Music China International Trade Fair for Musical Instruments and Services 9 - 12 October 2008

Music China — the next big international show in the annual MI calendar — will take place from 9 - 12 October 2008 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. The event will bring thousands of music product suppliers from all over the world together in what is, without question, one of the most rapidly growing music markets in the world. A renewed focus on education by the Chinese government, and the burgeoning incomes of Chinese consumers spell huge opportunities for MI suppliers. As the market becomes more transparent and the distribution channels easier to navigate, more and more foreign companies are flocking east to do business.

Music China has established itself as the foremost platform in Asia upon which the global music products industry can meet. Every year, the profile of the show is raised as more and more international brand names and music industry celebrities take part. As well as the usual big names — Yamaha, Roland, Warwick, Steinway, AXL amongst many others — exhibitors for 2008 will include Schimmel Piano (Germany), who will show the K 230 traditional piano at the fair, an instrument that has received the highest award "Choc" in the French piano test from "Monde de la Musique".

The Oxford University Press (UK) will join the fair for the first time as part of the British National Pavilion organised by the Music Industries Association. Oxford University Press is one of the largest and most respected music publishers in the world, with an impressive catalogue of 2,500 items covering the education, scholarly, and performance fields. Around 12 other British companies will join the British pavilion, including ABRSM, Faber Music, Denis Wick, Howarth, EMC, Piano Auctions, Kemble and Period Piano.

Other groups joining the show this year include Austrian (supported by Austrian Federal Economic Chamber), Czech (supported by Association of the Musical Instruments Makers of the Czech Republic), French (supported by UBI France), German (supported by German Federal Ministry of Economics & Technology), Italian (supported by ICE), Spanish (supported by Spanish Guitar Master Craftsman's Guild and ICEX) and Taiwan (supported by Importers & Exporters Association of Taipei and Taiwan External Trade Development Council). A total of 1,100 exhibitors are expected to participate, and six exhibition halls have been reserved for the show.

Prolight + Sound Shanghai, specialising in pro-audio equipment, entertainment lighting and stage technology, will run alongside Music China, creating a comprehensive music & sound event with over 1,500 exhibitors in total.

The fair is organised jointly by the China Music Instrument Association, INTEX and Messe Frankfurt. For more information see http://musik.messefrankfurt.com/global/en/home.html and or email music@hongkong.messefrankfurt.com.

• Over 1,500 exhibitors expected at Music China and Prolight + Sound Shanghai 2008!
• New exhibitors include Oxford University Press, one of the largest and most respected music publishers in the world
• National pavilions from Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Taiwan and the UK confirmed