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West Lake Expo: An ongoing affair in fair Hangzhou
By David McGuire |
March 26, 2009, Thursday
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CHINA'S modern convention and exhibition industry can be traced back to the 1929 West Lake Expo, and that expo in Hangzhou still thrives every year with ever-more and better attractions, reports David McGuire.
The jewel in the crown of Hangzhou is the West Lake with its stunning natural attributes and the cultural and commercial amenities that have developed around it.
Its prominence in the capital city of Zhejiang Province has always been so, but way back in 1929 an expo staged around it was arguably the genesis of the development of the modern convention and exhibition industry in China.
That first West Lake Expo was inspired by the World Expo in Philadelphia in 1926-1927 and included a convention, exhibitions and festivals, with most of the activity held near or around the lake.
It lasted more than four months and attracted 20 million visitors, setting a milestone for China's exposition industry.
It was Hangzhou's first and last expo of the era but it was revived in 2000 and the 10th anniversary was held last year.
The modern era's West Lake Expo carries on the original name but has expanded beyond the lake throughout the city's many exhibition, arena and hall facilities.
The West Lake Expo is held every year for three weeks and, according to the organizing committee's deputy director Guo Chumin, "it's the most important event of our city."
Last year the number of visitors to Hangzhou for the expo totaled 10 million, and the amount of economic benefits derived in terms of investment deals signed was nearly 14 billion yuan (US$2.04 billion) from both domestic and foreign companies.
It consists of conventions held in hotels or dedicated convention centers, trade and industry exhibitions, sporting events, outdoor activities and large-scale festivals.
"The function of the expo is not only to help develop the convention and exhibition industry, it's also helpful for the promotion of tourism and most importantly for the residents to share in what expo has brought to the city," Guo says.
"The expo is held throughout the city and scenic spots and dominates Hangzhou for three weeks in November," he says.
"We have very good venues for conferences and exhibitions, with grand hotels and meeting halls, and we also have very attractive cultures to show off," he says.
"In the investment week we have many signing ceremonies for business commitments to Hangzhou by Chinese and overseas companies," he adds.
Guo says that apart from winning investments, the expo focuses on promoting Hangzhou's history and cultural aspects, as well as the West Lake itself, the grand canal from Beijing to Hangzhou and the Xixi Wetlands.
The Office of the Organizing Committee of the West Lake Expo has a core staff of 20 but others are seconded when needed from companies and many government departments. Thousands of volunteers also are recruited.
As the expo grows, the pressure is on to continually improve the range of events and attractions.
"It is a challenge every year to find new things to refresh and improve the event," Guo says. "We have to find them, invest in them and introduce them to the expo. Last year we had 102 separate events and for the various exhibitions, 22 percent of them were from overseas.
"We welcome new ideas and concepts to upgrade the level," he says.
Guo remains undeterred about any effects the global monetary crisis might have on this year's expo.
"As we all know, the financial crisis has impacted on things, but we are confident about this year's event and think it might be a good time for conventions and exhibitions to be held," he says.
"Last year we won the right from the central government to call the event an international expo. So this year, in line with the new status, we will target more international events.
"Last week we went to Shanghai to visit the Italian trade commission and consulates to talk about cultural weeks during West Lake Expo," he says.
A representative office was set up last year in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to spread the good word about the expo, and the organization is considering opening other offices, possibly in Hong Kong and Europe.
With the planning for this year well underway, Guo is looking beyond to 2010 when he anticipates a spin-off wave of visitors to Hangzhou from Shanghai Expo.
He says a rough estimate is that Hangzhou could expect 6-8 million visitors during the six months of the Shanghai event, which will conclude only a matter of weeks before the 12th West Lake Expo is scheduled to start.
The jewel in the crown of Hangzhou is the West Lake with its stunning natural attributes and the cultural and commercial amenities that have developed around it.
Its prominence in the capital city of Zhejiang Province has always been so, but way back in 1929 an expo staged around it was arguably the genesis of the development of the modern convention and exhibition industry in China.
That first West Lake Expo was inspired by the World Expo in Philadelphia in 1926-1927 and included a convention, exhibitions and festivals, with most of the activity held near or around the lake.
It lasted more than four months and attracted 20 million visitors, setting a milestone for China's exposition industry.
It was Hangzhou's first and last expo of the era but it was revived in 2000 and the 10th anniversary was held last year.
The modern era's West Lake Expo carries on the original name but has expanded beyond the lake throughout the city's many exhibition, arena and hall facilities.
The West Lake Expo is held every year for three weeks and, according to the organizing committee's deputy director Guo Chumin, "it's the most important event of our city."
Last year the number of visitors to Hangzhou for the expo totaled 10 million, and the amount of economic benefits derived in terms of investment deals signed was nearly 14 billion yuan (US$2.04 billion) from both domestic and foreign companies.
It consists of conventions held in hotels or dedicated convention centers, trade and industry exhibitions, sporting events, outdoor activities and large-scale festivals.
"The function of the expo is not only to help develop the convention and exhibition industry, it's also helpful for the promotion of tourism and most importantly for the residents to share in what expo has brought to the city," Guo says.
"The expo is held throughout the city and scenic spots and dominates Hangzhou for three weeks in November," he says.
"We have very good venues for conferences and exhibitions, with grand hotels and meeting halls, and we also have very attractive cultures to show off," he says.
"In the investment week we have many signing ceremonies for business commitments to Hangzhou by Chinese and overseas companies," he adds.
Guo says that apart from winning investments, the expo focuses on promoting Hangzhou's history and cultural aspects, as well as the West Lake itself, the grand canal from Beijing to Hangzhou and the Xixi Wetlands.
The Office of the Organizing Committee of the West Lake Expo has a core staff of 20 but others are seconded when needed from companies and many government departments. Thousands of volunteers also are recruited.
As the expo grows, the pressure is on to continually improve the range of events and attractions.
"It is a challenge every year to find new things to refresh and improve the event," Guo says. "We have to find them, invest in them and introduce them to the expo. Last year we had 102 separate events and for the various exhibitions, 22 percent of them were from overseas.
"We welcome new ideas and concepts to upgrade the level," he says.
Guo remains undeterred about any effects the global monetary crisis might have on this year's expo.
"As we all know, the financial crisis has impacted on things, but we are confident about this year's event and think it might be a good time for conventions and exhibitions to be held," he says.
"Last year we won the right from the central government to call the event an international expo. So this year, in line with the new status, we will target more international events.
"Last week we went to Shanghai to visit the Italian trade commission and consulates to talk about cultural weeks during West Lake Expo," he says.
A representative office was set up last year in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to spread the good word about the expo, and the organization is considering opening other offices, possibly in Hong Kong and Europe.
With the planning for this year well underway, Guo is looking beyond to 2010 when he anticipates a spin-off wave of visitors to Hangzhou from Shanghai Expo.
He says a rough estimate is that Hangzhou could expect 6-8 million visitors during the six months of the Shanghai event, which will conclude only a matter of weeks before the 12th West Lake Expo is scheduled to start.
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