Companies from all over the world are actively signing up for the 3rd China International Import Expo (CIIE) via non-contact means amid the epidemic, according to the CIIE Bureau.

The CIIE Bureau, located inside the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), was closed to the public due to the novel coronavirus epidemic, so the preparation for the 3rd CIIE was conducted via non-contact means such as phone calls, video calls and e-mails.

Lu Peng, with the Exhibition Department of the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), said the department has resumed work since Jan. 31, and completed a large number of data collection, coordination and communication work to ensure that exhibitors get early-bird discounts.

"We are able to work from anywhere, even those isolated at home can actively participate in the preparation. Through WeChat, e-mail, telephone, video conferencing and other forms, we have communicated with nearly 300 enterprises so far," Lu said, adding that the exhibition department also held an online meeting addressing the concerns of the exhibitors over the epidemic.

The exhibition department has also drafted a letter to all exhibitors and interested enterprises, to strengthen their confidence in participating in the exhibition. Dozens of foreign enterprises successfully signed contracts in early February, covering an exhibition area of thousands of square meters.

In order to ensure 24-hour bilingual consultation services for businesses, the customer service hotline has increased staffing, while strengthening epidemic control measures, including distributing face masks, disinfection, and increasing the spaces between seats, according to Li Renqing with the IT Department of the same exhibition center.

Statistics show that from Jan. 16 to Feb. 19, the number of hotline calls totaled 1,351, nearly doubled as compared to the same period last year.

Statistics show that by the end of January, more than 1,000 exhibitors worldwide had signed up for attending the 3rd CIIE, with more than half of the exhibition area taken up.

The CIIE is the first dedicated import exhibition in the world and has seen fruitful outcomes in the past two expos. The 3rd CIIE is scheduled to take place in Shanghai from Nov. 5 to 10.