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'Oriental Geneva' the place to meet
By Xu Wenwen and Wu Huixin |
October 11, 2012, Thursday
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Print Edition
AFTER the Italian Industrial Design Association hired Tang Academy Cultural Co to find a partner city in China, Tang spent more than a year investigating 20 provincial capital cities.
The recommendation: Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province, a city of art and culture on scenic West Lake. The city?s aim: to transform itself into an òOriental Geneva,ó a magnet for all kinds of meetings, conferences, events and exhibitions, as well as leisure activities.
The Italian Industrial Design Association agreed that Hangzhou was the city for partnering and creative cooperation.
The investigation looked at many issues, such as government policy toward international exhibitions, the level of the city?s design industry, hardware of local exhibition pavilions, atmosphere and education level of the city?s design industry.
òHangzhou properly meets all requirements among around 20 candidate cities on the Chinese mainland, all provincial capitals,ó says Chen Feiran, general manager of Tang Academy Cultural Co?s Hangzhou branch. Thus, in this year?s Hangzhou Cultural and Creative Industry Expo, a large part is played by the Hangzhou International Design Festival, which is sponsored both by the Hangzhou government and the Italian Industrial Design Association.
As meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (also known as MICE) have emerged as a lucrative market worldwide, Hangzhou is well positioned to develop the low-carbon, high-margin industry. The city has little natural resources but is rich in historic, cultural and tourism resources.
The city has already hosted numerous international conventions and exhibitions, including the 56th International Golden Key Annual Conference, the China-Arab Cooperation Forum, the 5th International Conference on Management of Travel Destinations, the IATA Road Marathon and PATA Travel Mart 2009.
Recently held conferences include the Congress of Ophthalmology, the International Weed Science Congress (June) and the China Dairy Conference (August). It was the first time the weed science conference was held in Asia. The China Dairy Conference attracted 2,400 buyers and vendors.
To professionalize the MICE market, last October the Hangzhou government established an official Hangzhou MICE website, www.micehangzhou.com (Chinese and English). The journal Hangzhou MICE, in both Chinese and English, has been published.
Though it's overshadowed as a MICE destination by Shanghai and Guangzhou in Guangdong Province, Hangzhou has already taken a leading place among the second-tier cities.
At the southern tip of the Yangtze River Delta, Hangzhou is on the frontline of China's economic growth. As the capital of Zhejiang Province, which is famous for its vibrant private sector, the city's key industries, including pharmaceuticals, outsourcing and leisure, have vast potential.
With a fast developing economy, Hangzhou's exhibition industry is also expanding.
To fully capitalize on Hangzhou's MICE potential, the city has established its own MICE Tourism Association, providing one-stop service. Association members include luxury hotels, exhibition halls, convention centers, travel agencies, airlines and tourist attractions. The municipal government has implemented a series of incentive policies to develop MICE tourism.
Hangzhou's tourism resources, facilities and infrastructure are well known. Last August, when a Hangzhou team took part in the China Incentive, Business Travel and Meeting Exhibition, it signed 27 contracts on the spot and statements of intent to collaborate with 108 companies.
The city's efforts and numerous successful conventions and exhibitions have been recognized with awards such as a Top 10 Convention and Tourism Destination in China (twice), Best Annual MICE Destination (twice) and Best Brand of China Convention City.
In the 2011 ranking by the ICAA, an international convention association, Hangzhou ranked No. 27 among all Asia Pacific cities. In 2010 it ranked No. 40.
Scenic West Lake, Xixi Wetland and the Qiantang River (with the world's largest tidal bore) are major attractions for visitors who want to get away from demanding urban settings while still enjoying the convenience of quality infrastructure.
Ancient Chinese referred to Hangzhou as "Heaven on Earth." Lake Geneva and the city in Switzerland are famous internationally as magnets for tourism and meetings of all kinds. Hangzhou officials hope that it will one day be regarded as an Oriental Geneva.
The city's exhibition companies are extending their reach beyond Hangzhou. The Zhongbo Exhibition Group, headquartered in Hangzhou, has scheduled two major exhibitions in Shanghai in December, the China (Shanghai) International Food Safety Expo and the 1st China Geographic Indication Product Expo, which involves GPS, satellite technology and other elements.
Next month in November the Zhongbo Group will host a series of exhibitions on Hainan Island in south China, involving the leisure industry, yachting and lifestyle. It will be the third year the company has held exhibitions in Hainan.
