The 2026 Global Exhibition CEO Shanghai Summit kicked off at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) on June 16, bringing together more than 300 top industry executives from around the world to discuss value creation, AI innovation, and global partnerships.
Exhibitions are widely regarded as a barometer of urban economic vitality. At the summit, a local official highlighted Shanghai's achievements in 2025, when the city hosted 978 exhibitions covering a total area of 19.34 million square meters. More than 80 percent of the exhibition space was devoted to international events. The official also noted that Shanghai will complete revisions to its exhibition industry rules this year to further enhance full-cycle event services.
Industry leaders pointed to several major trends shaping the sector. China's exhibition industry is prioritizing quality over scale alone, while AI and immersive interactive experiences are expected to play a central role in the next generation of exhibitions.
Recognized as one of the world's three leading exhibition industry summits, the event also featured discussions on sports IP consumption, cultural exhibitions, corporate expansion into overseas markets, and integrated culture-tourism-sports-expo development.
