WITH the rapid growth of the amusement and leisure industry, the operation of theme parks, waterparks, indoor parks and resorts has gradually improved and matured. In order to continually attract tourists, the creative ideas for innovations of attractions equipment as well as the expansion of complementary product lines are particularly important.

In line with the concept of providing a larger business platform for the whole industry and injecting fresh ideas into the attractions industry, Beijing hosted the 2019 China Attractions Expo (hereafter referred to as the ‘Beijing Expo’) over the first three days of April.

The scale of the exhibition, the number of exhibitors and the number and quality of professional visitors, as well as the satisfaction felt by all sides, reached record highs. In the exhibition hall measuring 70,000sq.m, more than 700 exhibitors gathered, with international exhibitors accounting for 24.7 per cent.

Exhibitors showing innovative products accounted for 49.5 per cent of those present, while new exhibitors making their debuts made up 28 per cent of participants. In just three days, the expo attracted 43,372 visitors from well-known attractions such as theme parks, waterparks and ancient towns, as well as professions such as B&Bs and commercial real estate. There were 31,593 domestic visitors accounting for 72.84 per cent of the total, while 10,772 visitors came from overseas, 24.84 per cent. Non-domestic neighbouring visitors numbered 1,007, 2.32 per cent of the total figure.

Adhering to concepts such as communication, co-operation, development and win-win situations, the Beijing Expo has had 33 editions now, with everyone hoping to promote healthy and stable development of the industry through creativity and innovation. Another intention is to promote technical exchanges and co-operation across different industries by creating a professional, boundary-crossing attraction industry event.

Through interviews with exhibiting companies, InterPark found that some developments are quietly pushing the attractions industry to move in a healthier direction. The future we have been expecting is arriving now.

The biggest change in the most recent Beijing Expo compared to past events is that images and visuals have become more popular. Most exhibitors, especially large equipment suppliers, no longer bring large or bulky products to the hall, but often use a relatively lightweight booth to display their high-quality projects on screens. This inevitably saves space in the hall, allowing even more companies to participate in the annual expo.

In the busy hall, a variety of new, innovative attractions and impressive projects were well received and it was notable that the equipment technology of the Chinese waterparks sector has made great progress through the tireless efforts of domestic suppliers.

Breakthrough technology is a unique scene that any exhibition or expo looks forward to and the Beijing Expo certainly lived up to expectations this time around. The latest expo revealed truly great progress and transformation in the attractions industry.

In addition to technological innovations, cross-border applications of medium and large equipment were more eye-catching at the Beijing Expo. Some equipment, such as that found in theme parks, commercial centres, family entertainment centres, large shopping malls and airports, has seen the implementation of extensive equipment integration. Medium and large sized products are no longer just for amusement parks, but also for various entertainment venues in the form of multi-scene applications.


The Beijing Expo also shifted its focus from product design to the interaction between players and products. The parent-child product sector particularly showed its vitality and with family attractions becoming increasingly popular, related products have evolved into a more friendly and suitable style.
Many large-scale and water equipment suppliers have also begun to explore new interactive parent-child products and the question of ‘How to integrate family interaction and safety in the equipment?’ has set off an animated discussion among industry leaders. As for the products of this expo, all types of equipment containing family interaction elements received encouraging reviews.

So, another edition of the Beijing Expo has concluded, and we have witnessed the quality of China’s amusement industry steadily improving. At the same time, more and more companies are joining the industry which will lead to increasingly fierce competition. That should become a driving force for the suppliers of the attractions industry to help push them on to create safer and better equipment, to develop even more thrilling products and to design an even more immersive paradise. These improvements and changes are making China’s amusement parks more attractive than ever. We look forward to another cutting-edge expo next year.


The China Attractions Expo 2020 will be held from March 21 to 23 at the China International Exhibition Centre in Beijing. For more information, or to reserve a booth, contact the exclusive overseas agency L&A International Ltd at [email protected]