Please turn your device to portrait.
The sun shading, door and automation fair drew 56,029 visitors and posted an 88 per cent rebooking rate in Shanghai, with a new R+T Southeast Asia show landing in Bangkok in November and the next Shanghai edition locked in for May 2027.
R+T Asia has closed its 2026 edition in Shanghai with its strongest result to date, reporting 56,029 visitors and signalling an expansion across the Asia Pacific that Australian retailers and fabricators sourcing offshore will want to track.
The fair, covering the sun shading, door/gate and automation sectors, drew 15,801 international buyers from 118 countries, up from 115 in 2025, and exceeded what organisers had described as the previous year’s record edition. Exhibitor confidence ran higher still: the show posted an 88 per cent re-booking rate, which organisers called a historical high.
“The 2026 edition of R+T Asia once again reaffirmed its position as one of the most influential international platforms for the sun shading, door/gate, and automation industries. From global brands to emerging regional leaders, exhibitors confirmed the strategic importance of the Asian market and the role of R+T Asia as a key gateway connecting East and West. This successful edition reinforced both the strength of the sector today and the positive momentum shaping its future worldwide,” said Roland Bleinroth, President of Landesmesse Stuttgart GmbH & Co. KG, the show’s co-organiser.
The result lands against a backdrop of shifting global trade, with companies spreading their sourcing across the Asia Pacific rather than leaning on a single market. For Australian businesses that diversification is already familiar territory, and R+T Asia remains a primary window onto the manufacturing base behind much of the local product range.
Organisers are using the momentum to grow the brand’s regional footprint. They confirmed the debut of R+T Southeast Asia 2026, running 11 to 13 November at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC). Paired with the annual Shanghai event, the Bangkok show is positioned as a second regional gateway for buyers working across Southeast Asia.
Exhibitors echoed the organisers’ read on visitor quality. “R+T Asia continues to be a key platform for Coulisse to strengthen relationships with our partners and connect with high-quality professionals from across the APAC region. We were particularly impressed by the quality of the visitors this year, with many meaningful conversations and strong business opportunities emerging throughout the show,” said Silvio Rossetto, Sales Representative for Latam South at Coulisse BV.
“R+T Asia is the leading exhibition for our business, the place where we meet our customers from all around the world. It is also where we connect with the new clients we are looking for, therefore it represents an excellent platform to further develop communication and strengthen relationships with them,” said Mustafa Uluocak, CEO at Mutex.
On the floor, the recurring themes mapped closely to where the Australian market is heading: integrated solutions tying together motorisation, intelligent controls, energy efficiency and connectivity; growing demand for low-carbon building products that improve thermal comfort and cut energy use; and a clear lift in outdoor living, with pergolas, awnings and integrated outdoor systems drawing strong interest. Organisers also pointed to Asian manufacturing moving up the value chain towards higher-value, innovation-led production.
Networking remained central to the event. The show’s Buyer Club drew more than 100 members from the Americas, Europe, South and Southeast Asia and Oceania, while at the domestic level R+T Asia hosted ten separate buyer delegations from cities across eastern China.
The next R+T Asia runs 26 to 28 May 2027 at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre in Shanghai. Among the 2026 crowd were Australian exhibitors and buyers, whose read on the show WFA reports on Page 40.
