Retail Asia Expo 2010 – the world’s largest and fastest growing exhibition and conference event for Asia-Pacific’s retail sector – opened yesterday at Hong Kong’s Convention and Exhibition Centre. The expo is more than double the size of last year’s inaugural expo, with 300 exhibitors compared with 2009’s 120. Last year there were 4,518 visitors; this year the expo’s organisers, Diversified Events, expect more than 8,000.
The expo provides the largest platform in Asia for retailers, interior designers, brand managers and marketing professionals to share the latest developments in retail technology, marketing and branding. It includes a programme of free educational seminars run by experts to help retailers increase their business success. The Retail Asia Forum, running alongside the expo, brings together hundreds of leading retailers from around the world for a high-level conference covering the critical strategic issues facing the industry.
In the highly competitive Asian market, retailers are becoming more innovative than ever before with the aid of advanced technology. The two core elements of the show – retail technology and shop design – are vital to retail success and even more so in turbulent economic times when attracting and retaining customers as well as reducing operating costs are essential for survival.
Highlights for visitors to the expo include:
- Leovation Ltd launching the Augmented Reality Solution by D’Fusion: a technology that mixes one or more video inputs and 3D objects in real time. Visitors can flick through an invitation ticket or show guide and see it come to life as 3D animated graphics on a screen. They can engage in virtual games and activities using their hands and bodies, build virtual landscapes and play sports all in mid-air.
- Intel showcasing its interactive kiosk – part of its Intelligent Retail Initiative and POS proof-of-concept system, which incorporates the advantages of internet shopping as well as energy saving.
- Non-profit GS1 Hong Kong’s Barcode Plus, a system providing product information such as shelf life, country of origin, make and authenticity, through a user-friendly online portal for consumers.
Stuart Bailey, general manager of Diversified Events, said, "As the global retail market is fierce, it is a must for marketers and retailers to create tailor-made shopping experiences for potential and existing consumers. We believe our expo serves as a unique platform where retail professionals can come together to share ideas and see the very latest retail technologies."