C-star from 18 to 20 May 2016 in Shanghai:

Dynamic Future Platform with Excellent Ancillary Programme specifically geared to Retailers

Power package comprising trade fair, retail conference, ERDA award presentation and Retail Tour

From 18 to 20 May 2016 C-star, Shanghai´s International Trade Fair for Solutions and Trends all about Retail, will take place for the second time. Its first edition was already a resounding success with 162 exhibitors from 23 countries and over 5,700 international trade visitors. Even today, four months before the start of the second event, C-star boasts very good reservation figures again with such renowned exhibitors as Barthelmess, Ganter, Geosheen, Hans Boodt, Lago by Group Omega, Megaman, Schlegel, SI Retail and Tegometall already on board.

The very positive response from the outset can be attributed not only to the fact that C-star is precisely tailored to the needs of the Chinese retail market but also that this trade fair is supported by an excellent ancillary programme.

One highlight is the C-star Retail Conference, the premiere of which was already very well received by the top decision-makers in the industry. The Trade Fair as well as the Conference is organised by Messe Düsseldorf (Shanghai) Co Ltd with the support of Mall China (Chinese shopping mall association) and the China Commerce Association of General Merchandise (CCAGM). Acting as a chairman again will be Dr. Helmut Merkel, former Arcandor chairman and Karstadt CEO who is also an Asian retail market insider. Co-chairman in 2016 will be Victor Guo, president of Mall China and vice chairman of the Asia Shopping Center Council.

This year’s C-star Retail Conference comes under the motto “Future of Retail – Local Heroes with Global Potential”. While big players often suffer from economic crises or respond to developments in the industry rather sluggishly, local business actors prove time and again how agile they are. Embedded and grown up in a specific environment they give proof of the fact that their business models work very well over and over again, especially because they know their customers’ needs so well. Even in times of crisis they are in a position to adapt and respond to market trends well. The C-star Conference addresses the issues by asking: “What can we learn from these local heroes? Which values make them so unique?”

The exciting panel of speakers includes such experienced CEOs and retail professionals as Victor Guo (President MALLCHINA, Beijing);  Allesandra Cama (Managing Director GFK, Asia); Weilong Li (CEO, President and founder of “Happy Family”);  Kurt JOX (Managing Director, Home Furniture Market, PORTA Service & Beratungs GmbH);  Heinz Hackl (CEO René LEZARD); Horst Jostock and Bernhard Huber (Managing Directors  ALETE GmbH);  Nikolaus, Soukup (Managing Director Hornbach, Hong Kong); Kai Moewes (Managing Director RICOSTA Shoes); Dieter Brandes (Managing Director Konsequent-Einfach and former ALDI manager); Ingo Marten, Product Manager T-Systems, “Digital Division”;  Rüdiger Gollücke (CEO Myfairnet AG); Klaus Striebich (Managing Director ECE Projectmanagment GmbH & Co KG and President of the German Shopping Mall Association). The complete conference programme can be accessed at www.c-star-expo.com.

Another highlight in the ancillary programme for C-star is the presentation of the coveted EuroShop Retail Design Awards 2016 (ERDA). For what is already the ninth time now these awards for the world’s best retail store concepts will be presented by Messe Düsseldorf jointly with the EHI Retail Institute. In the “EuroShop years“ (2017 being the next date) the ceremony takes place in Düsseldorf, in the years in-between the C-star in Shanghai provides the ideal setting for this renowned industry award. During C-star 2016 the award will be presented as part of a festive ceremony at the Kempinski Hotel Pudong on the evening of 18 May.

All those not only wishing to benefit in Shanghai from the innovative trends and solutions of the international exhibitors and the insider knowledge shared at the C-star Conference but also to immerse themselves in the Chinese retail world can take the C-star Retail Tour. This study trip is offered by the EHI Retail Institute in cooperation with Messe Düsseldorf. Featuring on the agenda are visits to leading shopping centres and retail stores. The store visits are performed on 17 May, the day before C-star. The study trip itinerary includes the stores ShangXia, Bosideng and 10 Corso Como as well as the Reel Mall, to name but four destinations. Admission to C-star as well as participation in the ancillary conference programme and the presentation of the EuroShop Retail Design Awards form part of this EHI Tour. For details on the programme and participation fees contact: Marieke Bossek, Messe Duesseldorf (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., marieke.bossek@mds.cn, Tel.: 0086-21-6169 8309.

The next EuroShop will be held in Düsseldorf from 5 to 9 March 2017. The last EuroShop in 2014 attracted 109,496 trade visitors from around 100 countries who wanted to learn all about the facets, innovations and trends in the global retail world, presented by 2,229 exhibitors from 56 nations.

Press contacts:

Dr. Cornelia Jokisch, Tanja Karl (Assistant)

Tel. +49 (0)211 - 4560 998 (or 999)

Fax +49 (0) 211 4560 8548

Email:JokischC@messe-duesseldorf.de
KarlT@messe-duesseldorf.de

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