The international exhibition and conference is due to take place at the Shanghai Exhibition Centre in downtown Shanghai, Peoples Republic of China from March 6 - 9.

“It’s very satisfying to see the growth of this event following our inaugural appearance in April 2004,” said Richard West, Managing Director of organisers the London-based Westrade Group.

“We have forged excellent partnerships with the China Shanghai Society for Trenchless Technology (CSSTT) and Shanghai Technology Convention & Exhibition Company (STCEC) and this close collaboration has resulted in a superb program of papers to be presented in the conference and a truly representative display of equipment by manufacturers from literally all over the world. The show is due to grow by as much as 50 per cent.”

The three-day program offers something for all engineers working in the industry. The two-day conference, simultaneously translated into Chinese and English, will feature papers on a range of activities presented by speakers from around the world.

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Day three will include a series of site visits to projects currently progressing within the Shanghai city limits, an exclusive opportunity for registered conference delegates.

Registration details and fees will soon appear on Westrade’s website.

A new feature of the TRENCHLESS ASIA 2006 program will be a series of half hour technical presentations from exhibitors which follow on from the generic conference papers. All visitors will also be able to attend, without charge, a series of commercial sessions where exhibitors will discuss their latest technology.

The exhibition has expanded both inside and outside as participants have increased their investment by shipping in heavy equipment, much of which will be seen for the first time in China.

New HDD rigs will be on show from Balama Vermeer, Case Kobelco, Ditch Witch, Drillto, Shanghai WinMarket, Sany, Xu Gong and many more.

National groups are scheduled to attend from Germany and Japan, as are individual companies from the USA, Scandinavia, UK, Italy, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. Chinese products now comprise half of the display and many of these local manufacturers will be using TRENCHLESS ASIA 2006 to launch new developments in their product ranges.

TRENCHLESS ASIA 2006 is sponsored by the China Shanghai Society for Trenchless Technology (CSSTT), the China Beijing Society for Trenchless Technology (CSTT), the China Hong Kong Society for Trenchless Technology, (CHKSTT), the China Guangzhou Society for Trenchless Technology (CGSTT) and the International Society for Trenchless Technology (ISTT).

A full listing of participants along with the conference papers, technical seminars and all associated events will be updated as preparations progress on http://www.westrade.co.uk. Conference delegate and exhibition/technical seminar forms will soon be uploaded for those wishing to register online.

The specialisation of this market means that the organisers are targeting a very focused market. TRENCHLESS ASIA 2004 showcased nearly 100 companies from 13 countries who were visited by over 2,000 visitors, 85 per cent of which came from mainland China, with the remaining 15 per cent from the Asia Pacific region and further afield.

ASTT members seeking opportunities to develop their business in this part of the world are invited to contact Jeff Pace for details of special rates offered to participate in the planned Australasian Pavilion. The ASTT is offering its members a 10 per cent discount off the published rates for exhibiting at Shanghai.