Leaf has assisted GL events to acquire a 65% stake in the organiser of Harbin Seed Expo, China’s leading exhibition for seeds and growing and seeding equipment. The historic shareholders retain 35% of the share capital and will support the future business plan.
The company currently operates three exhibitions, the main one in Harbin (city of more than 10 million inhabitants in northern China) with more than 1,000 exhibitors each year (gross floor space of 50,000 sqm), with spinoff exhibitions in the cities of Chengdu (Sichuan region) and Nanjing (capital of Jiangsu province) and plans for other regions.
The Chinese grain market in which these exhibitions operate is the second largest in the world (€18 billion in 2020) and is growing at a rapid pace in value terms. Highlighting its strategic importance, the Chinese agricultural industry is supported by a wide range of policy incentives and structural reforms driving its current shift to a quality-based and sustainable production model.
Jean-Philippe Engel, partner of the Shanghai office, led the Leaf Transaction Team with support from associates Jasmine Zhang and Liu Tong.
About GL events
As an integrated Group operating in all event professions, GL events works in three major segments: event organization, event venue management and services for fairs, and events. GL events assists companies, institutions, and event organizers at every stage of the process from the definition of their event strategies to final implementation in the field.
About Harbin Seed Expo
Since its inception 27 years ago, China (Harbin) International Seed Expo has continued to evolve and show a momentum of vigorous development recent decade in China, whose exhibitors and spectators keep rising.
As the largest seed exposition in China, Harbin Seed Expo has the characteristics of maximum area, largest numbers of exhibitors, regardless of home or abroad, and highest turnover. Years of accumulated brand influence highlights predominance in brand positioning, as well as become the professional platform for domestic and foreign buyers and traders to capture requirements and find perfect partners.
About Leaf
Leaf is a corporate law firm specialized in operations in China. Its team composed of Chinese and international corporate lawyers advises mid-cap enterprises and international corporations for their M&A operations in China, their joint-ventures with public and private Chinese players, to expand distribution networks across Asia or to structure investment in Asia-based start-ups. Leaf law firm has offices in Shanghai, Beijing and Paris.
For further information:
Jean-Philippe Engel: jp.engel@leaf-legal.com
Bruno Grangier: b.grangier@leaf-legal.com
