Recently, people often talk about a topic: Is cloud (online) exhibition and conference useful for the construction of exhibition cities? Is it worth promoting? Different people have different views. This paper tries to do some analysis from the perspective of practice and share with the industry in the hope that it can throw light on further research.

The fast-changing technology in modern times has gone deep into society and human life, affecting the changes of human production and lifestyle, needless to emphasize the impact on the convention and exhibition industry. This paper holds the basic viewpoint as follows: as long as human beings exist, offline conferences and exhibitions will exist. Conferences and exhibitions on the cloud (online) can enrich offline exhibitions and conferences, optimize processes, improve services, strengthen the quality and enhance efficiency, which will lead to a reshuffling in the industry and adjustment of the format, but will not lead to the demise of offline exhibitions.

I. The new technology provides technical support for cloud (online) exhibitions

Since the last two years, there has been a widespread jingle called “… 4G changes life, and 5G changes society”. 2019 is known as the first year of 5G. With the maturity and application of 5G technology, a new round of technological revolution begins. In particular, the development and application of big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, the Internet of things and blockchain technology will have a subversive impact on the format of related industries and lead to functional changes. The application of no delay, instant information transmission, holography and AR technology, and the function of superimposing information in the full spatial domain, full process, full scene, full intelligence and full value provide technical support for the long-distance and full-scene display and exchange of exhibition information. Cloud (online) exhibition is no longer a dream.

II. The COVID-19 outbreak stimulates the market demand for cloud (online) exhibitions

Emerging at the end of 2019, the unanticipated outbreak of COVID-19 has dealt a heavy blow to the safety of human life, economic activities and social life, and had a great impact on the convention and exhibition industry. Also, it has a far-reaching impact on the change of the global strategic pattern. The suspension, delay and shrinkage of exhibitions have increased the cost of holding the exhibition, and the inability to normally hold conferences and normal economic, technological and ideological exchange activities have led to the difficulties facing exhibition enterprises in survival. Convention and exhibition activities, as the intermediary platform of industrial chain and supply chain, are at a standstill.

Striving for survival, innovation and development have become the common aspiration and concrete action for the convention and exhibition circles to implement the “innovating the exhibition service mode” of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. Convention and exhibition circles around China have carried out exchanges and training in the form of online forums, seminars and lectures. Xiamen convention and exhibition industry has taken active actions and made useful explorations in holding cloud (online) office, conference, exhibition and training activities, and achieved the practical results of technological innovation.

Xiamen Jinhongxin Exhibition Co., Ltd. has successively launched the Cloud Xiamen Buddhist Item & Craft Fair and the Cloud Xiamen Stone Fair; AMOY Expo Co., Ltd. in Xiamen, Fujian Pilot Free Trade Zone has launched the Cloud Art Xiamen Fair; Honor MICE Group Limited has launched the online exhibition of Inter-Water China and the “waimaoniu” products; the Municipal Convention and Exhibition Promotion Center are actively preparing the Cloud CIFIT; Xiamen Intop Exhibition Co., Ltd. designs and produces international exhibition data package products to serve customers at home and abroad and provide income-generating services for employees; Xiamen Convention and Exhibition Association cooperates with C&E YH Public Relation, C&D Travel Media and Yun-live to hold three online training sessions, making bold innovation and exploration for holding cloud (online) conferences and exhibitions, which has aroused enthusiastic responses. The influence of the epidemic and the demand of the market have stimulated the market demand for the development of cloud (line) exhibition and conference format, and promoted enterprises to increase their investment in technology research and development.

III. The advantages and disadvantages of the new format to the development of the urban convention and exhibition industry

It is an issue of the general concern in the industry recently that, as an innovation to the service model of the convention and exhibition industry, is the impact of holding cloud (online) exhibitions on the traditional exhibition positive or negative? Is it good or bad for the urban convention and exhibition industry? This paper holds the opinion that the holding cloud exhibitions and conferences can help exhibition organizers to maintain customer resources and promote relevant production enterprises to carry out marketing at home and abroad and expand the influence of exhibitions. However, the effect is limited. Simply holding cloud (online) exhibitions is of little significance to the development of the urban convention and exhibition industry. It is well known that the holding of exhibitions and conferences can bring a large number of people, logistics, information flow, capital flow and wisdom flow to the city, which has a huge pulling effect on transportation, accommodation, catering, tourism, shopping and employment. It is difficult to meet the above-mentioned needs of the development of the urban convention and exhibition industry by simply holding cloud (online) exhibitions, with disadvantages outweighing the advantages. Judging from the actual effect of the cloud exhibitions, each online exhibition can attract about 100,000 visitors, but very few place orders and sign contracts.

IV. Conclusion: the integrative development of cloud (online) and offline exhibitions is the direction

The cloud (online) exhibition under the background of 5G is a new thing and a new mode of exhibition service. Judging from more than 20 years of exhibition career, offline exhibitions-physical exhibitions are the foundation of holding online exhibitions. Orders cannot be placed only by online communication, just like falling in love, it is impossible to go together immediately after meeting by relying on online communication alone. The online exhibition can expand the influence of physical exhibitions, improve service processes, enhance work efficiency and strengthen exhibition effectiveness. However, the two must integrate to develop, influence and promote each other. Simply emphasizing a certain aspect is bound to be unable to keep up with the pace of the times, the development and changes of the situation, and will be eliminated in the competition of the exhibition. It should be the direction of the development of the urban exhibition industry to seize the essence of physical exhibitions, actively introduce and apply new technologies, and promote the integrative development of offline (cloud) and offline exhibitions. Just as Chairman Mao Zedong said, “But Man’s world is mutable, seas become mulberry fields.”