On August 1^st, a media briefing for the 2021 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) was held at the newly completed CIFTIS venues in Shougang Park, a former industrial site that has attracted wide attention for its innovative spatial exhibition pattern and charming landscape.

At the briefing, Sun Yao, Director of the Beijing Investment Promotion Service Center and Deputy Director-General of the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau, Liang Jie, Deputy General Manager of the Shougang Group, and Wei Minggan, Assistant to the General Manager of the North Star Group and Chairman of Capital Exhibition (Group) Co., Ltd., respectively introduced the preparations for CIFTIS, planning and construction of venues in Shougang Park, and progress of CIFTIS tasks undertaken by Capital Exhibition (Group) Co., Ltd.

Holding CIFTIS in Beijing is an important measure for promoting the high-level opening-up of China, and CIFTIS has become an important platform for displaying “Chinese services”. Different from previous sessions, starting this year, “double venues” will be built for CIFTIS in the National Convention Center and Shougang Park for the first time in the event’s history, reflecting the innovative development and driving role of CIFTIS. Liang Jie, Deputy General Manager of the Shougang Group, said that phased results have been achieved in the planning, engineering construction and operation guarantee of the CIFTIS venues in Shougang Park. In the planning, design and construction of the venues, full consideration was given to the functional needs of CIFTIS and the characteristics of Shougang Park, and the deep integration of a modern exhibition with an industrial style and the natural landscape was achieved, representing an innovation in the development of the exhibition industry.

In an interview with reporters, Sun Yao, Director of the Beijing Investment Promotion Service Center and Deputy Director-General of the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau, said, “In addition to the National Convention Center, this is the first CIFTIS to use Shougang Park, a new landmark of capital city revival, as a venue for themed exhibitions and professional forums. The industrial landscape and Olympic elements are combined to form a unique cluster of CIFTIS venues.” Wei Minggan, Assistant to the General Manager of the North Star Group and Chairman of Capital Exhibition Group Co., Ltd., said, “As a special exhibition hall, Shougang Park will present the unique style of combining the industrial relics of Shougang with modern elements, which is one of the highlights of this CIFTIS and something we are really looking forward to.” Zou Luwei from the Culture Industry Development Guidance Division of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee Publicity Department said, “This year, CIFTIS will merge culture and tourism into cultural tourism services for the first time. The offline exhibition is located in the beautiful venues No. 1, 2 and 3 in Shougang Park. It is hoped that by relying on the unique venues and environmental features of Shougang Park, this exhibition can facilitate the signing and implementation of more projects.”

It has been reported that Shougang Park has created a unique new exhibition spatial pattern. The design of the new venues is in line with international standards, draws upon characteristic exhibition modes such as Greenwich Town and Davos Town, gives full play to the site characteristics of Shougang Park, complies with international trends and creates a cluster-style site, forming a landscape structure of “one axis, four corridors and multiple points”. The “one axis” is the central green corridor displaying the industrial relics of Shougang; the “four corridors” are the four ecological corridors linking Qunming Lake from east to west; and the “multiple points” are multiple featured theme parks and public service nodes that serve as extensions and complements to the indoor exhibition hall.

In the construction of the CIFTIS venues, Shougang Park shows the unique charm of cultural and historical context. By providing diverse spaces and services such as open green spaces, urban SHOW venue, flexible squares and shared areas, it highlights the cultural exchange atmosphere that is suitable for the rules of trade in services, and shapes a unique brand for CIFTIS in Beijing. The area where the venues are concentrated makes full use of the industrial relics, harmonizes with them and endows them with new functions. After structural reinforcement and interior renovation, many industrial structures such as the former cutting tool workshop, repair workshop, de-dusting workshop and pump room have been transformed into supporting service facilities such as meeting rooms, VIP rooms and catering and office rooms. The combination of industrial relics with the culture of trade in services gives visitors a better tour experience, allowing them to sense the continuation of the industrial landscape and historical context in an immersive exhibition space.

The CIFTIS venues in Shougang Park emphasize low carbon, environmental protection and natural harmony. Under the principles of “repeated utilization, comprehensive utilization and sustainable utilization”, 15 exhibition venues have been built in Shougang Park, covering an area of about 94,000 m². The main structures of the venues are designed with steel in order to better facilitate the later recycling of materials. The open exhibition hall adopts an assembled tensile membrane structure to avoid any alteration to the original floor. The membrane roof design makes full use of natural lighting and minimizes energy consumption to provide service space for the fair. The 21 meeting rooms are distributed in 15 places in Shougang Park, among which nine have been transformed from industrial relics. Combined with the meeting and exhibition spaces of enterprises in the park, the meeting rooms not only achieve comprehensive utilization but also involve more enterprises in the field of trade in services.

The 2021 CIFTIS is a great event for China, and it is a great honor for Shougang and its employees to participate in such an event. The Group promoted the venue construction tasks with “the highest standards, strongest deployment, most stringent measures, most optimal state and best effects”. The process from site selection in early 2021 to the formulation of the stability design scheme in April, to the completion of the exhibition hall and meeting room transformation in Shougang Park at the end of July fully demonstrates Shougang’s construction speed, manufacturing capacity and service level.