"As an exhibition company, it is essential to take the long view to seize future opportunities," says Zhang Jingyuan, a company official, noting that China is developing its yachting and yacht-making industry.
The recommendation: Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province, a city of art and culture on scenic West Lake. The city?s aim: to transform itself into an òOriental Geneva,ó a magnet for all kinds of meetings, conferences, events and exhibitions, as well as leisure activities.
The Italian Industrial Design Association agreed that Hangzhou was the city for partnering and creative cooperation.
The investigation looked at many issues, such as government policy toward international exhibitions, the level of the city?s design industry, hardware of local exhibition pavilions, atmosphere and education level of the city?s design industry.
òHangzhou properly meets all requirements among around 20 candidate cities on the Chinese mainland, all provincial capitals,ó says Chen Feiran, general manager of Tang Academy Cultural Co?s Hangzhou branch. Thus, in this year?s Hangzhou Cultural and Creative Industry Expo, a large part is played by the Hangzhou International Design Festival, which is sponsored both by the Hangzhou government and the Italian Industrial Design Association.
As meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (also known as MICE) have emerged as a lucrative market worldwide, Hangzhou is well positioned to develop the low-carbon, high-margin industry. The city has little natural resources but is rich in historic, cultural and tourism resources.
The city has already hosted numerous international conventions and exhibitions, including the 56th International Golden Key Annual Conference, the China-Arab Cooperation Forum, the 5th International Conference on Management of Travel Destinations, the IATA Road Marathon and PATA Travel Mart 2009.
Recently held conferences include the Congress of Ophthalmology, the International Weed Science Congress (June) and the China Dairy Conference (August). It was the first time the weed science conference was held in Asia. The China Dairy Conference attracted 2,400 buyers and vendors.
To professionalize the MICE market, last October the Hangzhou government established an official Hangzhou MICE website, www.micehangzhou.com (Chinese and English). The journal Hangzhou MICE, in both Chinese and English, has been published.
Though it's overshadowed as a MICE destination by Shanghai and Guangzhou in Guangdong Province, Hangzhou has already taken a leading place among the second-tier cities.
At the southern tip of the Yangtze River Delta, Hangzhou is on the frontline of China's economic growth. As the capital of Zhejiang Province, which is famous for its vibrant private sector, the city's key industries, including pharmaceuticals, outsourcing and leisure, have vast potential.
With a fast developing economy, Hangzhou's exhibition industry is also expanding.
To fully capitalize on Hangzhou's MICE potential, the city has established its own MICE Tourism Association, providing one-stop service. Association members include luxury hotels, exhibition halls, convention centers, travel agencies, airlines and tourist attractions. The municipal government has implemented a series of incentive policies to develop MICE tourism.
Hangzhou's tourism resources, facilities and infrastructure are well known. Last August, when a Hangzhou team took part in the China Incentive, Business Travel and Meeting Exhibition, it signed 27 contracts on the spot and statements of intent to collaborate with 108 companies.
The city's efforts and numerous successful conventions and exhibitions have been recognized with awards such as a Top 10 Convention and Tourism Destination in China (twice), Best Annual MICE Destination (twice) and Best Brand of China Convention City.
In the 2011 ranking by the ICAA, an international convention association, Hangzhou ranked No. 27 among all Asia Pacific cities. In 2010 it ranked No. 40.
Scenic West Lake, Xixi Wetland and the Qiantang River (with the world's largest tidal bore) are major attractions for visitors who want to get away from demanding urban settings while still enjoying the convenience of quality infrastructure.
Ancient Chinese referred to Hangzhou as "Heaven on Earth." Lake Geneva and the city in Switzerland are famous internationally as magnets for tourism and meetings of all kinds. Hangzhou officials hope that it will one day be regarded as an Oriental Geneva.
The city's exhibition companies are extending their reach beyond Hangzhou. The Zhongbo Exhibition Group, headquartered in Hangzhou, has scheduled two major exhibitions in Shanghai in December, the China (Shanghai) International Food Safety Expo and the 1st China Geographic Indication Product Expo, which involves GPS, satellite technology and other elements.
Next month in November the Zhongbo Group will host a series of exhibitions on Hainan Island in south China, involving the leisure industry, yachting and lifestyle. It will be the third year the company has held exhibitions in Hainan.
"As an exhibition company, it is essential to take the long view to seize future opportunities," says Zhang Jingyuan, a company official, noting that China is developing its yachting and yacht-making industry.
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