CIIE Shanghai Events and Conferences to focus on six key topics

The 2026 China International Import Expo Shanghai Events and Conferences will take place from Nov 6 to 9. Included on the agenda are the Invest in China – Shanghai City Investment Promotion Conference, the Pudong Sub-Forum and the Hongqiao Sub-Forum, and about 100 sideline events.

This year's program will feature improvements across five areas.

First, the events will focus on six topics reflecting current economic and social priorities: opening-up, companies going global, trade innovation, green development, consumer potential, and artificial intelligence.

Second, the program has attracted prominent figures from government, business, academia, and research institutions. Participants include representatives of international organizations, government officials, Fortune Global 500 executives, academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and prominent scholars.

Third, the program will place greater emphasis on interaction, with a larger share of small seminars, closed-door meetings, and roundtables with no more than 50 participants.

The "CIIE Shanghai Events and Conferences" (进博会上海会议活动) mini-program will be further upgraded to allow guests to view schedules, initiate one-on-one business talks, and book meetings.

Fourth, organizers will release authoritative research findings, introduce industry rules and standards, and hold signing ceremonies for international cooperation projects.

Finally, each event will have a designated liaison officer, with multilingual interpretation, shuttle buses, VIP parking, and volunteer guides also available. After registration, CIIE badge holders will be able to attend sideline events without additional entry procedures.

The conference series is positioned as a platform for two-way engagement. Overseas exhibitors can hold in-depth discussions with Chinese industry professionals, while Chinese purchasing delegations can explore the rules and logic behind trade.

Since its launch in 2024, the series has attracted nearly 17,000 participants. CIIE exhibitors and buyers accounted for more than half of the total, while many participating organizations later went on to become CIIE exhibitors.