Fira de Barcelona’s foreign activities are gaining presence in Asia with the holding of Alimentaria Chengdú and Smart City Expo Hangzhou at the start of the course. These two new shows will help to open up the Asian market to Catalan and Spanish companies from the technology and food sectors, in addition to the activity of the two venues in the cities of Nanchang and Xuzhou which Fira operates in the country.

Fira de Barcelona is reinforcing its commitment to China as a strategic market and this last four-month period will organise two new shows. These are Alimentaria Chengdu, which takes place on 19 and 20 September; and Smart City Expo Hangzhou, from 25 to 29 September.

The first Chinese edition of Alimentaria, Fira de Barcelona’s leading food and beverage show, which is jointly organised with Sichuan International Expo Group, will feature an exhibition area with 100 companies and associations presenting the latest innovations in food and beverage products and services, as well as an activity area with talks, presentations, showcookings and masterclasses. 

Highlights include Smart Taste Global Cook-Off, a competition between chefs with the participation of the pastry chef and influencer Adrián Ramírez; a masterclass on Spanish olive oils; and sessions to promote trade relations with China, with the presence of Acció, the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, the China Chamber of Commerce and the Foreign Office of Catalonia in Hong Kong, as well as Aragón Exterior, the internationalisation office of this community, the Mexican Chamber of Commerce in China and ProChile, the institution that promotes the export of Chilean goods and services, among others. 

Likewise, the Innovation Hub will be an exclusive B2B space where brands will showcase their latest launches, along with a networking area where they can establish professional contacts. Also, with the aim of promoting business opportunities, a programme of hosted buyers has been organised with the participation of 330 buyers with high decision-making capacity who will have a personalised agenda of meetings with the companies exhibiting at the show.   

Smart City in China

One week later, the first edition of Smart City Expo Hangzhou will take over from Smart City Shanghai, held last year. The show will focus on emerging cities in Asia and how technology can contribute to their sustainable development. In addition, up to 200 experts will take part in the congress, who will share strategies for environmental improvement and environmentally friendly initiatives, as well as technological innovations in ten areas, including artificial intelligence, green technology, energy transformation, urban renewal, and the liveable environment. 

The event will also have an exhibition area with more than 80 companies exhibiting a wide range of disruptive products and solutions in order to respond to current market challenges while making new business contacts. 

A key market

Fira de Barcelona’s activity in China took an important step forward three years ago when it began managing the Xuzhou and Nanchang exhibition centres through the Greenland – Fira joint venture, in conjunction with one of the leading Chinese and global construction companies. 

In 2024, these venues are already hosting more than 70 events, including the 21st China Livestock Exhibition at Nanchang Greenland International Expo Center, and the fourth International Intelligent Automobile and New Energy Exhibition, and the third International Construction and Machinery Show at the Xuzhou Greenland Huaihai International Expo Center.