After China abandoned its draconian zero-COVID policy, trade fairs are back with no restrictions attracting many European SMEs. While there is an abundance of trade fairs to choose from, attending trade fairs unprepared might have the opposite effect to what the SMEs plan to achieve or in some cases it might even complicate future market entry. Therefore, the Polish Investment and Trade Agency, the EU SME Centre and the China IP SME Helpdesk jointly organise a webinar to prepare the Polish SMEs for safely attending trade fairs in China.
Topic introductions
IP landscape in China and IP protection at trade fairs
While trade fairs are an excellent means to promote SMEs’ products and find business partners, there are also many IP risks involved, especially when the SMEs have not yet taken any steps to protect their IP in China. Before designing a comprehensive IP strategy for the China market, it is important to understand the basic IP landscape in China. During the seminar, the China IP SME Helpdesk IP Business Advisor will provide an overview of China’s IP landscape focusing on patent, trademark and trade secrets protection and enforcement. She will also provide expert tips and share a case study about best practices on IP protection at trade fairs.
How to prepare for trade fairs in China and SME’s market access
China has a vibrant Convention and Exhibition Service Industry with more than 10 000 fairs and exhibition held annually providing SMEs with plenty of opportunities to promote their products. However, the mere participation in exhibitions is unlikely to bring many benefits to companies. To transform the attendance into a marketing success, EU SMEs need to take action and prepare a detailed plan in advance. During the seminar, the EU SME Centre Business Advisor will explain how to identify the most appropriate fairs to attend, how to prepare for the fairs, the main risks involved, and the importance of following up with potential business partners/buyers after trade fairs. Being trade fairs often prodromic to market access, our expert will also present the key points to take into account in order to prepare the SME to enter the Chinese market
- fair trade | intellectual property
- Thursday 26 October 2023, 10:00 - 11:30 (CEST)
Practical information
- When
- Thursday 26 October 2023, 10:00 - 11:30 (CEST)
- Languages
- English
Description
Event details
Date: 26 October (Thursday)
Time: 16:00 -17:30 (Beijing Time)
10:00-11:30 (CEST)
Venue: Online via Zoom (link to be provided by the Polish Investment and Trade Agency )
Agenda (Beijing time)
16:00 - 16:10 Opening Remarks and Introduction of PAIH
16:10 – 16:40 IP landscape in China and IP protection at trade fairs, by Lisa Lu, China IP SME Helpdesk
16:40 – 17:10 How to prepare for trade fairs in China, by Alessio Petino, EU SME Centre
17:10 – 17:25 Q&A Session
17:25 – 17:30 Closing Remarks
Speakers
Lisa Lu, China IP SME Helpdesk
Lisa Lu is the IP Business Advisor at China IP SME Helpdesk in Beijing, where she advises European SMEs on intellectual property rights matters. She holds a double master’s degree in law from the China University of Political Science and Law and University of Hamburg. Before joining the China IP SME Helpdesk at the European Chamber, Lisa worked as a trademark attorney for the Ferrante Intellectual Property and Chang Tsi & Partners. She mainly focused on the fields of trademark prosecution, trademark enforcement, copyright protection and unfair competition. During her time working in both law firms, she dealt with a variety of clients including but not limited to automotive performance, media, entertainment, new energy, apparel, architecture design, data management, e-commerce, household products, HVAC, and fire & security. Her clients included a range of globally leading companies and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Lisa is fluent in Chinese and English.
Alessio Petino, EU SME Centre
Alessio has worked for 8+ years on various EU-funded projects in China, mainly conducting policy and regulatory analysis for European companies looking to enter or already in the Chinese market. Key focus areas: market access regulations and barriers, investment attraction policies, standards & compliance – with particular focus on R&D, tech & innovation.
Alessio joined the EU SME Centre in October 2020. He coordinates reports, guidelines and technical assistance to European SMEs; he also delivers training about different market entry approaches and engagements with China, opportunities and risks, as well as do’s and don’ts.
Now based in Italy after having lived in Beijing from 2011 to 2022, Alessio is fully fluent in Chinese and is very passionate about China’s history and food.