Music China ends on a positive note with participants praising the fair for its quality

02 novembre 2020

The curtains have fallen on Music China which received
tremendous acclaim from exhibitors and visitors alike for its show
quality and unparalleled face-to-face meeting opportunities
available from 28 – 31 October 2020. The overall atmosphere of the
2020 edition was brimming with positivity as business
opportunities and music appreciation filled the halls of the
Shanghai New International Expo Centre. Despite the pandemic and
travel restrictions, the show drew 81,761 visitors to source from a
total of 1,106 exhibitors across 11 halls in more than 100,000 sqm of
exhibition space.

At the conclusion of the 19th edition, Ms Judy Cheung, Deputy General
Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, was pleased to see how Music
China has helped industry players amid the pandemic, commenting: “It’s
always exciting to see the show launched, particularly during this very
unusual year. I feel immensely proud of the visitor and exhibitor
attendance and their high level of show satisfaction. This edition marks
another milestone that we’ve achieved. After many years of development
and dedication to the MI industry, Music China has built up its reputation
as a leading industry platform. The presence of many world renowned
brands and highly relevant buyers are evidence of this. We will continue
to provide an all-round trade fair in terms of cultivating business
relationships, brand building, information exchange and education. I look
forward to meeting our MI friends in 2021 to celebrate the 20th
anniversary of the show.”

As the last major trade fair of its kind this year, industry stakeholders
were grateful that Music China provided a high quality business platform
that enabled them to conduct business activities and gather updates on
the latest technological advancements. The show attracted a strong
presence from a number of international brand names who wanted to
benefit from this effective platform. One such high profile brand was
Yamaha, who brought a lot of new products to the show, especially in
the field of electronic pianos and saxophones. Mr Yutaka Okada,
Assistant General Manager, Marketing Division of Yamaha Music &
Electronics (China) Co Ltd explained that, just like previous years, his
booth had been very busy during the show. He said: “Music China has
definitely helped us re-establish business connections for the second
half of the year after the outbreak of the pandemic. It’s an important
event for us as we are able to showcase the charm of our brand and new
products to trade visitors. As a manufacturer, the show offers us the best
opportunity to demonstrate our brand and convey the value of our
products.”

Positioned as Asia’s largest trade fair for musical instruments, C
Bechstein, a top-notch German piano manufacturer, also agrees that
Music China plays an essential role in bringing musical instrument
enthusiasts, dealers and brands together in one place. At the show, they
highlighted their grand piano global limited edition, which is a co-branded
product between C Bechstein and the famous German silverware
manufacturer, Robbe & Berking. Only two pieces are produced, and one
of them was displayed on-site.

Mr Cai Na, Vice President of C Bechstein Trading (Shanghai) Co Ltd
shared that the brand places great importance on the Asian market,
especially China and that’s why the company established a subsidiary in
the country, aiming to focus more on the Chinese market. He said: “We
hope that more Chinese people can become familiar with our products
and our brand. Music China is an important annual event for MI industry
peers. It’s just like the Olympics for athletes. The fair brings together
manufacturers and industry players from all over China and the world.
Whether it be trade, product display, or information exchange, Music
China has a highly positive influence on the industry and its
development.”

Despite the fact that many overseas exhibitors were unable to travel to
Shanghai, their brands were represented at the fair by their local
Chinese sales offices. Additionally, international pavilions representing
the Czech Republic, Germany and North Korea were present. Visitors
felt this year’s show continued to provide excellent variety both in terms
of products, and the quality of suppliers, with a wide selection from
different countries and regions making it a worthwhile trip.

Some buyers travelled long distances to source products, including first
time buyer, Mr Cao Fudong, Sales Manager of Xiangbaishu Musical
Instrument Retailer, and the Head of Orchestra and Electroacoustic
Band from Inner Mongolia: “I first heard about Music China a long time
ago. After visiting the show this year, I feel that it was indeed worthy of a
long trip. Despite the pandemic, the industry's major brands are all
basically here. The product categories are broad and the quality is high.
The overall flow of visitors and exhibitors is exceptional. I came mainly to
purchase a batch of pianos for the students at our instrument retail shop
and I have already placed an order with a famous Japanese brand. As
an international platform, Music China provides a great deal of
convenience for those of us who travel long distances to purchase
instruments. It enables us to get in touch with the world's leading brands
within a short period of time, which is very convenient.”

In addition to trade buyers, the show also attracted representatives from
the education sector. Mr Song Ren, a teacher from the Shanghai Zhiyin
Art Academy, has visited the show almost every year since its debut. He
noted: “Music China is the most well-known musical instrument event in
China, so it’s a must-attend event for us. As a teacher of the music
academy, I have brought many students to visit the fair, especially the
Violin Hall. I have placed orders for several violins at the show already. I
found that the products’ quality to cost performance is very high. The
range of products is also very wide, allowing me to purchase instruments
from both the upstream and the downstream. I can always find what I
want, and will definitely come again next year.”

