China experienced rapid modernisation in the 1990s, which fuelled a boom in the building and hospitality industries. This growth generated massive demand and development opportunities for the HVAC sector. Concurrently, as residents’ incomes grew, more Chinese families started to focus on the quality of their living spaces, leading to the development of a vibrant home interior decoration market. Recognising the potential of China’s burgeoning HVAC sector, Messe Frankfurt hosted the first ISH event in China in 1996. The show brought together nearly 180 exhibitors and around 9,600 buyers, fostering successful business collaboration within China’s HVAC sectors and with international markets.
ISH China & CIHE is now jointly organised by Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co Ltd and CIEC GL events (Beijing) International Exhibition Co Ltd. As a key member of the Messe Frankfurt ISH global network, it has leveraged the group’s expertise in organising trade fairs and extensive international resources to create a premier exchange platform for the HVAC sector in Asia, a commitment that has spanned the past three decades. The 2025 edition welcomed 1,030 exhibitors from 18 countries and regions, as well as 77,468 attendees from 59 countries and regions, including Bangladesh, Canada, Ethiopia, Germany, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Russia, and South Korea.
Driving growth through green transformation and innovation
The global HVAC industry is now entering a vital stage of the green transformation. The Chinese government is dedicated to renovating urban communities built before 2000 by the end of this year[1]. The initiative seeks to improve residents’ living conditions and environments while fostering high-quality urban development, which will further stimulate demand for HVAC system upgrades. Furthermore, the country’s consumer goods trade-in policy has created significant opportunities for the HVAC market, not only encouraging consumers to purchase energy-efficient products but also accelerating the industry's technological upgrades and product iterations. For example, in the first quarter of 2025, Haier’s air-conditioning product sales rose by more than 30% year-on-year[2], highlighting strong market demand and high consumer confidence.
Additionally, as China’s manufacturing industry evolves towards high-end, smart, and sustainable practices, the “Made in China” label is getting increased global recognition. In the HVAC sector, “Made in China” and “Intelligent Manufacturing in China” products are steadily gaining a dominant market position due to their great products and significant technological advantages. Over the years, ISH China & CIHE has established itself as the preferred platform for global brand launches, drawing professional visitors and buyers from diverse areas such as residential, commercial, and industrial applications. It is committed to providing a comprehensive channel for new product releases and promotions. The event consistently offers an integrated and cross-platform promotional experience for leading brands throughout the global industrial chain.
The 2026 edition will align with market demand by focusing on five key areas: “Heating solutions”, “Energy solutions”, “Water solutions”, “Comfort solutions” and “Installation & intelligence”, showcasing comprehensive solutions and exploring future technology trends as well as development opportunities.
Meanwhile, the fair will bring together leading global brands in installation tools, responding to the HVAC industry’s growing emphasis on top-tier installation technology and tools. In collaboration with various industry associations, it will also feature a series of activities and competitions aimed at diversifying solutions and collectively advancing the development of superior installation technology within the sector.
ISH China & CIHE is headed by the biennial ISH event in Frankfurt, Germany, the world’s leading trade fair for HVAC + Water which will next take place from 15 – 19 March 2027. For more information, please visit www.ish.messefrankfurt.com.
For more information about ISH China & CIHE and, a further ISH event in China, ISH Shanghai & CIHE – Shanghai International Trade Fair for Heating, Ventilation, Air-conditioning & Home Comfort System, please visit www.ishc-cihe.com.
– End –
Press information and photographic material:
https://ishc-cihe.hk.messefrankfurt.com/beijing/en/press.html
Background information on Messe Frankfurt
The Messe Frankfurt Group is the world’s largest trade fair, congress and event organiser with its own exhibition grounds. With a workforce of some 2,500* people at its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main and in 28 subsidiaries, it organises events around the world. Group sales in financial year 2024 were around € 780* million. We serve our customers’ business interests efficiently within the framework of our Fairs & Events, Locations and Services business fields. One of Messe Frankfurt’s key strengths is its powerful and closely knit global sales network, which covers around 180 countries in all regions of the world. Our comprehensive range of services – both onsite and online – ensures that customers worldwide enjoy consistently high quality and flexibility when planning, organising and running their events. We are using our digital expertise to develop new business models. The wide range of services includes renting exhibition grounds, trade fair construction and marketing, personnel and food services.
Sustainability is a central pillar of our corporate strategy. Here, we strike a healthy balance between ecological and economic interests, social responsibility and diversity.
For more information, please visit our website at: www.messefrankfurt.com/sustainability
With its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main, the company is owned by the City of Frankfurt (60 percent) and the State of Hesse (40 percent).
For more information, please visit our website at: www.messefrankfurt.com
*Preliminary figures 2024
[1] “Ministry of Housing and Construction: Full renewal of old urban communities built before 2000 to be completed in 2025”, China Daily, 28 February 2025, https://qr.messefrankfurt.com/r278b (Retrieved: April 2025)
[2] “How did purchases exceed 100 million units under the home appliances trade-in policy?”, The State Council of the People's Republic of China, 20 April 2025, https://qr.messefrankfurt.com/0ddad (Retrieved: April 2025)
Download
- ISHC26_PR1_EN (pdf, 222 KB)