The sheer scale, challenge of providing guarantees for smooth operations, and the monumental undertaking of this fair reached unprecedented new heights. In the face of these challenges, the China National Convention Center did all the work in painstaking detail and created a superb “Chinese service” experience.
Exterior of the China National Convention Center.
Largest Exhibition Area
This fair spanned a total exhibition area of 110,000 square meters, including 33,000 square meters of indoor exhibition area and 70,000 square meters of outdoor exhibition area in the Olympic Park. This is the largest scale event held in the China National Convention Center. In particular, the outdoor exhibition hall covered a massive space, saw a large flow of people, and involved many organizations that needed to be coordinated, together with many critical tasks, which put forward stricter requirements, higher standards, and greater challenges for ensuring good services.
Behind the smooth operation of 30 outdoor pavilions and 446 booths were the untiring efforts of the dedicated staff. Besides, the temporary venue facilities brought a slew of new challenges to the provision of safe operation.
For instance, staff members need to assist the main venue units in the laying of the electrical wiring. According to the electricity demand of different sites, they placed matching distribution boxes according to regulations, and monitored and recorded the safety of construction and electricity use during the entire construction process. Due to the huge electricity demand and consumption in the outdoor area, it required nearly 5,000 meters of wiring ducts and as many as 750 electrical boxes. During the preparation and exhibition period, the security personnel of the China National Convention Center conducted on-site safety inspections every day of the wiring spanning a distance of over 19 kilometers.
Providing Friendly Services
The China National Convention Center spared no efforts throughout the whole process to ensure the highest quality of service.
The center provided services for more than 130 offline activities for the CIFTIS. During this fair, the service staff rearranged the venue 422 times, with the highest amount being 108 times in a single day. In the venue, tables and chairs were placed in accordance with the epidemic prevention requirements, and ventilation was guaranteed for 30 minutes before, during, and after a meeting. The lobby of the China National Convention Center Hotel set up a temporary express access section. The pens used by the guests at the reception desk were disinfected after each use. Rooms were disinfected once every four hours and kept well ventilated.
The comprehensive exhibition area of the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services.
The Chen Baoming Innovation Studio designed artful catering settings for the fair. While adhering to the concept of efficiency, it also incorporated elements of traditional Chinese culture, showing the world the unique Chinese style. In addition, the restaurant offered non-contact services, a fusion of Chinese and Western innovative catering, well-designed breakfast package, customized snacks with the logo of CIFTIS, and smaller dishes, which not only avoid wastage of food, but also let everyone eat comfortably.
There were seven integrated service posts in the outdoor areas, where smiling volunteers stood ready to help the audience. This fair was the first time that the China National Convention Center organized and sourced volunteers from different walks of life. Volunteers received online training on the basic information of the fair, work content, and etiquette to ensure that they be proficient in performing their duties.
On the evening of September 4, after receiving the urgent task of establishing a team of interpreters for the fair on very short notice, the China National Convention Center swiftly formed a 40-person team within two hours, and after a half-day of training and half-day for selection, the team started working. In just four days, about 6,000 people were provided with guides and interpretation services.
Helping Sustainable Development
Garbage sorting is a new trend. The China National Convention Center set up 462 sorted trash bins in the outdoor exhibition sections and nine dining areas. Detailed signs were posted on the top to facilitate the sorting. More than 200 cleaners, supervisors, and managers carried out part-time garbage sorting guides, assisting visitors to the fair in allocating garbage through correct disposal method. During the fair, the cleaning work in the outdoor area adhered to the same standards as the main venue, and the clean and tidy environment was praised by visitors and exhibitors.
The China National Convention Center practiced thrift in all aspects of processing, operation, and management, and reduced kitchen waste by reducing raw material procurement and increasing the utilization of food materials. In the dining area, epidemic prevention tips could be seen everywhere, and posters about the empty plate campaign reminded employees and guests to eat sparingly. In the 1,600-square-meter dining area at the basement level of the China National Convention Center, the staff guided the guests who finished their meals to sort waste properly, and sorted the service plates handed by the guests quickly and accurately.
Innovation and Intelligence
As the first national-level large-scale international fair under the background of epidemic prevention and control, network infrastructure operation and network security guarantees are important for the smooth operation of the fair. The China National Convention Center updated and upgraded its equipment and facilities, and went all out to meet the needs of exhibitors and visitors for networking services. It formulated plans for six kinds of emergencies, and installed 15,000 meters of optical fiber, 110 network lines, and 4500 Mb network bandwidth in just 43 days.
Besides, the venue actively carried out cross-border cooperation, explored new OAO (online and offline) exhibition models through “cloud display,” “cloud forum,” and “cloud negotiation,” and successfully held an OAO exhibition service innovation forum during the fair. On September 8, 2020, creative catering services were released at the fair. The number of online viewers using the fair’s app reached 79,000.
The success of the 2020 CIFTIS has accumulated valuable experience for the resumption of the global convention and exhibition industry. As a service provider for high-end events, the China National Convention Center provided first-class services to the fair at its finest and highest standards, and successfully created a model for epidemic prevention and control at large events.
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DENG XI is a senior marketing manager of the China National Convention Center.
