The 4th China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE), also known as the Hainan Expo, came to a close on April 18. When asked about how it was attending, overseas exhibitors in different sectors and from various countries said that they were "satisfied" with the 2024 Hainan Expo, while some were even “amazed” and “astonished” by it.

Cheers to New Clients with Irish Whiskey

2024 marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between China and Ireland, and the "green island" was invited as the country of honor at the 4th Hainan Expo. For Irish business representatives, especially those who, thanks to the Hainan Expo, were visiting Hainan or even China for the very first time, the Hainan Expo was a good opportunity to meet with new clients and develop potential cooperation in Chinese and Asia-Pacific markets.

(Photo: Ma Xiaoran/CICPE Online News Centre)

"Traditionally, North America and Europe are where our focus has been, but now the middle class in China and other Asian countries have made the market here more promising; on the other hand, most Chinese consumers still don't know much about Irish whiskey, and Hainan Expo provides us a platform to not only introduce our products, but also meet with many Chinese clients who are interested in promoting Irish whiskey, which is very important as a B2B company like us," Brian Mongan, the representative of Great Northern, an Irish distillery, shared his view on the business potential for Irish whiskey in China.

James Kiernan, the global sales director of Grace O'Malley, said that the scale and level of the Expo were amazing, and the whiskey he brought here was very popular with visitors. He would love to come back and is already looking forward to the next Hainan Expo. James also talked about the preferential policies and quality service that the foreign businesses can enjoy in the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP), stating that the FTP would work as a gateway for Irish whiskey and other commodities to enter the Chinese and Asian markets.

Vast Market Space for Food and Sweets

Brian McKiernan, the sales and marketing manager at The Plant-It Food Co., Ltd. had warm words to say about his time at the 4th Hainan Expo: "This has been an astonishing exhibition. The feedback on our products in the last few days has been outstanding, signaling to us that our next step should be expanding into China’s massive market."

"Sorry, but our steak samples have run out! See you all next year maybe!" Victor Rebonato let down visitors still lining up for a chance to try steak outside Uruguay's National Meat Institute booth in hall 3 gently. Rebonato, chef and owner of Cool Shop meat store and restaurant (with locations in Shanghai and Sanya),  was gratified by how well his restaurant’s meat went down at the Expo. "The promotion and marketing work we’ve done here so far was beyond my expectation——as for Sanya, what an amazing place to do business and live!"

(Photo : Gao Shanyue/CICPE Online News Centre)

Veronika Kotrcova is the technical manager of Prazská Cokoláda s.r.o., a bean -to-bar chocolate company based in Prague. "This is my first time attending the Hainan Expo, but our company also had a booth here last time." Veronika said there were quite a lot people came to her booth, where she explained the difference between bean -to-bar chocolate chocolate and industrial chocolate. She hopes to come back again for the Hainan Expo next year.

A Sparkling Future for Jewelry and Crafts 

Michal Abramcz, a Polish jeweler and the owner of Amber Abram, is happy to see amber’s increasing popularity among Chinese consumers, and felt very positive about this year’s Hainan Expo: "I know that the Hainan FTP is under construction and I am particularly excited about the opportunities that special customs operations will bring," he added.

（Photo: Michal Abramcz）

Asilbek, from Uzbekistan, greeted customers in fluent Mandarin at his booth in Hall 1. He prepared a collection of Uzbek textiles and crafts for his first time attending the Hainan Expo. Talking about his experience, Asilbek said that the number of people dropping by his booth steadily rose over the six days, and he ended up making some good deals. He stated that under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, large-scale international exhibitions like the Hainan Expo are more than a platform to launch commercial activities; they also facilitate cultural and social exchanges between the Chinese and Uzbek people, greatly enhancing contact, understanding, and mutual trust between the two.

In addition to “new friends,” a great many “old faces” returned to the Expo this year. CEO of the Italian shell jewelry manufacturing company Russo Cammel Marco Russo, whose brand has exhibited for four consecutive years and who has attended in person the past two years, is one of them. “Our story with Hainan began before the 1st Hainan Expo was even held!” Marco shared how he and his brand knew about Hainan Expo and why they attach great importance to it. 

"We displayed our brand’s products at a duty-free shop in Sanya to test the market, where we met with the organizers of the Hainan Expo’s organization. They were the ones who brought us onboard for the 1st Expo. Over the years, we've seen how the Expo has grown; this time, we bolstered our contacts by reaching out to more B2B customers, while many consumers showed their appreciation of our shell jewelry, which was satisfying," stated Russo. 

He also expressed his  optimism towards the Hainan FTP: "It is a good opportunity to make investments. We are now in discussions with duty-free enterprises, museums, and other interested parties. We also have a store in Sanya in the works. There's so much we can do here, and I think the future is very promising."