Good times for Shanghai

The National Exhibition & Convention Center is among Shanghai’s new plus factors

Latest available ICCA data show meetings are growing in Shanghai and prospects are good in 2015 and beyond. Caroline Boey reports

Shanghai’s performance improved 12.5 per cent in 2013 over the previous year, latest available ICCA International Association Meetings Market Rankings for Cities and Countries shows.

Ranked second in China after Beijing, Shanghai hosted 72 meetings in 2013 compared with 64 the previous year.

In contrast, Beijing’s performance fell – 105 events in 2013 compared to 109 in 2012.

The injection of new infrastructure this year and in 2016 is adding to Shanghai’s growing appeal as a world MICE destination and, according to James Zheng, vice director, Shanghai International Conference Management Organization (SICMO), the outlook for 2015 is “bright and positive” with 2016 forecast to be even better.

SICMO is Shanghai’s tourism and convention promotion centre under the Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration (SMTA) and Zheng said the city has been receiving more RFPs than ever before since the beginning of 2013.

The mega National Exhibition & Convention Center (NECC) in Hongqiao – soft opened in September 2014 and scheduled to officially open in June – is creating a lot of buzz in the city.

The targeted year-end or early-2016 opening of the Disneyland Resort in Pudong is the other plus factor.

Zheng added: “The complete opening of NECC will have a huge impact on Shanghai’s MICE industry. There will be an even bigger impact when the Shanghai Disneyland Resort opens.”

Enhanced air accessibility also helped. In 2013, Shanghai was served by 93 airlines comprising 70 international and regional carriers, and 23 domestic.

There are air links to 114 international and regional cities and 125 in China.

Patrick Chen, deputy director, SMTA international tourism promotion department, said: “It’s not only international association meetings that come to Shanghai. The biggest and strongest segment is corporate meetings, and Shanghai will become even more vibrant because of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free-Trade Zone, and more investments coming into the city.”

According to SICMO, some 80 international conferences are taking place in Shanghai this year, including the 9th IATA World Cargo Symposium and a large number of medical events.

Further down the road, the 2020 Global Endometriosis Conference has picked Shanghai.

Meanwhile, a large number of exhibitions spanning a wide spectrum of industries – food ingredients, die casting, textiles, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment – are booked at NECC. More than 30 events are taking place this year, according to SICMO.

The city’s hoteliers agree NECC will have a huge impact on the city.

Rene Teuscher, general manager, Grand Millennium Shanghai HongQiao, said: “All hotels in the Hongqiao area will benefit from the 23 exhibitions already announced at NECC, including Auto Shanghai 2015 and medical equipment fair CMEF 2015.

“As we are one of the nearest hotels to NECC, some of the organisers have already signed contracts with us, and some exhibiting companies have also signed contracts with us directly (for accommodation) during the auto show period.”

Daniel Aylmer, general manager, Le Royal Méridien Shanghai and area managing director, East China, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, added: “Shanghai is already an international MICE destination. With the opening of NECC, the city will get more worldwide attention and become a more sophisticated MICE destination.

“NECC will help to promote Shanghai and China’s economic restructuring, expedite the transformation of economic growth patterns, and contribute to the stable and healthy development of China’s economy and society.

“NECC, said to be the world’s largest single building and a leading global exhibition complex, is set to be a major driver for Shanghai’s growth into an international trade centre.”

Babita Kanwar, director of sales and marketing, Shanghai Marriott Hotel City Centre, said: “Whenever a city makes infrastructure improvements, there is an inevitable ripple effect to complementary businesses.

“In our case, we’re looking forward to more large-scale conventions being attracted to the city, which will of course in turn have a positive effect on our MICE business.

“Meeting planners that were choosing a domestic MICE destination will definitely give Shanghai greater consideration because of the facility, and having NECC on the table may be the factor that tips the scale in Shanghai’s favour for many international meeting planners selecting Asia or China as a destination.”

SICMO’s Zheng said as a result of Shanghai hosting the 52nd ICCA Annual Congress in November 2013, many foreign international conference organisers and meetings service suppliers are now looking at Shanghai for their future events.

“The fact that these conferences and meetings are to be held in Shanghai shows the positive effect of the Shanghai ICCA Annual Congress in promoting and publicising Shanghai, expanding Shanghai`s appeal in the international conference market, and attracting more international conferences to Shanghai,” Zheng noted.

Ideas

Six-day cultural encounter in Shanghai for incentive groups

Humble Administrator’s Garden, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Day 1

Arrival and welcome reception at Wharf 1846’s Sigma Film Club.

