ANTWERP, April 6 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Antwerp-based diamond companies will be making their presence felt again in the important Chinese market, with 12 diamond firms exhibiting in the Jewelry Shanghai 2010 show. The April 9-12 event, which takes place at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, follows the Hong Kong International Show earlier last month. The Antwerp pavilion will be in Hall 4.
A unique feature of the show is a specially organised match-making event consisting of a series of speed-dating sessions designed to connect the Belgian diamantaires with potential Chinese buyers. This exciting new event will take place on April 11th, in the afternoon. In a compact time frame, the top 30 prospective diamond trading companies will have the opportunity to develop new synergies with Antwerp diamond companies.
In addition, the Shanghai show will be the second dedicated website created by AWDC featuring information about Belgian exhibitors. The site gives visitors an interactive map of the trade fair showing them the exact location of all the Antwerp firms. With a simple click, they are taken to a specific page that provides all kinds of information on the exhibiting firm. Via the application "Schedule a meeting with an Antwerp exhibitor" visitors can easily connect with a specific company and request an appointment in just a click.
The dedicated website on the previous Hong Kong fair immediately proved to be a success and didn't go unnoticed. The organisers of the Shanghai Fair applaud the initiative and explicitly requested to provide them with promotional material on this AWDC service for their official China Jewelry website. The interactive and dedicated site can be accessed at: http://www.antwerpdp.com.
"The Chinese market is the most dynamic in the world and it is vital that Belgian companies create business links there," said AWDC CEO Freddy J. Hanard. "That is the reason why AWDC is investing great efforts in establishing and reinforcing links to Chinese buyers. Recent research has shown that that the Chinese jewellery market is set to be worth around $38 billion annually by the end of this decade," Hanard added.
Mainland China and Hong Kong account for 25 percent of Belgium's exports of polished gems. China imported $250.8 million worth of polished diamonds from Belgium in 2009, while a further $1.85 billion was exported to Hong Kong, with most of the gems eventually being sold in China.
About AWDC
The Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) is the official representative of the Belgian diamond sector, charged with managing the relationship between the diamond sector and government, and promoting the interests of the Belgian diamond industry worldwide. The Antwerp diamond sector generates 34,000 jobs in direct and indirect employment. Total diamond imports and exports represented 45 billion USD in 2008. 80% of the rough diamonds and 50% of the polished diamonds worldwide pass through Antwerp.
Media Contact:
Broadway Exhibition Service
Rachel Chung
Email: broex@prontochina.com
