Source: AWE

AWE2024 officially kicked off at the Shanghai New International Expo Center on March 14. Themed “Smartize the Future,” the event has brought together over a thousand global leaders in household appliances and consumer electronics. The exhibition, spanning an impressive 150,000 square meters, showcased the latest achievements in the seamless integration between cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and household appliances and consumer electronics, a selection of high-end, customized, and scenario-based smart IoT solutions, as well as innovations in smart appliances, smart homes, consumer electronics, 3C products, smart displays, smart entertainment, smart health, and smart travel, illustrating the infinite possibilities of the future smart life for consumers.

On March 13, just the day before AWE2024, China’s State Council released the Action Plan to Promote Large-scale Equipment Renewals and Trade-ins of Consumer Goods (“Action Plan”). The Action Plan outlines 20 key tasks in four major actions, including equipment renewals, trade-ins of consumer goods, recycling and reuse, and standard improvement, across five aspects. In terms of trade-ins of consumer goods, the Action Plan proposes three tasks, which include household appliance trade-ins and the replacement of consumer goods for home decoration.

As China introduces this new policy, AWE2024 will drastically enrich consumers’ options for trading in old appliances for new ones. All the high-tech products and solutions exhibited at AWE will be integrated into the lives of countless households through the vigorous policy drive for trade-ins. Moreover, the campaign promises to accelerate and expand the penetration of these innovative products into more households, allowing people to experience the fruits of high-quality industrial development and enjoy a better life.

Government officials and industry leaders explore high-quality industry development at AWE2024

In addition to executives from exhibitors, the opening ceremony of AWE2024 also featured government officials and industry leaders including Zhang Chonghe, former Deputy Director of the State Commission Office for Public Sector Reform and President and Party Secretary of the China National Light Industry Council, Bu Zhengfa, former Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and former President of the China National Light Industry Council, Xie Li’an, a level-II inspector at the Consumer Goods Industry Department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Tao Xiaonian, Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Committee of the China National Light Industry Council and President of the China Household Electrical Appliances Association (CHEAA), and Jiang Feng, Executive President of the CHEAA.

In her opening remarks, Jiang Feng noted, “AWE shows that innovation has become the greatest source of momentum for the household appliances and consumer electronics industry to cope with challenges and achieve high-quality development. It has evolved into the sector’s defining feature. Behind AWE’s grand narrative lies the unwavering confidence in the industry’s future in the business community. We intend to work together with our global partners to drive technological innovation and foster high-quality growth in the industry, helping global consumers lead a smart, healthy, comfortable, and green life.”

Following the opening ceremony, Zhang Chonghe, Bu Zhengfa, Xie Li’an, and Jiang Feng, among others, explored the exhibition grounds and visited the booths of industry giants like Haier, Bosch Home Appliances, Panasonic, Huawei, Samsung, and Hisense. At AWE2024, government officials and industry leaders experienced the latest smart innovations and examined the cutting-edge technologies and current trends of the industry. They commended the brands’ achievements in globalization and encouraged them to leverage AWE to capture the growth opportunities of integrated digital and smart development, intensify exchanges and cooperation for sci-tech innovation, and seek long-term progress in advanced productivity.

Technology empowerment: AWE unveils a new era for smart life across all scenarios

As one of the industry’s top 3, AWE has showcased advancements in the integration of emerging business models, paving the way for innovative smart life scenarios. Led by Haier Smart Home, an impressive lineup featuring seven high-end brands including Haier, Casarte, Leader, GE Appliances, Candy, Fisher & Paykel, and AQUA set up smart spaces for real-life home scenarios such as living rooms, bathrooms, bedrooms, balconies, and kitchens, as they offer visitors a firsthand experience of cutting-edge smart home products and solutions. With the new vision of AI for All, Samsung presented its flagship AI smartphones alongside the BESPOKE home appliances.

Amidst the trend of industrial integration that defines the new era, AWE is expanding the boundaries of domestic life, as the event unveils an all-encompassing smart life ecosystem centered around the home. Giants like Huawei and Skyworth have already made strides in the automotive sector. For instance, Huawei brought to AWE2024 a series of new energy vehicles equipped with advanced smart driving systems and HarmonyOS-powered smart cabins, offering a glimpse into a future interconnected lifestyle where people, vehicles, and homes converge seamlessly. Hisense showcased its plans for areas including chips, automotive electronics, precision healthcare, smart cities, commercial displays, VR, and energy solutions.

Interest-driven consumption has unleashed tremendous market potential, prompting household appliance companies to venture into fields including outdoor products, e-sports, intellectual property, and China chic. TCL, in collaboration with cultural brands in e-sports/sports, has set up IP booths covering the FIBA, NFL, LPL & EDG, and Hollywood TCL China Theatre. LG, with a focus on scenarios such as outdoor activities and e-sports, launched new products including the LG portable touchscreen TV and LG UltraGear OLED. Panasonic debuted Panasonic Xtra, a sub-brand targeting Generation Z, to cater to the demands of young consumers.