Business leaders seize opportunities amid an economic crisis

Prospects for the Asian markets, including China look bright, with the
region offering upbeat business growth resulting from rising demand for
musical instruments and increasing purchasing power.

Reflecting on the relative strength of the Asian markets was Ms Joey
Huang, Chief Brand Officer of Gioco Corporation: “The Southeast Asian
market is now a very important segment of the entire musical instrument
market. The Chinese market in particular, with its population and
consumption power, is seeing an increasing appetite for cultural pursuits
and high quality products. At the same time, buyers also value the
spiritual aspects of music. Therefore, we are very optimistic about the
Chinese market, which is our first priority. Then comes Southeast Asian
markets such as Thailand, which is also seeing its cultural industry take
off.”

Compared with other product categories, the musical instruments
segment seems to have demonstrated its resilience amid the economic
downturn. Mr Hu Hongjie, Regional Sales Director of Pearl River Piano
Art Studio explained: “The Asian and Chinese musical instrument
markets still have a lot of room to grow because compared with Europe,
the US and Japan, the possession rate of pianos across China is still
relatively low. Other favourable conditions include the country’s two-child
policy, and the overall income level of Chinese parents, which is
improving. Consumers are also more willing to invest in their children’s
musical ability. In addition, it’s expected that music will become a
compulsory exam subject across the country in 2022, which is good
news for the entire musical instrument market. Overall, I think the market
prospects are positive and its resistance is stronger than other
industries. It is unlikely to be affected by the pandemic.”

Fringe programme offers education and entertainment

Music China is well known for its fringe programme where participants
come together for education and to enjoy unrivalled networking
opportunities. This year’s show offered a wide range of practical
seminars and training courses catering for different product sectors and
professional experience.

Several noteworthy events highlighting Music China’s core themes
included the NAMM CMIA Industry Forum. Mr Wang Shicheng,
President of the China Musical Instrument Association was one of the
highly-respected speakers. His forum themed “A breakthrough amid
epidemic, boost confidence” was packed with audience members who
wanted to gain more perspectives from industry leaders. He remarked:
“Our forum is demand-oriented, integrating various issues facing the
musical instrument industry and its development. Every year, we discuss
the most pressing issues concerning consumers and musical instrument
industry peers. Through giving updated industry information and data, I
want to reflect the status of the Chinese musical instrument market and
give a birds-eye overview to the audience. Under this same theme, our
guest speakers from different industry occupations use practical
examples and conduct deep industry analysis.”

Another distinguished event was the NAMM University Courses, where
the seminar room was filled with audience members who wanted to hear
about opportunities and strategies for music retailers amid the pandemic.
Mr Zhao Enfeng, Deputy Secretary General of the Music Education
Committee of the Guangdong Musicians Association showed his
admiration for the course. He explained: “My main purpose of visiting
Music China is to attend the forums and seminars. As the show is
China’s largest trade fair for the industry and the industry’s trendsetter, it
is appropriate that the fringe events are also hosted by industry
heavyweights. This is a valuable learning opportunity for me.”

Running in parallel with the educational events was a choice of live
outdoor performances encompassing a variety of different musical
genres. Whether it be the live product demonstration at booths organised
by the exhibitors, or the “Never-ending Music - Live shows” where a
series of exciting performances took place at the outdoor stage, musical
talent was on full display as musicians showcased their skills and
entertained large crowds. This included a performance by the popular
band “Shang High Voltage”, as well as two standalone performances
organised by Yamaha: “Duo Impromptu” and “Guitar Shredding”.
Throughout the four-day show, participants were in high spirits both
inside and outside the exhibition halls, which were filled with music, joy
and positive energy.

Additionally, participants were able to enjoy a safe and worry-free trade
fair as additional hygiene measures were strictly implemented, including
face recognition, entry checkpoints to verify health declaration codes and
temperature scans. All participants are required to submit travel records
and wear a face mask at all times.

The 20th anniversary edition of Music China will be held from 13 – 16
October 2021. The show is organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, the
China Musical Instruments Association and Shanghai Intex Exhibition Co
Ltd.

For more details, visit www.musikmesse-china.com or email the
show’s organisers at music@hongkong.messefrankfurt.com. More press
information and photographic material can be found here: https://musicchina.
hk.messefrankfurt.com/shanghai/en/press/press-releases.html.

Other shows under the Musikmesse brand include:

NAMM Musikmesse Russia
16 – 18 September 2021, Moscow

Musikmesse
22 – 24 October 2021, Frankfurt

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