SHANGHAI, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Companies from all over the world are actively signing up for the 3rd China International Import Expo (CIIE) via non-contact means amid the epidemic, according to the CIIE bureau.
The CIIE bureau, located inside the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), was closed to the public due to the novel coronavirus epidemic, so the preparation for the 3rd CIIE was conducted via non-contact means such as phone calls, video calls and emails.
Lu Peng, with the Exhibition Department of the National Convention and Exhibition Center (Shanghai), said the department has resumed work since Jan. 31, and completed a large number of data collection, coordination and communication work to ensure exhibitors can get early-bird discounts.
"We are able to work from anywhere, even those isolated at home can actively participate in the preparation. Through WeChat, e-mail, telephone, video conference and other forms, we have communicated with nearly 300 enterprises so far," Lu said, adding that the exhibition department also held an online meeting addressing the concerns of the exhibitors over the epidemic.
The exhibition department also drafted a letter to all exhibitors and interested enterprises, to strengthen their confidence in participating in the exhibition. Dozens of foreign enterprises successfully signed contracts in early February, covering an area of thousands of square meters.
In order to ensure 24-hour bilingual consulting services for businesses, the customer service hotline has increased staffing, while strengthening epidemic control measures, including distributing masks, disinfection, and increasing the spaces between seats, according to Li Renqing with the IT department of the organizer.
Statistics showed that from Jan. 16 to Feb. 19, the number of hotline calls totaled 1,351, nearly double compared to the same period last year.
Statistics showed that by the end of January, more than 1,000 exhibitors worldwide had signed up to attend the 3rd CIIE, with more than half of the exhibition area occupied.
The CIIE is the first dedicated import exhibition in the world and has seen fruitful outcomes in the past two expos. The 3rd CIIE is scheduled to take place in Shanghai from Nov. 5 to 10.
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