Messe Frankfurt, which organises trade fairs around the world, plans to set up an office in China by the end of the year.
The company, 60 per cent-owned by the city of Frankfurt, operates 72 exhibitions worldwide.
In January, it oversaw the Hong Kong International Stationery Fair in partnership with the Trade Development Council.
The organisation will host a fabric exhibition in Hong Kong later this year, as well as a trade fair for clothing and upholstery fabrics in Shanghai. Regional director Arthur Spurdle yesterday said trade fairs in China had been managed by Messe Frankfurt's head office in Germany.
'Since 1997, [Messe Frankfurt (HK)] has taken on the responsibility for China,' he said.
'We've been organising fairs in major cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou and that explains why we need an office in China.'