For many manufaturers, CeMAT ASIA "represents entry to the Chinese market".

The number of exhibitors at CeMAT ASIA is expected to top the 500 mark for the first time this year.

Wolfgang Pech, senior vice president of show organiser Deutsche Messe AG, says CeMAT Asia enjoys an excellent international reputation, and for many manufacturers, "it represents entry to the Chinese market".

The trade show will take place from 27 to 30 October at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. Exhibitors include leading forklift and handling equipment manufacturers like Crown, Heli, BYD, Ruyi, Goodsense and Jungheinrich.

Within a conference program highlighting best-practice examples from different industry sectors, Deutsche Messe AG, in co-operation with partner associations, will be staging the first CeMAT ASIA Innovation Salon, which is scheduled to take place on every day of the trade show.

On the first day, visitors will be offered insights into the various characteristics of the logistics markets of Europe, China and Japan. Day two will address the area of e-commerce and feature prominent keynote speakers, including Brian Xue, vice president of Amazon Global, and Wang Yulei, vice president of Tmall. On the third day, the focus will shift to logistical challenges in the consumer goods industry, while on the fourth and final day, the program will be dedicated to forklifts.

CeMAT ASIA was launched in 2000. Every year, the expo has been held alongside parallel trade shows PTC ASIA and ComVac ASIA. Deutsche Messe claims the two events are respectively Asia's biggest trade shows for power transmission and control technology, and for compressed air and vacuum technology.

With estimated annual sales exceeding EUR80 billion/USD103 billion (2012), China has the largest intralogistics sector in the world and now dwarfs its nearest competitor, the USA, which has an annual turnover of EUR25.5 billion/USD32.9 billion. Germany, the third-biggest market for intralogistics products, accounts for EUR19.1 billion/USD24.6 billion.