Organizers hope to attract big investments
Print Edition
A presentation from Alibaba Chairman Jack Ma, shows given by laureate magicians, ideas from think tanks at global summits and international art exhibits — these are just some of the events slated for the Hangzhou West Lake International Expo.
From October 17 to November 7, the 16th Hangzhou West Lake International Expo aims to attract more than 8 million visitors. The goal is to drum up sales worth 10 billion yuan (US$1.63 billion) while organizers also want to attract US$1 billion in foreign investment and 10 billion yuan in domestic investment.
Hangzhou held its first expo in 1929, which earned fame as an international celebration of culture, technology and economic development similar to the Chicago Expo in 1893, the Paris Expo in 1900 and the Philadelphia Expo in 1926. After a long hiatus, the city government revived the event in 1999.
This year’s expo is under the theme “Creative Expo, Beautiful Hangzhou” and includes more than 50 events divided into four categories — economy and cooperation, technology, culture, and leisure.
The economy and cooperation section is anchored by the Economic-Trade and Sci-tech Cooperation Fair and focuses on speeding up the city’s economic transformation. The fair will include a forum, eight fairs and nine exhibitions. It will showcase the city’s achievements as it has developed over the years with an eye on attracting more investment from home and abroad.
This section also includes the 2014 Global Investment Summit, the Worldwide Hangzhou Entrepreneur Convention, and the International Economic Prosperity Study Center Convention.
At the same time, some foreign governments and companies are looking to raise capital during the expo.
Board of Investment of Sri Lanka will bring a package of projects to attract Chinese entrepreneurs to invest in the country. They include an US$85 million tourism venture that features an airport and luxury hotels, a real estate project involving 55,000 apartments and a US$33 million manufacturing facility.
Jack Ma, now the country’s richest man after Alibaba’s initial public offering in New York, will give a speech at the China (Hangzhou) E-commerce International Expo, a highlight of
the technology section.
Themed “Smart Technology Changes Lives,” it is expected to promote the city’s information technology industry and help Hangzhou on its way to becoming a “smart city.”
The city government has continued to pursue its “smart city” plan, which includes the Internet of Things and cloud computing. One example is the city’s citizen card, which also serves as a card for medical insurance, parking, public transportation and supermarket shopping. Further smart technologies include an online platform connecting large hospitals in the city to help patients check the results of physical examinations.
The culture section features the annual Hangzhou Culture Expo and attaches more importance to international exchanges.
An art expo, a design forum with famous Asian designers, exhibitions of Western paintings, a dialogue between scholars from China’s mainland and Taiwan, and other activities give visitors a chance to immerse themselves in Hangzhou’s many cultural offerings.
The leisure section is expected to provide some lighter entertainment and fun for visitors. Highlighted by the Citizen Leisure Festival, it also includes the 9th China International Leisure Expo, a food festival, tourism festival, an international magician’s convention and a line dance competition. Expect to see parades, food tasting events, exhibitions, performances and sports.
Meanwhile, South Korea Culture, Tourism, and Art Week is one of the Citizen Leisure Festival’s sub-events.
It will “promote Korean culture and art to Hangzhou,” said Kim Jin Gon, director of the Korean Cultural Center in Shanghai, the organizer.
During the leisure expo, exhibitors from more than 20 countries including the United States, Germany, Brazil, Thailand and India will showcase their special products.
Hangzhou continues to demonstrate its ability to host international events with distinction and style.
Earlier this year, Hangzhou was awarded the Best MICE City of 2013-2014 by the China International MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions) Forum.
Hangzhou West Lake International Expo was also awarded as the Annual Best Brand Exhibition and Convention, while Hangzhou West Lake International Expo Co Ltd was named 2013-2014 Annual Best MICE Enterprise.
Sixteen other cities in Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui and Heilongjiang provinces will also hold events in conjunction with the Organizing Committee of Hangzhou West Lake International Expo.
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