Time for showcasing success
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A man dries tea at the 2010 China Hangzhou West Lake Tea Culture Expo held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, from March 26 to April 23. Li Zhong / For China Daily |
HANGZHOU - The capital of Zhejiang province is set to develop its conference and exhibition industry with the help of Expo 2010 Shanghai, when a special forum will be held on Oct 4.
A series of topics on creating "a harmonious city for livable life", covering three main areas such as urban space, urban society and the urban environment will be discussed during the four-day forum. Up to 600 participants are expected to attend the event.
"The Expo itself is an exhibition. It will also promote Hangzhou to accelerate the development of the exhibition industry, since it will be inevitable to move some conferences and exhibitions to nearby cities when Shanghai is full. In this case, Hangzhou will be the first choice," said Wang Bingwen, head of exhibition administration of the West Lake International Expo Committee in Hangzhou.
Wang said Hangzhou has already signed a contract with the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination to help hold some exhibitions during the Expo period. Also, some enterprises, which have not been selected to present products on the Expo, are expressing their wish to hold exhibitions in Hangzhou. The West Lake International Expo itself has been a famous, annual grand event in Hangzhou since 2000.
"We cherish the golden opportunity of helping Shanghai hold some forums and exhibitions during the Expo," Wang said.
By hosting the forum and a series of exhibitions, Hangzhou will also attract much more public attention, compared with other nearby cities. Eight million people are expected to visit Hangzhou in the next six months during the Expo.
As early as 2007, Hangzhou's travel bureau already conducted a special survey on the travel and consumption habits targeted at foreigners in Shanghai. Based on the survey results, the local government carried out measures last year to attract visitors to Hangzhou during the Expo. These included planning special travel programs themed along water scenes and enjoyable lifestyles in Hangzhou, as well as performances on June 6 in the Expo Garden.
CHINA DAILY
(China Daily 05/01/2010 page10)
