LET-a CeMAT ASIA event 2020: Innovative Technologies in Response to Increasing Logistics Demand in the Post-pandemic Era

2020-8-27

LET-a CeMAT ASIA event 2020, a leading exhibition of logistics equipment industry in South China grandly opened on August 27 in Zone B of China Import & Export Complex (Guangzhou) with the theme of “Intelligent Manufacturing, Smart Logistics – Embrace the New Era of Intelligent Logistics”. The show covered over 30,000 sqm and attracted more than 400 international well-known equipment manufacturers, integrators and providers of intelligent logistics equipment solutions. The concurrent shows were Guangzhou International Cold Chain Logistics Exhibition 2020, Guangzhou International Logistics and Supply Chain Exhibition 2020 and IMS-a CeMAT ASIA event 2020 & IIoT Show 2020. To satisfy visitors’ personalized logistics procurement requirements, the shows connected companies from upstream and downstream of the supply chain including smart production, warehousing, distribution and retailing. Moreover, it offered exhibitors and buyers a negotiation platform from every link of the industrial chain. The three-day event expected to attract about 40,000 professional visitors.

After the acquisition in 2018, LET-a CeMAT ASIA event with 10-year history has been restructured by Hannover Milano Fairs Shanghai and made a victorious debut in 2019. This year’s event has specifically gained full support from nearly a hundred of domestic and overseas associations and chambers of commerce including the China Association of Warehousing and Distribution (CAWD), Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics (IML), China Chamber of International Commerce Guangzhou (CCOIC Guangzhou) and Guangdong Manufacturers Association (GMA).

Nearly 200 domestic and foreign guests attended the opening ceremony, including officials of Guangzhou Municipal People's Government, China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing and Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society, consulates in Guangzhou and representatives of industrial associations and chambers of commerce. Krister Sandvoss, Global Director of Industries & Logistics New Exhibitions Development of Deutsche Messe AG, sent a special video message.

Gao Yuyue, Deputy Secretary-General of Guangzhou Municipal People's Government, fully affirmed the important role played by LET-a CeMAT ASIA event as a “wind indicator” for the development of logistics industry in South China in past decades, and as a platform of comprehensive communication and trade cooperation for manufacturing industry in South China in pursuit of automation, intelligence and IT application in logistics. He emphasized that Guangzhou Municipal Government has always been committed to promoting application of the latest concepts including advanced manufacturing, IoT and Industry 4.0 to production, opening up business opportunities for logistics and technology manufacturers at home and abroad.

Even though COVID-19 has been plaguing a majority of sectors at varying degrees in the service industry, demands boosted under such special scenarios have brought another spring for logistics industry, remarked Gary Liu, Chairman of Hannover Milano Best Exhibitions (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd. He added that quarantine at home has made many residents choose online shopping and delivery service, which will be normalized in the post-pandemic era, and thus turns into a rigid demand. When productions are resumed totally, factories and end customers will have an increasing demand of logistics service. This necessitates advanced technologies and solutions in the post-pandemic era.

Statistics reveal that the scale of subscribers to instant delivery service in China has registered a continued annual growth, from 124 million in 2014 to 422 million in 2019, which is estimated to reach 506 million in 2020. Thanks to the vigorous momentum for instant delivery service in China, giants such as JD, Cainiao, Suning, SF Express and Meituan have entered the field of unmanned delivery one after another. Gary praised the unmanned delivery as a future trend of the logistics industry. As industrial upgrading is imminent and pressing, more bets should be placed on supporting intelligent equipment. During this exhibition, domestic and foreign companies of great reputation have presented their latest smart equipment and technologies, including KEYENCE, Swisslog, TÜV SÜD, NORD Power Transmission, Cascade, Sumitomo, ABM, WERMA, XCMG, Guozi Robotics, Hangcha Group, Re Founder, Bito Robotics, Hikrobot, FHI, Wap, TOYO Automation, Mushiny, Quicktron, OKAGV Robotics, Dorosin, MARSHELL, HC Robotics, Aipower, Kengic, HO JIN Logistic & Machinery, VisionNav Robotics, Duoendn, Enfon Robotics, CONINCO, Youli and GoldPeak Logistic. Furthermore, Waysim, Eoslift and Sinosort launched their latest products, interpreting the latest trend in the logistics industry.

During three days, LET-a CeMAT ASIA event attracted a large number of personal buyers and group purchasers. They flooded to the venue, household names including Toyota, Garden Food, Opple Light, Midea Kitchen Machines, Pearl River Beer, Goldlion, Danone, Suofeiya Group, JD Logistics, SF Express DHL Supply Chain, Hoifu, Jabil, CR Sanjiu, Best Group, LAF, GAC Logistics and Xiamen Airlines.

Apart from noted exhibitors with appealing exhibits, what draws attention from the public is the schedule of various concurrent activities. To cope with the negative impact on business sales and purchasing due to COVID-19 since the beginning of 2020, organizers initiated a novel “Business Matchmaking” for the purpose of bridging exhibitors and buyers, and seamlessly connecting pre-exhibition, exhibition and post-exhibition. Collection of information on purchasing requirements and solutions in the pre-exhibition phase helps organizers coordinate supply and demand among participants more precisely, so as to shore up the participating rate and efficiency.

To better tap Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as a bond for further integrating multinational resources, “BRI International Smart Logistics Development Summit 2020” is organized for the first time and participated by 300 attendees. Under the theme of “Going Global and Bringing In: New Opportunities for Smart Logistics”, this summit invited more than 10 representatives from embassies and consulate-generals located in Guangzhou from BRI core countries, together with experts and scholars. The guests explore topics of national policies, high-tech logistics technologies, logistics commerce and industrial capital, in the spirit of striving for mutual-beneficial cooperation in BRI countries and business community, with the goal of achieving inter-connectivity and sharing for win-win result.

Based in South China, radiating across the nation, LET-a CeMAT ASIA event 2020 on 27-29 August is an event co-organized by Deutsche Messe AG, Hannover Milano Fairs Shanghai and Hannover Milano Best Exhibitions (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd.