Shenzhen World to Have 5.4 Million Sq.Ft.
by F. Andrew Taylor
Officials for the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center in China presented at IMEX America on Oct. 16 and screened a video showing renderings of the project, statistics, transportation options and a time lapse of previous construction.
Phase 1 of the project is set to deliver 4.3 million sq.ft. of exhibition space and after Phase 2 is completed, the venue will realize its full potential at 5.4 million square feet. Shenzhen World (SWECC) is projected to be completed late in 2019, at which point it will become the largest convention and exhibition space in the world.
The completed facility is set to have 4.3 million sq.ft. of prime exhibition space, 16 column-free halls that will each be 210,000 sq.ft., a 485,000 sq.ft. mega hall with only four columns and a 14,000 seat event center with retractable seating. The completed campus is also set to have a three level conference center with meeting rooms, a 70,000 sq.ft. ballroom and a VIP breakout area and lounge in addition to 130 break out rooms, 12 meeting rooms ranging from 60-650 capacity, theater-style and 13 meeting rooms ranging from 100-900 capacity, theater-style.
There will also be complimentary Wi-Fi, catering for banquets of more than 5,000; more than 100 food outlets, on-site safe rigging services, venue APP with visitor services, wayfinding and the first plug-n-play electrical services in China.
Transportation to the area is available by two airports within seven km (less than five miles) and the Hong Kong Airport is just 75 km (about 46.6 miles) away. Shenzhen can also be reached by ferry, highway and a bullet train that takes less than an hour from Hong Kong.
Often cited as being just a small fishing village prior to being singled out to be the first of the five special economic zones in 1980, it has, in actuality, been a regional market town for some years. Currently it is nicknamed the “Silicon Valley of China” and a reported 90 percent of the world’s electronics are made in the rapidly growing city. It is home to the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center which was completed in 2004 at a cost of CNY3.2 billion and has held almost 300 exhibitions and more than 1,350 conferences since its opening. The developers of Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center project that it will become the center of exhibitions and conventions for all of South China and perhaps even a wider region.
At IMEX America 2018, Gregg Caren, SMG’s executive vice president/convention and exhibition centers, noted that “Today, we are most proud of the friendship we have formed with our colleagues from Shenzhen.” Officials for the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center in China named SMG as the venue’s new manager in July of 2017.
SMG manages more than 230 venues, including exhibition centers, arenas, stadiums, theaters, equestrian centers, science centers, and more. Within the SMG portfolio are 1.5 million sports and entertainment seats and 15 million square feet of exhibition space, including McCormick Place and Cobo Center in Detroit. Once SWECC opens next year, it will bring the firm’s venue management portfolio to more than 15 million square feet of exhibition space worldwide. For more info, visit www.smgworld.com
This story originally appeared in the November/December issue of Exhibit City News, p. 30. For original layout, visit https://issuu.com/exhibitcitynews/docs/ecn_flipbook_novdec2018
