View of Shanghai Exhibit on Flooring Materials "Continuing Opportunity"
September 15 09:20:52, 2025
**"View of the Shanghai Flooring Exhibition: A Continuing Opportunity"**
*Date: April 6, 2015, 10:58 AM*
The industry is about life and death; business is even more so.
Thomas Piccetti
As March arrived, the sports stadium construction sector entered its peak exhibition season, much like the fitness industry. Whether it was artificial grass, precast tracks, PVC, silicone PU, or seating systems, these materials carried significant import and export value. Companies with a market scale of over 10 billion yuan were always the most sought-after participants at major exhibitions.
At the two-day flooring exhibition in Shanghai, the sports flooring section occupied just one of the 14 halls, covering approximately 10,000 square meters — about one-third of the commercial flooring area. Guo Chao mentioned that many exhibitors in the sports flooring field also participate in other major expos. The average investment ratio between the Expo and other events is 68:32, indicating that we are still in a critical position, particularly when it comes to safety and reliability.
Even though companies participated in the Shanghai Flooring Exhibition, top executives from leading sports flooring firms saw this event as a warm-up for foreign clients. Their real focus will be on the upcoming Fuzhou Expo in May 2016. This professional domestic trade show is expected to become their main battlefield, with potential growth of 5–10 times as favorable policies gradually take effect.
As a result, most companies sent vice presidents instead of CEOs. In such cases, 300 business cards might yield only 30 valid leads, while at the Expo, 150 out of 300 could be meaningful. The familiarity among attendees made it feel like a gathering of old friends. The vice presidents confirmed that the once-a-year physical expo remains the most trusted platform for promotion and visibility. However, bosses rarely attend due to time constraints — after all, time is the biggest cost for them.
So, should you attend every exhibition? Is it necessary to go alone? What can you really gain? And what might you miss if you don’t go? These questions have been on the minds of many industry leaders. Last year, during a visit to three companies, Guo Chao and I discussed these concerns, which many entrepreneurs had already raised.
A long-time exhibitor, who has participated in the expo for 11 years, told me that this year they plan to showcase their marketing strategy and new products. However, aside from hiring an interpreter to meet foreign clients and setting up a booth with a small product display, they struggle to know what else to convey to the audience.
Is it the German-style complaints about service? Are there areas where the show falls short? Or is it about the future of stadium construction? Some things seem obvious, but others remain unclear. What exactly should be said? The weather in Shanghai has been nice lately — no rain, right?
Exhibitors often appear uncertain. Their presence seems to be more about obligation than purpose.
Fifteen years ago, around 2001, the stadium construction industry was just beginning in China. Everything was changing rapidly. Entrepreneurs who dared to produce products found it hard to sell them. But when they finally made their first profit, they felt a deep sense of pride and accomplishment. At that time, the “Sports News†magazine was filled with bold statements and passionate discussions.
In 2008, the Olympic Games created a golden period for domestic stadium development. Many companies grew stronger and more established. As global conditions became more challenging, competition intensified, and the industry experienced fluctuations and adjustments, eventually moving toward more formalized development.
Looking back at the past few years, whether in China, Europe, or the U.S., the industry has seen rapid technological and economic changes. Exhibitors and distributors are engaged in fierce competition across different markets. While living in the present, the industry continues to chase innovation, new materials, and new technologies, following a pattern of fast-paced development.
Currently, the stadium construction industry is composed of multiple production lines and marketing channels, each distinct. It’s complex and sometimes feels isolated. Yet, there’s no sign of crisis. Ma Gejun, Sales Director of Dongxing Plastics, believes the domestic market is already large enough. A 10% share could be enough to justify international expansion.
Therefore, when facing foreign trade-oriented exhibitions like the Shanghai Flooring Show, companies often struggle to find a clear message. Hidden opportunities and risks lie beyond the factory gates.
Returning to the exhibition hall, entering and taking photos, sharing on WeChat, feeling like being surrounded by greenery, one senses the government's support for national fitness and the sports industry. The first profitable segment of sports products must be the venue construction industry — the key platform for tapping into future consumer demand.
Then, the question arises: which sub-sector in the stadium construction industry is actually making money? Will the artificial grass market, set to grow with 20,000 football schools in the next two years, be the first to benefit? In the short to medium term, it may maintain a similar share to other categories. Zhou Yunxiang, CEO of a leading stadium seating company, agrees with this view.
Economist Rostow, in his 1960 book *The Five Stages of Economic Growth*, suggested that when a society reaches a mature stage, the shift to high-level consumption becomes inevitable. At this point, the focus moves toward durable goods and services that enhance public welfare. China is now shifting toward consumer durables and service industries. Thus, before the era of mass high-consumption arrives, the stadium construction industry — a part of the durable goods sector — is likely to be the first to thrive.
How can companies renew themselves and extend their lifespan? This topic has been widely discussed in Chinese financial circles. Liu Chuanzhi, founder of Lenovo, wrote *Evergreen* before retiring, which sold millions and became a must-read for young entrepreneurs.
Yet, many of our exhibitors still ask: why do we come here? Do we hope to secure a prime spot in each exhibition? Are we looking for a chance to revive our businesses?
In *In Search of Excellence*, Tom Peters and Robert Waterman identified eight principles of successful management: action-oriented, customer-focused, innovative, people-driven, value-based, independent, disciplined, and tolerant.
Perhaps in China, the answer is simply to follow these 8 words and adapt to change. In a complex and ever-changing business world, change itself is a powerful philosophy.
As Stigler noted, history evolves slowly, and so does business. While technology can drive economic growth, the evolution of business ideas and ethics takes time.
By the end of this article, my mood was low. There was no clear logic or structure to make it coherent. But in that pavilion, what I saw and heard gave me a strange feeling — the era of branding is coming, and the price war is also approaching. These two parallel trends may soon collide in the 2015–2016 channel landscape.
Where, then, is the opportunity for revival? On May 8th, in Fuzhou, the 2015 Expo will mark the beginning of the story.