CHINESE tourism officials in two major cities and industry leaders have voiced their support for a new international meetings and events trade show that attracted more than 3,000 attendees from 41 countries and regions to its inaugural edition in Beijing.
China International MICE Exchange (CIMX) 2026 was held at China National Convention Center Phase II and organised by Messe Berlin China with support from Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism.
Messe Berlin China announced that the three-day event generated almost 6,000 business meetings and brought together 150 exhibitors, 350 hosted buyers and 120 conference speakers.
Among those welcoming the new event was Yang Jin, Deputy Director of the International Exchange and Cooperation Division at the Tianjin Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, who said CIMX offered Chinese companies a platform to connect directly with international MICE buyers without having to travel abroad. He said this made business exchanges more cost-effective and efficient.
“CIMX is a highly professional exhibition,” Yang said. “For Tianjin, it also presents an excellent opportunity to showcase our destination to international buyers and raise its visibility in the global market.”
More… CIMX to heighten Beijing’s global role
Business matchmaking formed the core of the programme, bringing together convention bureaus, destinations, airlines, hospitality groups and service providers with corporate planners and buyers.
China was represented by destinations including Beijing, Tianjin, Hainan, the Shanghai Lin-gang Special Area and Macao, while exhibitors from 18 countries and regions highlighted MICE products and services from across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
The conference programme also drew praise from international associations.
Florence Chua, Managing Director, APAC, at PCMA, said the event delivered strong educational content. “Through its conference, CIMX brought together MICE professionals, association members and business leaders from China and abroad to share diverse content.
“The conference covered a wide range of areas, from incentive travel to conferences and exhibitions, making the content very rich. As the conference of the inaugural edition, both the quality of the events and the caliber of the speakers were very high.”
The conference featured 120 speakers covering 40 topics across six tracks, three specialist workshops and forums, examining trends in the Chinese and international business events sectors. Discussions ranged from cross-border event development and destination marketing to incentive travel, artificial intelligence and the future of business events.
CIMX also attracted support from major industry organisations, including PCMA, the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE), the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the China Association of Travel Services and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.
Industry leaders used the event to underline the importance of international collaboration as China’s business events market continues to expand. According to organisers, the exhibition floor and networking programme were designed to foster business connections and facilitate cross-border partnerships between Chinese suppliers and global buyers.
Among the conference highlights were the CIMX-ICCA International Association Meetings and Destination Development Forum, the PCMA Corporate Intelligence Exchange Workshop and the GBTA Business Travel Forum.
Support for the show was echoed by other association leaders. Elle Ng-Darmawan, Senior Director, APAC, at GBTA, said she looked forward to seeing the event continue to grow and strengthen its role within the global meetings and business travel community.
The event concluded with an international buyer and media familiarisation trip to Beijing and Tianjin. Organisers said the programme was intended to encourage future meetings, incentive programmes and business partnerships in the two destinations.
Looking ahead, CIMX director Nikolaos Swoch said the exhibition had been created to convert China’s MICE potential into international business opportunities and establish a regular gathering point for Chinese and overseas industry professionals.
CIMX is set to return to Beijing, November 2-4, 2027. For more details and to register, visit the CIMX website
