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West Lake International Expo will have it all
By Xu Wenwen |
June 18, 2012, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
RUNNING a marathon in the hills, seeing the latest robots and high-tech products, attending talks on health and business and touring nearby counties - all those activities and many more are part of the West Lake International Expo in Hangzhou.
Launched in 1929 but suspended later, the West Lake Expo was resumed in 2000 by the local government and has been held every year since then.
This year the expo is a comprehensive package of 97 programs from exhibitions and festivals to conventions and meetings, extending from February to November; key programs run from June to November.
Numerous leisure and entertainment programs are on offer, such as a tourism festival, sports meets and fashion shows.
"West Lake International Expo is not a literal expo but an event where people can enjoy themselves, which helps boost the city's harmony index and citizen's happiness," says Ye Min, director of the Organizing Committee of the Hangzhou West Lake International Expo.
Hangzhou is emphasizing leisure-related industries.
Last year, the World Leisure Expo was held in Hangzhou and Hangzhou was then identified as an "internationally important tourism leisure center" by the State Council. The city lists the tourism industry among its very top key industries.
A boost to tourism
And West Lake International Expo will give a big boost to tourism.
During this year's West Lake International Expo, there will be other international events held consecutively: China International Leisure Industry Expo, China (Hangzhou) Leisure Development International Forum, Hangzhou International Leisure Music Festival and China International Leisure Sports Industry Expo.
Each year, Hangzhou holds more than 8,000 conventions and meetings, including nearly 500 international events.
In recent years, around 100 international festivals and exhibitions have been held in the city, accounting for 30 percent of the total. In addition, the proportion of international exhibition booths among the total is almost 40 percent.
The expo has attracted increasing foreign capital, from US$200 million in 2000 to more than US$1 billion last year.
"Through the years I see more and more foreign faces, foreign products and technology in exhibitions, and I know it is the result of marketization and branding," says Ren Xing, director of the board of Zhongbo Exhibition Group, one of the leading exhibition companies in Hangzhou.
"On average, the domino effect of the exhibition and conferencing industry is 1:9, and I find the effect that foreign exhibitors trigger is even stronger," he adds.
Regionalism is also important and a vital function of the West Lake International Expo is to achieve a win-win situation among Hangzhou and nearby areas.
This will be the first year that the expo is launched not only in Hangzhou but also in 10 other cities in Zhejiang Province and in Fengjing Town in Shanghai, Kunshan in Jiangsu Province, Huizhou in Anhui Province and Tieling in Liaoning Province.
These are known for tourism or leisure culture.
"We aim to accelerate the economy of Yangtze River Delta by interacting with cities and towns in and around the economic circle, and exchange culture with cities which are also known for leisure spirit," says Director Ye.
More than 100 exhibitions, meetings and festivals will be held at the 14 parallel venues from October to November.
Last year Hangzhou held around 150 festivals and around 150 exhibitions, covering around 1.6 million square meters.
Also, Hangzhou achieved trade volume of 2.3 billion yuan during the last West Lake International Expo, and introduced foreign capital of over US$1 billion and domestic capital of about 1.3 billion yuan (US$361 million).
Today, the city's convention and exhibition industry association has more than 200 member companies. The number of companies in this industry is 30 percent higher than in 2005, forming a complete industry chain.
A plan issued last year by local government states that by 2015, Hangzhou is expected to hold 200 exhibitions, each covering more than 5,000 square meters. The area covered by all exhibitions held in the city is expected to reach 3 million square meters.
The plan projects that the city will hold 12,000 meetings of all kinds, including more than 600 international ones, and 200 large festivals.
The increase of trade volume from exhibitions is expected to continue at more than 9 percent, driving 0.6 percentage points of the city's GDP.
Launched in 1929 but suspended later, the West Lake Expo was resumed in 2000 by the local government and has been held every year since then.
This year the expo is a comprehensive package of 97 programs from exhibitions and festivals to conventions and meetings, extending from February to November; key programs run from June to November.
Numerous leisure and entertainment programs are on offer, such as a tourism festival, sports meets and fashion shows.
"West Lake International Expo is not a literal expo but an event where people can enjoy themselves, which helps boost the city's harmony index and citizen's happiness," says Ye Min, director of the Organizing Committee of the Hangzhou West Lake International Expo.
Hangzhou is emphasizing leisure-related industries.
Last year, the World Leisure Expo was held in Hangzhou and Hangzhou was then identified as an "internationally important tourism leisure center" by the State Council. The city lists the tourism industry among its very top key industries.
A boost to tourism
And West Lake International Expo will give a big boost to tourism.
During this year's West Lake International Expo, there will be other international events held consecutively: China International Leisure Industry Expo, China (Hangzhou) Leisure Development International Forum, Hangzhou International Leisure Music Festival and China International Leisure Sports Industry Expo.
Each year, Hangzhou holds more than 8,000 conventions and meetings, including nearly 500 international events.
In recent years, around 100 international festivals and exhibitions have been held in the city, accounting for 30 percent of the total. In addition, the proportion of international exhibition booths among the total is almost 40 percent.
The expo has attracted increasing foreign capital, from US$200 million in 2000 to more than US$1 billion last year.
"Through the years I see more and more foreign faces, foreign products and technology in exhibitions, and I know it is the result of marketization and branding," says Ren Xing, director of the board of Zhongbo Exhibition Group, one of the leading exhibition companies in Hangzhou.
"On average, the domino effect of the exhibition and conferencing industry is 1:9, and I find the effect that foreign exhibitors trigger is even stronger," he adds.
Regionalism is also important and a vital function of the West Lake International Expo is to achieve a win-win situation among Hangzhou and nearby areas.
This will be the first year that the expo is launched not only in Hangzhou but also in 10 other cities in Zhejiang Province and in Fengjing Town in Shanghai, Kunshan in Jiangsu Province, Huizhou in Anhui Province and Tieling in Liaoning Province.
These are known for tourism or leisure culture.
"We aim to accelerate the economy of Yangtze River Delta by interacting with cities and towns in and around the economic circle, and exchange culture with cities which are also known for leisure spirit," says Director Ye.
More than 100 exhibitions, meetings and festivals will be held at the 14 parallel venues from October to November.
Last year Hangzhou held around 150 festivals and around 150 exhibitions, covering around 1.6 million square meters.
Also, Hangzhou achieved trade volume of 2.3 billion yuan during the last West Lake International Expo, and introduced foreign capital of over US$1 billion and domestic capital of about 1.3 billion yuan (US$361 million).
Today, the city's convention and exhibition industry association has more than 200 member companies. The number of companies in this industry is 30 percent higher than in 2005, forming a complete industry chain.
A plan issued last year by local government states that by 2015, Hangzhou is expected to hold 200 exhibitions, each covering more than 5,000 square meters. The area covered by all exhibitions held in the city is expected to reach 3 million square meters.
The plan projects that the city will hold 12,000 meetings of all kinds, including more than 600 international ones, and 200 large festivals.
The increase of trade volume from exhibitions is expected to continue at more than 9 percent, driving 0.6 percentage points of the city's GDP.
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