The first Asia Pacific Corporate Annual Conference (APCAC) was held last week in Shenzhen, China, providing a B2B platform for Chinese event buyers to access comprehensive products and services required for annual meetings and for industry professionals to discuss current trends.
The two-day event, created by Shenzhen-based Xinjia Culture Co, a subsidiary of TTG Asia Media, aimed to promote a healthy development of annual meetings among China’s companies.
It was attended by more than 200 corporate buyers from across China, and showcased destinations, hotels, venue operators and other event suppliers from southern Chinese cities and the Greater Bay Area.
The conference featured topics such as ESG considerations in RFPs, which was presented by Cathy Yun, founder of Sourcing China, and various panel discussions on issues impacting Chinese annual meetings.
Jian Zheng, deputy district mayor of Yantian District, Shenzhen, who opened the the event on May 15, said APCAC had chosen a high quality location for its debut event.
He noted that Yantian District is an “ecological city embraced by mountains and sea, a vibrant city of cultural tourism innovation, and a shining pearl of the Greater Bay Area”.
He also emphasised Yantian District’s accessibility, as it is the only city in China that is connected to Hong Kong by both land and water.
Yantian District has a thriving domestic tourism industry. It welcomed more than 20 million tourists in 2024 and recorded an excess of RMB 20 million (US) in tourism revenue.
This year, for the long Labour Day holidays, Yantian District, the destination received more than 900,000 tourists, an increase of 80 per cent year-on-year.
Jian is eager to extend an invitation to the world, for all leisure and business visitors to come and experience the beauty of Yantian District.
In his speech in Mandarin, Jian also shared that several developments have taken place across Yantian District – a duty-free shopping paradise has been created on Zhongying Street; MGM Shenzhen has opened on the Xiaomeisha beachfront; Overseas Chinese Town (OCT) East is being upgraded to create a world-class mountain and sea ecological tourism destination; and Shatoujiao Port is being transformed into a cultural and commercial complex.