Green and low-carbon technologies and solutions are one of the key research topics in the industry. BSH Home Appliances (China) will continue to promote sustainable consumption by showcasing its innovative green smart household appliances. Siemens Home Appliances will bring an entire range of smart household appliances to showcase their fine German designs and craftsmanship, as well as the conveniences brought by smart control technologies.

Responding to state policies: AWE kicks off the annual household appliance trade-in campaign

AWE2024, a top industry event, has become a platform driving consumer trends and guiding the orderly upgrade of consumption. The fourth meeting of the Central Finance and Economic Affairs Commission specifically encouraged the trade-in of traditional consumer goods, including household appliances, to promote recycling and reuse at a large scale. The outstanding exhibits at AWE2024 will become the preferred choice for consumers looking to trade in their old items in the foreseeable future, as the event has always been celebrated as a barometer of technological developments and market trends in the industry.

In an effort to embrace the new trade-in policy, AWE, in collaboration with departments including Shanghai’s Pudong Committee of Commerce, will host the 2024 Pudong Home Appliance Festival. The event, with AWE2024 as the main venue, will be concurrently held at four major commercial districts in Pudong, covering Century Link, Super Brand Mall, Red Star Macalline (Pudong Hunan Mall), and Galeries Lafayette (L+Mall, Shanghai). The 2024 Pudong Home Appliance Festival will showcase trending electronics and offer substantial discounts, as it drives smart, green, and scenario-based consumption while upgrading the consumer experience for residents and visitors of Pudong.

In his comment on the latest Action Plan issued by the State Council, Xu Dongsheng, Vice President of the CHEAA, noted, “We look forward to detailed regulations from the government and welcome effective measures to streamline channels for recycling household appliances, promote trade-ins, and stimulate consumer demand. The CHEAA will embrace the policies laid out by the Party and the state, call for industry efforts, and ensure the supply of high-quality products in order to implement the government’s decisions and promote household appliance trade-ins.”

The AWE organizers will once again host the AWE Live Stream Night Show in collaboration with major live streaming platforms including JD.com, Douyin, and Taobao on March 14. Moreover, AWE will designate March 16 as the AWE Consumer Day and introduce consumer activities covering mini-games, quiz with prizes, discounts, and food tasting at the main venue to invite consumers in Shanghai to experience AWE firsthand. In addition, AWE2024 will also launch a range of promotions together with top e-commerce platforms including JD.com and Tmall.

Gathering industry giants, AWE2024 offers exciting forums and parallel events

AWE2024 will also host the AWE Summit 2024, a key component of the AWE ecosystem, that covers two forums to promote the national trade-in policy, facilitate sustainable industry development, and foster new consumer trends in household appliances. At the “Sustainability is the Future” forum, global giants including Haier, JD.com, Panasonic, and TCL will discuss strategic pathways for achieving green, low-carbon, and sustainable development in the industry, and Long Yongtu, China’s chief negotiator for WTO accession and former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, will provide insights into how the industry can help speed up China’s mutually-reinforcing dual circulations under the current international circumstances and better integrate into and serve the global market. At the “Happiness Begins at Future Home” forum, brands and distributors including Huawei, Fotile, Hisense, Taotian, and Bosch Home Appliances will explore how cutting-edge technologies can be harnessed to help consumers adopt a smart home lifestyle and foster new smart scenarios.

To promote the development of the ultra-high-definition audiovisual sector, AWE will co-host the AWE UHD Summit 2024 with the UHD World Association (UWA), ushering in a new era of digital entertainment. AWE will launch the Future Home Design - Co-Research Program of the Smart Home Paradigm jointly with partners including NetEase Home and NetEase Design, in addition to the Future Home Design - Smart Living Trend Release that will be hosted concurrently with AWE2024, to drive the full integration of scenario-based smart life solutions into home design.

Other parallel events, including the 2024 AWE Award Ceremony, the 2024 China Household Appliance Retail Innovation Summit, and the China Vacuum Cleaning Appliance Industry Summit 2024, will focus on high-quality sustainable development from different angles to provide insightful views, empower technological innovation, and drive the industry’s robust growth.

“AWE2024 is a feast of technological progress and innovative development. Here, you can experience new smart life scenarios. It exhibits the latest products with exquisite designs and fine craftsmanship. The event is a showcase of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, IoT, 5G, cloud computing, and big data, as well as the latest achievements in household appliances. It shows us a promising future for smart homes, which is exciting and gratifying,” noted Zhang Chonghe, President of the China National Light Industry Council, after visiting AWE2024.

As the curtain rises at AWE2024, let us explore a new era of smart life over the next four days!