China International Import Expo, held at the Shanghai NECC.
Visitors to the 3rd CIIE at the NECC in Shanghai in November 2020 saw the objects on display at the booth of the Austrian crystal house Swarovski. This was Swarovski’s first year at CIIE, alongside nearly 50 other Fortune 500 and industry-leading companies also participating for the first time.
According to Judith Sun, Swarovski China’s managing director, China is the company’s largest and most important market, and the biggest engine of its global growth. Chinese consumers are on average ten years younger than in other markets, and Swarovski had plans to increase investment.
The booth included a panorama of colour-themed loose crystals, and samples of crystals on fabric and shoes. The necklace worn by Nicole Kidman in the 2000 film Moulin Rouge was on display. The garments drew particular attention, including a little black dress designed by Gaspard Yurkievich, worth around €20,000.
Visitors also spent time with the heritage objects: measurement tools, the original colour charts invented in the 1960s and still used in meetings with designers, and original crystal envelopes from the 1930s, traditionally used for packaging.
Heighten’s involvement began long before installation at the NECC. The objects were organised into two shipments. Heighten was responsible for the safe arrival of both at the exhibition stand. They were imported on two ATA carnets from Swarovski’s headquarters in Wattens, Austria, to Shanghai PVG, and from there to the Expo site. The project involved liaison with Swarovski headquarters, the organising team in Singapore, and several Chinese teams.
As with many first events on this scale, the project had its difficulties. The Covid-19 pandemic reduced the number and reliability of flights out of Austria. The exhibits arrived in Shanghai PVG via Liège in Belgium. Changes to the inventory, as several teams worked on the exhibition content, are why there were two shipments rather than one. Throughout, Heighten stayed with Swarovski through to a completed exhibition in Shanghai.