The world is getting smaller, as the saying goes. It is also getter larger, when one moves one’s eyes across the globe and realises that vast countries like China are capable of holding more and more world-class events. Compared to those uniformly high-standard and tightly-controlled events organised in the developed countries, China offers much more possibilities. Whether for the convenience of case study or for the benefit of attracting a great number of audiences, China can be counted as one of the most engaging places to meet colleagues from disparate milieus.
Cities Booming in Exhibition Business
Both the world and China have begun to appreciate the immense opportunity to develop and promote the exhibition industry in China. A few large cities in the country have devised projects to construct top exhibition pavilions. Several big cities in the prosperous east and south China have been holding UFI (The Global Association of Exhibition Industry, (see http://www.ufi.org/) approved events in recent years.
Beijing used to have the largest area of exhibition venues and high quality facilities in the country. By 2010, the exhibition business of the city has reached 4 billion CNY. After several decades since its foundation, however, many of the old pavilions were overused and lacked maintenance and renovation. The city is planning to build a brand new centre to meet prospective exhibition needs in the coming 30 years. Regulations for the profession are also being updated to facilitate fast development of the exhibition business. Beijing will be holding 17 UFI approved events in 2014.
Shanghai has overtaken Beijing and become the best venue for exhibitions in recent years. According to the official website of UFI, Shanghai will be holding 23 UFI approved events in 2014, the topmost of the country. The city has also become one of the best arising exhibition venues in the world. Shanghai has determined to overcome red tape and legislative barriers to stride even further in becoming the most sought after venue within the exhibition and fair industry.. The Shanghai Exhibition Centre has been jointly built with Deutsche Messe AG Hannover, Messe Düsseldorf GmbH and Messe München GmbH, which reveals overseas confidence in the promising exhibition business of Shanghai. Another famous German brand, Messe Frankfurt GmbH, also opened its branch in Shanghai. Over 4,000 people work in the exhibition business in Shanghai, providing enormous opportunities for overseas trainers to improve expertise in the field.
Guangdong province has two leading cities in the national exhibition business. Whilst Shenzhen will be holding 10 UFI approved events in 2014, Guangzhou will be holding 7. Guangzhou has been holding the biggest and highest-acclaimed international trade fair with nearly 50 years of history. Exhibitions held in Guangzhou are mostly attended by foreign visitors. Shenzhen has become a leader in exhibition business since 1999, when high-tech expositions were first held here. A variety of exhibitions have mushroomed ever since.
Another leading exhibition city, Dalian, is located way north in the peninsula of Liaoning Province. The Dalian International Garment & Textile Fair is the one approved event by UFI annually held in the beautiful tourist city.
Academic Conference Alternatives Elsewhere
Auditoriums and conferring halls at various universities and city hotels are ideal venues for conferences and events of well-controlled scales. In this case, booming cities throughout China provides numerous choices since academic conferences do not usually need immense venues of top quality. The great area lying in the middle and west China also offers vast possibilities for people with an interest to take a look at the country’s varying views and cultures in addition to attending the conference.
For overseas programs interested in holding events in China, the first thing they need to do well is have a detailed schedule specifying the concentration and theme of the event. An international event organised in China would become a memorable experience when organised by teams of experts in hospitality and conference hosting. Find the staff with experience dealing with conferences and events every day. Decide on the details that need to be especially taken care of. Differences concerning technical facilities like multimedia, computers and projectors should be especially considered. Participants from abroad may get accustomed to different software systems and products. Solutions, however, can be easily fixed when the organising committee addresses such details in advance and takes necessary action way ahead the conference.
If infrastructures could be dismissed as secondary considerations, food, entertainment, traffic and sightseeing in most Chinese cities can be a lot richer, better and far less costly than in most other parts of the world. That said, beforehand comparison and decision are still highly recommended since expenses vary from city to city.
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