Several buildings in Beijing will display light shows to welcome the coming 2021 China International Fair for Trade in Services, which is scheduled for September in the capital.

This year's CIFTIS will be held from Sept 2 to 7 with the theme "Toward a digital future and services-driven development". It will cover an area of 130,000 square meters and have more than 100 forums, meetings and promotional events.

As of July 28, 716 companies had confirmed they would attend the fair, either online or offline, including 45 companies on the Fortune Global 500 list and 285 leading industrial companies. Overseas companies make up 23 percent of the companies that have committed to attend.

In addition to companies, 165 organizations from 108 overseas countries and regions have confirmed they will participate in the exhibition.

According to the organizers, the fair this year will be held at two venues in Beijing, which is a first for the annual event. Shougang Industrial Park will be one of the venues, as will the China National Convention Center, where the event is normally held.

The fair will accelerate trade and promote economic and social development, Sun Yao, deputy head of Beijing's commerce bureau, said on Sunday.