The Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau (BMCTB) has invited Beijing’s business events players to register for, and participate in, four key European and US tradeshows in 2024.
The announcement was made in 4Q2023 to members of the bureau’s WeChat group, comprising hotels, DMCs, venues and related service providers.
Based on industry feedback, BMCTB has picked IMEX Frankfurt, May 14-16; IMEX America, October 8-10 in Las Vegas; IBTM World November 19-21 in Barcelona; and ICCA Congress October 20-23 in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Industry veteran Liu Ping, founder and CEO, China Star, has confirmed she will be participating in the four tradeshows in the BMCTB-sponsored booth and expects more than 10 exhibitors, including several state-owned business events-related companies, to sign up.
Liu noted: “Beijing is the political centre and the sending of government officials to these events shows the international community the change in the government’s attitude.”
She added there is recognition at the government level that business events can help the Chinese economy and attract investment.
SITE China Chapter’s immediate-past president Violet Wang, based in Shanghai, commented China’s attitude towards business events is “very open and welcoming” and welcomed the lead Beijing was taking.
However, as municipalities are multi-layered, Wang said it will take time for the government to know and understand the international business events market. Meanwhile, the private sector could play a more active role when promoting China overseas.
Wang continued: “(BMCTB’s move) is a good sign but the government still has to evaluate the ROI and challenges to determine if what they are doing is the right strategy.”
Lisa Xu, managing director of East Star Event Management, the new SITE China Chapter president, based in Shanghai, added: “There are language barriers, cultural differences, as well as government compliance and protocols, that can weaken a bureau’s participation and exposure in international tradeshows and association events.
“Chinese MICE is young and growing fast, sometimes too fast for international marketing, and the strategy, representation structure and ROI of international destination marketing is being constantly evaluated and adjusted.”