Day 2

Visit Shanghai Museum to learn about the long history and rich collection of Chinese paintings, bronzeware, porcelain and furniture.
Enjoy a Shanghai dim sum lunch at Lvbolang Restaurant, then spend the afternoon visiting Yu Garden and Shanghai Old Street.

In the evening, enjoy the best acrobatic show at Shanghai Circus World.

Day 3

In the morning, visit Humble Administrator’s Garden, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, followed by Suzhou Museum designed by Pritzker Prize winner, world-famous Chinese-American architect I M Pei.

After lunch at Song He Lou – a time-honoured restaurant in Suzhou, visit a silk mill to learn the process of silk spinning.

Dinner is back in Shanghai at Table No.1 Restaurant located in a boutique hotel, the Waterhouse at South Bund at the Cool Docks.

Day 4

Go on a one-day excursion to Hangzhou, famous for its picturesque West Lake.

In the morning, visit a tea plantation, where the most famous Chinese green tea – longjin (dragon well)–originates.

Lunch is at Lou Wai Lou Restaurant, noted for its authentic Hangzhou cuisine dishes. Thereafter, cruise on West Lake.

Return to Shanghai and enjoy a themed dinner at a villa-house restaurant.

Day 5

Morning tai-chi at Zhongshan Park, Jing’an Park or People’s Park followed by a bicycle tour of the former French concession from Fuxing Park (former French Park) to Middle Fuxing Road, Hengshan Road, West Jianguo Road and Tianzifang.

Lunch at Xiao San Tang, a fusion restaurant, and in the afternoon, discover and experience Tianzifang with its special architecture of old Shanghai. The area is now filled with bars, cafés, studios, galleries, boutiques and local designer craftshops.

Attend a farewell dinner at the European Hall of the Shanghai International Convention Center and enjoy a breathtaking view of the Bund at night.

Day 6

Rest and prepare for an evening departure by Maglev train to Pudong International Airport and head home.

Itinerary by Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration

Need to Know

New airport bus route

Pudong International Airport Terminal 2

The routing of the No. 5 shuttle bus that runs between Shanghai Railway Station and Pudong International Airport has changed.

The service will no longer stop at Yanggao Road, Yan’an Road, Chengdu Road, and Fangdian Road Metro stations.

It will go instead to Yan’an Road E, Zhejiang Road and Longyang Road Metro stations.

Shanghai sets PCO  standards

Thirteen companies have become the first to attain Shanghai’s Conference Organizers in Compliance with Management & Service Standards of the Meetings Industry.

They were approved by the Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration in January and have obtained the Shanghai Conference Service Standard Organization certificate issued by the MICE Service Standards Technical Committee of the Shanghai Tourism Standards Technical Committee.

The 13 companies are: MCI Group (Shanghai), Healife PCO, Shanghai Fumed Convention & Exhibition Management, Shanghai China Travel International, East Star Event Management, China CYTS MICE (Shanghai) Service, Grand China MICE (Shanghai), Shanghai United Event, Oppland Corporation, Duxes Business Consulting, Shanghai Topstar International Exhibition & Event Services, Skyway International Business Travel Service and Shanghai Business International Travel.

Hotel openings in 2016

A number of new five-star luxury hotels will be added to Shanghai’s room inventory next year.

They include the 120-room Bvlgari Hotel, 600-room W Hotel-The Bund, 270-room Le Méridien Shanghai, Jiading and 380-room InterContinental Shimao Shanghai Wonderland.

Meanwhile, the 338-room Sheraton Shanghai Jiading Hotel and two Disney-themed hotels – the 800-room Toy Story Hotel and 420-room Shanghai Disneyland Hotel – are opening this year.


Bvlgari Hotel

Hyatt expands in Shanghai

In the pipeline are five new properties under two new Hyatt brands.

They are Hyatt Place Shanghai New Hongqiao, Hyatt Place Shanghai Hongqiao CBD, Hyatt House Shanghai Hongqiao CBD, Hyatt House Shanghai New Hongqiao, and Hyatt House Shanghai Jiading.

Meanwhile, hotels in the pipeline close to the Shanghai Disney Resort include an InterContinental, two Howard Johnsons, a Pullman and a Hualuxe.

In addition, an InterContinental is being planned in the Hongqiao Transportation Hub area.

Terminal building becomes shopping mall

The Shanghai Airport City Terminal Building on Nanjing Road W, built in 2002 to facilitate check-in for flights at either Hongqiao or Pudong international airports, has been renovated and turned into a shopping mall.

A Shanghai Airport Authority official said travellers will still be able to buy air tickets and check flight information at the location.

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