Meeting seen as springboard

Huairou district expects to see swift growth in its conferences and exhibitions sector despite some criticism of its ability to make full use of the legacy of the 2014 APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, industry insiders said.

The total investment from Huairou to prepare for the APEC meeting is about 30 billion yuan ($4.9 billion), an insider said.

In 1995, Huairou hosted the Fourth World Conference on Women.

However, the district's convention and exhibition industry did not get the boost that was expected after 1995. The two convention centers constructed for the 1990 Asian Games and 2008 Beijing Olympics both enjoyed frequent use afterward.

Wu Shaoyuan, chief international conference expert of China CYTS MICE Service Co, said it is not true that Huairou "missed" its opportunity in 1995.

"In 1995, the convention and exhibition industry was still at an early stage, and it was not as mature as today," Wu said. "Not to mention the transportation, hospitality and communications situations then."

This time is different, Wu said, as the transportation system has improved.

"I once drove from Renmin University of China to the local government offices of Huairou district - it took me less than one hour and the traffic was good.

"With the popularity of the Internet, especially the mobile Internet, suburbs are not 'isolated islands' anymore."

Liu Hongwei, an expert on expositions with the China Convention Exhibition and Event Society, said Chinese authorities adopted a new strategy after the 2008 Olympics and preparations for high-profile international events no longer generate as much waste as critics presume.

Huairou has been making efforts to find projects to book into its center after the 2014 APEC meeting, he said.

(China Daily 11/10/2014 page33)