Global exhibition organizers put on a show of confidence(2)

When Bauma China, modeled on an event in Germany held for some six decades, held its first show in the nation back in 2002, it had fewer than 500 exhibitors and covered only 40,000 sq m. In 2014, it had more than 3,000 exhibitors and the area exceeded 300,000 sq m.

Bauma China is also drawing rising interest from companies around the globe. Israel sent a delegation of 50 people to Bauma China 2014 to scout for new equipment.

Bauma China 2014 also had delegations from South America, Africa and Russia.

"We have growth rates here that you will never see in another country. Even though ... China's economic growth has decreased from 10 percent annually during the previous decade to about 7 percent now, the market size is still huge and the country's economy very dynamic," Dittrich said.

All of the company's shows in China are profitable. Even though Messe Munchen dropped less-profitable shows elsewhere, it has yet to do so in China.

The target for sales growth outside Germany last year was 50 percent, and China was a major force in realizing this goal despite its economic slowdown.

What are the secrets of the success of the German exhibition giant?

Patience, for one thing. Investment in the first two or three sessions of any show is crucial. In the third session, the company should break even. It usually needs five to six years to make a show profitable.

Bauma China was an exception, having made a profit during its second session. It has less competition in the market than, say, electronics shows.

"We are not interested in short-term profit. There are some organizers who only hold shows. Some listed companies move in very quickly, invest a lot, and they move out as quickly as they moved in if the show is not profitable. Our company is developing long-term partnerships in a sustainable way," he said.

Another contributor to Messe Munchen's success was seeking domestic partners. "There is not any country where we went to organize shows without national partners," said Dittrich.

But the crucial thing, Dittrich said, is being innovative. Since China is at the leading edge in terms of online communication－far ahead of Germany, for example－the company introduced an online "match-making" system for Bauma China 2014 so that exhibitors and visitors could easily find the information or partners they needed.

The company is also looking for new topics that are not yet in its portfolio, such as music, etc.

And it is looking for new sites for its shows. It would like to be more active in western China. Chongqing, for example, has 28 million habitants and also modern venues. For Germans, the city is offers good prospects.

"Our goal is to be very innovative, which means we need to adjust the concept constantly, to pick up new trends and to create new services for customers, which gives us a lot of faith in the market," he said.