Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau has intensified efforts to attract more international association meetings to the city this year as it recognises the value of becoming a hub for knowledge exchange across various industry sectors.
This year, the bureau led a delegation of business events industry stakeholders from Beijing – including PCOs, hotels, and venues – to major tradeshows like IMEX Frankfurt, IBTM World, and ICCA Congress. These platforms allowed Beijing to showcase its infrastructure, promote its capabilities in hosting large-scale international meetings, and emphasise its appeal as a vibrant, culturally rich, and well-connected destination for business events.
Strategic collaborations with key government entities have also been critical to this push. The bureau works closely with the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau, the Foreign Affairs Office of Beijing Municipality, and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Beijing, and holds monthly dialogues with various government departments to make it easier for international delegates to travel to Beijing and do business there.
In terms of hardware, Beijing offers more than 500 star-rated hotels, including 49 five-star and 97 four-star hotels, which can fully meet the needs of large-scale conferences and events, shared Lin Zeng Wei, a level-two bureau rank official at the Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau.
Lin also highlighted that Beijing has multiple exhibition centres that meet industry-leading standards.
The China National Convention Center (CNCC) Phase II is set for a soft opening in December, with its first event being the ICCA Global Venue Expert Forum on December 5 and 6, which is expected to attract around 300 delegates. The official opening of the CNCC Phase II is scheduled for April 2025, and the World Gas Conference 2025, set for May 19 to 23, will be the first event following the grand opening.
Lin also emphasised Beijing’s many unique venues for offsite events, including Beijing Wtown at the foot of the Great Wall; the Universal Beijing Resort, which is ideal for hosting business events and celebrations alongside movie characters; and various sporting venues used during the 2022 Winter Olympics, all of which can be repurposed for special events.
A new attraction on the horizon is the Beijing Giant Panda Breeding Center, set to open next year in the Fangshan district, which will be a major draw for visitors and a distinctive addition to the city’s diverse offerings for event planners.
