C3D Labs is strengthening its market position in the People’s Republic of China. This time, we showcased our products at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai. Our software solutions were presented at the Russian Export Center (REC) collective booth.
Fig. 1. Shanghai’s financial district
China International Import Expo (CIIE) is the largest annual international multi-industry trade fair in Shanghai. CIIE aims to promote free trade and globalization and open China’s market to the world. It is the 7th expo with an expanding international presence.
Fig. 2. China International Import Expo (CIIE) Building
The 2024 Expo offered seven areas covering food and agricultural products, automotive, intelligent industry & information technology, consumer goods, medical equipment and healthcare products, services, and innovation. The C3D Labs booth was located in the Intelligent Industry & Information Technology pavilion and attracted much attention.
Fig. 3. C3D Labs at the Russian Export Center (REC) collective booth
CAD software components are very important for the Chinese industry. Dozens if not hundreds of Chinese companies are developing sophisticated engineering software products. The Russian mathematics is an excellent pillar for such products. Today, now more than a dozen Chinese developers are testing the C3D geometry kernel. The Chinese visitors were eager to meet our experts in person and learn about the C3D Toolkit solution. We shared experiences with many visitors from other cities across China.
Fig. 4. Communicating potential partners from China
CIIE takes place in Shanghai, the financial heart of China, an important center of culture, and the world’s largest seaport. Shanghai has been the best Chinese city for foreigners. The choice of the expo venue is well-thought-out: this is where industrialists from China and other countries enter into major contracts. The mixture of Asian and Western cultures is a strong foundation for China’s growing relations with other countries, especially with Russia.
Fig. 5. Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai is a classical private Chinese garden
The C3D Labs team had the unique opportunity to visit both CIIE 2024 and Shanghai. The Chinese business mission was full of B2B meetings with existing and potential customers. Personal meetings are an integral part of Asian culture and a way to build business relationships. Our policy is to understand the customer’s needs and business processes.
We can safely say: that the C3D kernel is gaining momentum in China.
Fig. 6. The C3D Labs team at the CIIE 2024 International Exhibition
Below are small personal notes by our Expo team members. We share our impressions of the event, networking, and the country.
Maxim Kulagin, Head, Tech Support Dept., C3D Labs:
«It was my second business trip to China. This time our team worked at the China International Import Expo. China always has something astonishing. This time I want to mention the cutting-edge face recognition technology for Expo access: you just wear a badge and walk by a camera. CAD users and potential Chinese resellers were very interested in ASCON products. Most visitors asked about local tech support in Chinese, and some wanted to test our products with an English user interface. I would like to point out that English is not so widespread in China, and most professionals are not fluent in it. As for the geometric kernel, the Chinese vendors are very interested in it, primarily for geopolitical reasons. Still, most of them are only considering it. My personal feeling is that our products are gradually becoming known among the Chinese professional community. The China market looks very promising.»
Oksana Lobodanova, Head of Marketing, C3D Labs:
“Brand impression and outreach have become popular marketing concepts. This year, We impressed the Chinese audience twice in person, and all year long online. Each visit gives us new insights into the local culture, lifestyle, business style, and interest in our product. Our participation in CIIE 2024 gave us a clear understanding: we are heading in the right direction, slowly but surely, so to speak. The target audience has a demand for ASCON and C3D Labs products. Our job is to maintain this interest and stay on the radar of the Chinese market. It is what we’ll be doing next year”.
Ekaterina Kochetkova, Digital Marketing Manager, C3D Labs:
«Shanghai is a city of contrasts, indeed. On one side, you see futuristic skyscrapers, luxury malls, and premium cars; on the other side, there are historic low-rise buildings, bustling markets, and auto rickshaws. All this blends seamlessly creating a unique vibe. You stroll down a busy pedestrian-only street where all 25 million Shanghai citizens seem to have gathered and then enjoy the peacefulness of a traditional Chinese garden. They serve xiaolongbao dumplings and chicken feet there, and there’s an American coffee outlet around the corner. In Shanghai, you are exposed to the Chinese culture strongly affected by the West.
The China International Import Expo impressed us with its scale, multinational audience, and the range of products showcased. We networked a lot at the C3D Labs booth. Software developers, engineers, representatives of industrial companies, and government officials visited us. We were happy to talk about the C3D Toolkit features, answer their questions, and discuss the CAD markets in China and Russia. Our guests were optimistic and very interested in Sino-Russian cooperation in engineering software development.
As a marketer, I’m so happy that our participation in CIIE has increased the Chinese audience of our social media channels. The number of subscribers to our channel on WeChat, the primary Chinese social network, has doubled! Such events contribute a lot to building brand awareness.»