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CIIF 2026 Shanghai: China International Industry Fair Guide

By Ilyas Kerbal,

Industrial robot arm working on a production line at a technology exhibition
Photo: Shixart1985, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The China International Industry Fair (CIIF) is China’s most important industrial equipment show. The 2025 edition hosted 3,011 exhibitors from 27 countries and more than 186,000 professional visitors from 133 countries on around 300,000 m². The 26th edition opens on 12 October 2026 at the NECC in Shanghai. If you sell automation, robotics, machine tools or industrial components, the CIIF attendee list is a shortcut to China’s manufacturing decision-makers.

CIIF key facts
Industry Industrial automation / machinery
City Shanghai, China
Venue National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC), Shanghai
Dates Autumn, 26th edition 12–16 Oct 2026
Frequency Annual
Moves between cities? No, always Shanghai
Typical scale ~200,000 attendees · ~2,800 exhibitors
Visitor ticket Free (registered professional visitors)
App / platform Online visitor registration + WeChat (no dedicated app mentioned)
Official website ciif-expo.com

Details checked in October 2026. Dates, prices and venues can change between editions, so confirm on the official CIIF website before you book travel.

What is CIIF?

CIIF is co-hosted by national ministries and the Shanghai Municipal Government. It’s organised into 10 theme shows:

Theme show Focus
Metalworking & CNC Machine Tools Machining centres, lathes, tooling
Industrial Automation Control systems, drives, sensors
Robotics Industrial and collaborative robots
Energy Energy equipment and systems
Next-Gen Intelligent Manufacturing Smart factory solutions
Future Transportation EV and hydrogen
Green Low-Carbon Decarbonisation technology
New Materials Advanced materials
Sci-Tech Innovation Research and startups
IC Ecosystem Semiconductors

Forums and the CIIF Awards run alongside. Major Chinese and international brands such as Siemens, ABB and Fanuc exhibit, which makes CIIF a good place to scout Chinese automation suppliers and benchmark them against global leaders.

Parallel delta robot demonstrated at an automation trade fair

Robotics and automation are among the busiest halls at CIIF. Photo: Humanrobo, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Where and when

CIIF is held every year at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Qingpu District, Hongqiao. The 26th edition runs from 12 to 16 October 2026. Five days and ten shows is a lot of ground, and Hongqiao hotels fill quickly.

Who attends CIIF

Attendee Buying interest Who sells to them
Plant managers and manufacturing engineers Automation, robotics, machine tools OEMs, integrators
Procurement teams from automotive, electronics and machinery OEMs Equipment and components Component and equipment makers
System integrators and distributors Lines to represent and integrate Robot and controls manufacturers
International buyers (130+ countries) Chinese equipment at competitive prices Chinese exporters
R&D and university researchers New technology Instruments and lab suppliers
Government industrial officials Industrial policy Industrial parks, consultancies

Don’t spend three days of LinkedIn research on CIIF. I do the digging and send you an enriched attendee and exhibitor file, sorted the way your team prospects. Start your CIIF request

Registration

The professional visitor pass is free with online pre-registration through ciif-expo.cn. It’s for trade professionals only, applications may be reviewed, and you need the ID or passport used to register.

No app, lots of exhibitors

Registration runs through the CIIF online visitor system and the organiser’s WeChat account. There’s no dedicated mobile app. With nearly 3,000 exhibitors across ten theme shows, you’ll need your own list of who to see, segmented by theme and enriched with contacts, to make the week productive.

Pros and cons of CIIF

Pros Cons
Broad industrial coverage with clear theme zones Very large; needs a plan
Free entry Mostly domestic visitors
Strong robotics and automation halls Signage and seminars mostly in Chinese
Major global brands present Hongqiao hotels fill fast
Good place to scout Chinese suppliers Overlaps with specialised shows like CIMT and CeMAT

The weeks before CIIF are when meetings get booked. With the enriched attendee list in hand early, your team can start outreach while others are still printing brochures. Request your CIIF list

A CIIF game plan

  1. Pick two or three theme shows that match your products. Don’t try to see all ten.
  2. Separate integrators from end users. Integrators can bring you many projects; end users buy one at a time.
  3. Benchmark Chinese suppliers against global brands in the same hall.
  4. Use WeChat for quick follow-ups with Chinese contacts.
  5. Plan for CIMT and CeMAT if your niche is machine tools or logistics; those specialised shows go deeper.
  6. Upload contacts to your CRM nightly during the five days.

FAQ

When is CIIF 2026?

The 26th CIIF runs from 12 to 16 October 2026 at the NECC in Shanghai.

Is CIIF free to attend?

Yes, for professional visitors who pre-register online.

What are the CIIF theme shows?

There are ten, including CNC machine tools, industrial automation, robotics, energy, intelligent manufacturing, future transportation, green low-carbon, new materials, sci-tech innovation and the IC ecosystem.

Can I get a CIIF attendee list?

There’s no app or exportable directory with contacts. I can build an enriched list of CIIF exhibitors and visitor profiles for your team.

Need CIIF leads ready for your CRM?

Past clients have used my lists to fill their meeting calendars before a show and to stop leads going cold afterwards. If you want the same for CIIF, tell me what you sell and who you need to reach, and I’ll come back with what I can deliver and when.

Request your CIIF list on the home page

Sources

Photo credits