The 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) will kick off in September at the China National Convention Center in Beijing.

At present, posters and banners have been set up at the China National Convention Center in Beijing to welcome guests from home and abroad.

So far, 141 international organizations, embassies in China, chambers of commerce, business associations and institutions have confirmed their participation in this year's CIFTIS.

More than 2,000 domestic and foreign companies will also attend the event, during which more than 100 forums and discussions will be held.

Pavilion construction, guest reception, and epidemic prevention and control are currently being advanced under high standard.

Formerly known as China (Beijing) International Fair for Trade in Services, the China International Fair for Trade in Services took its new name in 2019.

One year later, the shortened name for the event was changed from "Beijing Fair" to "CIFTIS".

The CIFTIS (including the former Beijing Fair) has successfully held six sessions, attracting 184 countries and regions, nearly 300 international organizations and overseas business associations and more than 10,000 companies, and achieving an accumulated intended transaction amount of $529.33 billion.

It is one of the three major exhibition platforms for China's opening-up, with the other two being the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) and China International Import Expo (CIIE).

Considering the global COVID-19 pandemic situation, the CIFTIS this year will be hosted through both online and offline channels.

Overseas guests and exhibitors will mainly participate in online exhibitions while domestic entities in offline activities.

The fair will set up virtual 3D exhibition booths to provide more intelligent experience for visitors.

Through technical means like 5G, live-streaming, video conference, online translation, it will allow participants from various parts of the world to communicate smoothly during online and offline conferences and forums.

By employing tools such as instant messaging, video negotiation, online translation, and intelligent customer service, it intends to build virtual negotiation rooms for participants. Besides, the fair will also broadcast summits and forums through omnimedia.

The CIFTIS this year is more diversified compared with the previous sessions as it has integrated contents of China (Beijing) International Cultural & Creative Industry Expo (ICCIE), China International Tourism Commodities Fair (CITCF), Beijing International Finance Expo (BIFE), World Winter Sports (Beijing) Expo as well as World Robot Conference (WRC) and has innovated a new model that is characterized by one selected exhibition area, eight featured exhibitions and several functional service areas.

The selected exhibition area includes the preface hall, public health and epidemic prevention zone, national, provincial, regional and municipal zone, and enterprise zone for twelve major fields of the service trade.

It will mainly display the latest trends, technologies, products in the development of domestic and foreign service trade as well as Chinese solutions.

Eight featured exhibitions vary from culture services, financial services, winter sports, tourism services, service robot, educational services, sports services to 5G communication services.

Besides, the fair will establish some functional service areas to provide supporting services for exhibitors, such as negotiation, experience and catering.

The selected exhibition area and eight featured exhibitions are speeding up inviting exhibitors and products.