C-star Retail Conference, a 2-day event with international retail experts sharing their exclusive industry insights. The conference topic will be “Local Heroes” and will focus on innovative retail concepts of both Chinese and international industry players. With conference chairman Prof. Dr. Helmut Merkel – former CEO of Karstadt, former President of the International Group of Department Stores and Chairman of Eurasia – as well as the strong support of associations such as the EHI Retail Institute and Mall China, the C-star Retail Conference will be an important meeting point of retail industry leaders.
Another highlight will be the annual EuroShop Retail Design Award (ERDA) ceremony. At this renowned gala event, the best store concepts worldwide are rewarded by the EHI Retail Institute together with Messe Düsseldorf.
The C-star experience will be rounded off by the in-hall C-star Forum and the C-star Retail Tour. At the Forum, leading international industry peers will talk about their experiences with the Chinese retail market. The 1-day C-star Retail Tour will visit Shanghai’s most innovative and sophisticated shopping malls.
Despite a recent slowdown in the Chinese economy, China’s retail market is still of key importance to international retailers and has kept posting impressive year over year growth numbers of more than 10% throughout 2014 and 2015. Innovative retail solutions are in high demand on the Chinese market. With its clear structure and a unique show concept, C-star is geared to the needs of the Chinese retail sector. C-star’s international exhibitor structure will meet the demand of Chinese retailers for innovative solutions and products from international suppliers. With the extensive ancillary program, the trade fair will also cater to international retailers looking for information about the Chinese retail market.
The first staging of C-star in 2015 attracted 162 exhibitors from 23 countries and more than 5,700 trade visitors.
For further information on visiting or exhibiting at C-star 2016, contact Messe Düsseldorf North America, 150 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 2920, Chicago, IL 60601. Telephone: (312) 781-5180; Fax: (312) 781-5188; or visit our web site www.mdna.com.