THE convention and exhibition industry is blooming in Hangzhou and is influencing the economic structure of the city.

In 2001, when China gained membership to the World Trade Organization and dedicated efforts to developing the country's advertising industry as well as convention and exhibition business as part of the WTO agreement, few understood why the latter business was so important.

Today, the answer is clear. In 2010, the output value of the convention and exhibition industry in China was 230 billion yuan (US$35billion), while the pull effect has driven up to 2 trillion yuan nationwide, according to Zhejiang International Convention and Exhibition Association.

In 2000, Hangzhou municipal government was wise enough to revive the West Lake Expo, an event which was originally held, and then halted, in 1929.

After taking this step, Hangzhou has initiated its own way of energizing the convention and exhibition industry.

Through its efforts for more than a decade, Hangzhou has held numerous conventions and exhibitions, which has led to its receiving awards including "Top 10 Cities of Convention and Exhibition in China," "Top 10 Cities of Convention Tourism Destination in China" and "Capital of Festival."

The industry helps share with the world the rapidly growing stature and prestige of Hangzhou, and the city is perfecting its exhibition venues to welcome more exhibitors and visitors.

The following venues are the five main exhibition centers in Hangzhou, all of which have previously held major international exhibitions.

Hangzhou Peace International Conference and Exhibition Center

This center is well-known since several significant exhibitions are held here every year, including the Hangzhou Cultural and Creative Industry Expo, the farm produce exhibition and many job fairs.

It is qualified to hold such events due to its convenient traffic links and large area.

Located at the junction of four major roads (Dongxin, Shaoxing, Chaowang and Jianguo roads) in the northeast of the city, the center is surrounded by prosperous business facilities, such as banks, office buildings, cafes and restaurants.

The center has two halls covering nearly 120,000 square meters, large enough to accommodate 1,670 international-standard exhibition stands.

In 1998, when the center was first built, the area where it lies was totally bare land without a cement road, let alone the banks, cafes and restaurants.

Coupled with Hangzhou's then fledgeling convention and exhibition industry, the business of the center was so slack thatit only received two or three eventsthrough a whole year.

The situation didn't change until 2000, when the West Lake Expo was revived.

The local expo acted as a trigger, accelerating the city's development of the convention and exhibition business, while the Hangzhou Peace International Conference and Exhibition Center became the main venue of the exposition and has been ever since.

The center's old hall was too small to cater for large-scale exhibitions, so in 2003, the new hall was built, which covers 61,000 square meters.

And not surprisingly, the expansion of the center has given a boost to other economies in the surrounding area, including real estate, retail, catering and accommodation.

Address: 158 Shaoxing Rd

Tel: (0571) 8581-7008

Hangzhou International Conference and Exhibition Center

This exhibition center is more commonly known as "Auto City," because it is an auto market for new and second-hand cars and an exhibition center specializing in holding car events, such as the International Auto Exhibition and West Lake Expo Auto Show.

One of the advantages of "Auto City" is its large coverage. Its area of exhibition halls reaches 220,000 square meters, and its largest hall spans 15,000 square meters, while its parking lot provides 3,000 parking spaces.

Though located in the not-so-prosperous north Hangzhou, the volume of business is so striking that in the past 11 years, it has paid tax of up to 8.5 billion yuan.

Address: 589 Shixiang Rd

Tel: (0571) 2887-9900

Hangzhou Leisure Park International Exhibition Center

The Hangzhou Leisure Park was established when the World Leisure Expo, which showcases the latest and best examples of innovative design, public policy, programming, facilities and equipment, was first held in Xiaoshan, Hangzhou.

Its surrounding communities are blessed with an infrastructure conducive to convening large-scale events.

The venue can accommodate more than 1,000 booths in its 54,000-square-meter exhibition hall, and it has held the Hangzhou Cartoon and Animation Festival for three years.

From this September to November, the World Leisure Expo 2011 will take place here.

Address: 92 Xianghu Rd

Tel: (0571) 8386-6888

Hangzhou Haiwaihai International Convention and Exhibition Center

Subordinated to Haiwaihai Group, a private enterprise also running hotels, car trade and real estate, the exhibition center is adjacent to two hotels - five-star Crowne Plaza Hotel Hangzhou and Hangzhou Haiwaihai Hotel, an express inn.

Set up two years ago, it can contain around 700 international-standard booths in its three halls totalling around 15,000 square meters.

Though it's new, Haiwaihai's location, a mature community boasting about 30,000 permanent residents, ensures its exhibitors a large number of visitors.

Address: 329 Shangtang Rd

Tel: (0571) 8526-8496

Zhejiang World Trade International Exhibition Center

Nestling at the north side of the West Lake, Zhejiang World Trade International Exhibition Center is in a golden trading area, with Dragon Hotel, lots of bars and restaurants on Shuguang Road (Bar Street) and Zhejiang University's Yuquan campus as its neighbors.

Affiliated to Zhejiang World Trade Center which owns the five-star Zhejiang Trade Center Grand Hotel, the exhibition center is fitted with high-class equipment, such as WiFi, abundant electrical power outlets and computer interfaces.

Its six halls cover 19,000 square meters, while its square, which can be utilized as an outdoor exhibition hall, has coverage of up to 5,000 square meters.

In addition, there is a business center, snack bar, coffee shop, meeting rooms, lecture hall and an international conference hall that can hold up to 800 people in its exhibition halls.

Address: 122 Shuguang Rd

Tel: (0571) 2800-1672