SHANGHAI -- As first reported by Circuits Assembly, IPC and Messe Munchen International have inked a deal under which the two groups will cooperate on an assembly trade show China. No financial terms were disclosed. The announcement was made yesterday by MMI managing director Klaus Dittrich.

The show, Electronica and Productronica China 2009, will be co-located next year with the CPCA Show and Semicon China at the Shanghai International Exhibition Center in Pudong.

The four shows expect to attract 3,000 exhibitors across 130,000 sq. ft. of display space and draw 100,000 attendees.  In a press conference, Ditrich said, "We are sure the new partnership secures the creation of an ideal platform for the SMT industry in China. He described the deal as involving "joint marketing in China and the rest of the world."

Promotional literature available at Productronica China this week claimed the new colocated event would be "the biggest / first SMT assembly show in China" -- ignoring several long-existing Nepcon shows. A few companies have signed up, according to a Circuits Assembly reporter in China this week.

The colocated event will bring certain changes. For one, the cost structure will be roughly 50% of current CPCA rates, which might not sit well with bigger companies. Other changes include a lottery for booth space. IPC is supporting the event and providing advertising in return for a fee.

The Shanghai area is host to numerous electronics assembly trade shows. In addition, several other area shows target the bare board fabrication market. The local market is attractive to trade show producers for its vast number of manufacturing facilities, but is highly contested, and some domestic trade groups have historically disputed the rights of others to compete in the local market. However, MMI, which produces the highly successful Productronica and Electronica shows, opened a large facility in the Shanghai suburb of Pudong earlier this decade.

Nepcon China, produced by MMI competitor Reed, takes place each spring as well. However, the show site -- the Everbright Convention Center -- is considered undesirable for heavy equipment shows, as it is plagued with power and logistical (exhibitors are spread out across two buildings, one of which is three stories high) issues.

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