IBCTF & KBC 2009 Show Building Sector as Immune to Recession

Any savvy supplier related to the building trade, especially building materials and fixtures for kitchens and baths, would not have passed up the 14th International Building & Construction Trade Fair, held alongside the Kitchen & Bath China, from May 25 to 28, 2009 at the SNIEC (Shanghai New International Expo Centre). After all, China is commonly agreed to be the world's biggest consumer market, with an emerging upper-middle class ready to enjoy life's finer things. And building homes and other structures is virtually as vital and necessary as putting food on tables; while outfitting kitchens and bathrooms is equal in importance to wiring homes or putting on shirt-and-tie for any Chinese yuppie in a white-collar occupation. So backed by the potential of a population of 1.3 billion, the twin shows is well-recognized as an entry to the huge Greater Chinese market for building materials, kitchen ware and bathroom fittings, or the bedrock of an industry that is often the index of economic health.

While exports out of China have, like many other exporters, taken a hit from the global downturn, its stock market has performed remarkably well in recent months. And its official economic stimulus programs in the form of subsidizing home appliance buys have even triggered rush orders for electronic goods placed with Taiwanese suppliers, significant enough to cause rehiring laid off workers in Taiwan. Plus talks are ongoing to sign agreements that will further liberalize financial business exchanges between Taiwan and China. More positive news lies in the IMF (International Momentary Fund)'s April report saying that China is expected to maintain its economy growth at 6.5% for 2009, sharply in contrast to a 1.3% decline in the global economy. Such buoyant development and outlook simply suggest that China is holding its own amid the recession, and will continue to build more homes and commercial structures to accommodate its growth.

Recession-proof

The show organizer, Worldwide Exhibition Services Co., Ltd. of China, claims that an estimated 3,500 local and overseas exhibitors from Italy, Spain, Sweden, the U.K., France, Germany, the U.S., Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong showcased products to about 61,901 visitors at the twin shows.

Apparently building shelters and accommodations for various human activities is as economic-independent as keeping people fed. And the numbers speak for themselves: The exhibitors at the twin shows this year succeeded in generating business valued at approximately RMB9.099 billion (around US$1.2248 billion at RMB1: US$0.1467), sharply up from RMB8.045 billion (US$1.18 billion) posted last year.

Full Range

To describe the Kitchen & Bath China 2009 as offering a full range of products would be an understatement. A builder of a ski chalet in Austria would have found exactly what he needs to outfit such a structure in a northern climate, as would a builder of an apartment block in Penang, which is bathed in 30-plus Centigrade year-round. In fact, a builder of a factory in rural Texas also could have sourced everything he needs, including even water treatment facilities. Literally everything for residential and commercial structures was available, including green technology equipment. A sampling of the displayed products included electrical household appliances, kitchen facilities, freezing cabinets, sanitary ware, unit bathrooms, sauna equipment, whirlpool and relaxation systems, heat exchangers, radiating panels, fireplaces, electrical floor heating systems, heat recovery and recycling equipment, thermal insulating materials, lightning and fire extinguishers, energy-saving technology, solar heating systems, central air-conditioning systems, pumps, valves, building materials, lighting, hardware, tools, fittings and accessories, etc.

Building material buyers, contractors, architects and other professionals would see the International Building & Construction Trade Fair 2009 as the complement to the Kitchen & Bath China 2009, since the former offers, as analogy, materials to put the bodywork on a car, while the latter is where one finds upholstery, stereo system, instrument panel and lighting for the interior. However both fairs offered equivalent wide range, with the building materials displayed including all kinds of covering for walls, ceilings, floors, roofs etc., in an assortment of green, glass, mineral, plastic, stone, ceramic, wooden varieties, as well as noise insulation, household lighting, lighting accessories, sunshades, and woodworking machinery. In other words, a building project manager, architect and materials buyer could have visited this show and left with everything needed for covering a home, high rise condo, factory, warehouse or just about any other type of structure.

Branded Suppliers

The importance of the Kitchen & Bath China 2009 was shown by the presence of the four major suppliers of branded bathroom fittings from Taiwan, including Lih Chern Metallic Enterprise Co., Ltd. (LCM), HoCheng Corporation (HCG), Shengtai Brassware Co., Ltd. (Justime) and Global Union Industrial Corporation (Danze and Gerber). Besides turning out world-caliber products, some of them are the pillars of the sanitary ware industry in Taiwan, with HCG as widely-recognized for bathroom fixtures on the island as Kleenex is for paper tissues in N. America. Foreign buyers reportedly highly regard the production capability and considerate services offered by such Taiwanese suppliers, who have managed to stay competitive globally.

Delivering quality information to help buyers navigate through a sea of exhibitors is a key task in any trade show. And CENS, the seasoned multi-media export-oriented publisher based in Taipei, was on the job. Known for being a bridge between global buyers and Taiwanese suppliers as well as a trade promoter, CENS circulated its publications at the twin show. "CENS Hardware," the magazine containing all kinds of Taiwan-based suppliers of bath, kitchen products as well as hardware, attracted many buyers who had a notion of the world-class exporters of such items on the island. And any prudent buyer knows that having a CENS magazine can save hours of browsing in person at a trade fair.

The staging of the 15th International Building & Construction Trade Fare and Kitchen & Bath China is scheduled for May 2010, at the same expo center in Shanghai.