Association meetings and congresses can expect higher PCO standards and options galore with the city’s massive infrastructure development drive
Although the government has put in place much tougher regulations for organising meetings in China, this is unlikely to have much of an impact when it comes to supporting international meetings.
According to James Zheng, vice director, Shanghai International Conference Management Organization (SICMO), Shanghai’s tourism and convention promotion centre under the Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration (SMTA), the outlook for 2015 is “positive”, following a “not bad” 2014.
By SICMO’s count there are some 80 meetings booked in 2015. According to ICCA, Shanghai hosted 72 meetings in 2013 compared to 64 the previous year.
Zheng attributes Shanghai’s growing success to the “city’s appeal, advanced development, expertise and professionals in various industries, easy access, and it being a safe destination”.
Shanghai is also raising professional MICE standards. In January, 13 companies become the first to attain Shanghai’s Conference Organizers in Compliance with Management & Service Standards of the Meetings Industry.
They were approved by SMTA and have obtained the Shanghai Conference Service Standard Organization certificate issued by the MICE Service Standards Technical Committee of the Shanghai Tourism Standards Technical Committee.
The 13 companies are MCI Group, Healife PCO, Shanghai Fumed Convention & Exhibition Management, Shanghai China Travel International, East Star Event Management, China CYTS MICE Service, Grand China MICE, Shanghai United Event, Oppland Corporation, Duxes Business Consulting, Shanghai Topstar International Exhibition & Event Services, Skyway International Business Travel Service, and Shanghai Business International Travel.
Dominique Liu, senior business development manager, PCO division, MCI China – Shanghai office, said: “With this move, we believe service and meeting management standards will be better aligned with overseas association meeting requirements.” He added that it could also raise the level of local association meetings.
“Shanghai is becoming a more important destination for international enterprises as well as R&D centres. From the most updated government figures in 2014, there are now 484 regional headquarters, 379 R&D centres and 295 investment companies based in Shanghai, making it a major magnet for associations to consider for their future meetings,” he said.
Shanghai plays an essential role in the national economy and is a natural draw for association meetings, especially those relating to Shanghai’s key industries, said Wendy Huang, vice president, sales and marketing, Greater China, Starwood Hotels & Resorts.
“With its two airports and numerous direct domestic and international flights/trains, Shanghai offers easy access nationally and internationally, making it very convenient for meeting planners and attendees.
“As a MICE destination, the city offers world-class meeting facilities and a myriad of leisure attractions, international cuisine and entertainment options. Timeless landmarks include the Bund, Yu Garden, Chenghuang Temple, Xintiandi, the French Concession, and the upcoming Shanghai Disney Resort.”
She said notable international standard meeting venues include the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition And Convention Center located in the heart of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo site, which provides nearly 100,000m2 of indoor and outdoor space.
Additionally, room inventory has been expanding in Shanghai. Starwood operates 11 hotels in the city, offering function space totalling 20,750m2, with three more properties in the pipeline. Huang said most suited for association meetings is Sheraton Shanghai Pudong Complex, which comprises Sheraton Shanghai Hotel and Residences Pudong, as well as Four Points by Sheraton Shanghai Pudong. Together, both hotels offer 1,517m2 of meeting space and 992 rooms.
Another property for associations meetings is Sheraton Shanghai Hongqiao located near the INTEX Shanghai Exhibition and Conference Center, which offers 12,000m2 of function space.
New five-star hotels to open in 2016 include the 120-room Bulgari Hotel, 600-room W Hotel-The Bund, 270-room Le Méridien Shanghai, Jiading, and 380-room InterContinental Shimao Shanghai Wonderland. Opening this year are the 338-room Sheraton Shanghai Jiading Hotel and two Disney-themed hotels – the 800-room Toy Story Hotel and 420-room Shanghai Disneyland Hotel.
Hyatt is also expanding and in the pipeline are five new properties under two new brands – Hyatt Place and Hyatt House.
Hotels in the pipeline located close to the Shanghai Disney Resort include an InterContinental, two Howard Johnsons, a Pullman and a Hualuxe. An InterContinental is being planned in the Hongqiao Transportation Hub area.
Meanwhile, the city is in the midst of major infrastructure development and MCI’s Liu noted that more hotels opening have larger ballrooms and more function spaces.
Cherry Ye, general manager-marketing, Shanghai Pico Exhibition Management Co, highlighted that when it comes to picking a venue, Shanghai-based associations go for good location, a big ballroom, multiple choices for breakout sessions, good accommodation and service, a city landmark, and enough showcasing space.
As for new hardware, the Shanghai Convention and Exhibition Center of International Sourcing complex, which officially opened in 2014, provides another option for association meetings in west Shanghai, apart from the Shanghai International Convention Center. MCI’s Liu said a future project is in the pipeline in Lin Gang, east Shanghai, and part of the future new Pudong district centre.
Grabbing the headlines for its sheer size is the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC), also known as the China Expo Complex, in Hongqiao.
NECC is jointly built by the Ministry of Commerce of China and the Shanghai Municipal Government and is operated by investor Shanghai Exhibition Co. It is billed as the world’s largest single building with 1.47 million square metres of space and generous outdoor options.
According to Shanghai’s industry, the size of the development and its wide range of venue options will have a big impact on the scale of international and domestic events in the city as well as make NECC a business and lifestyle hub.
Judging by its cutting-edge design, green office building technology, state-of-the-art light and sound system, and advanced transportation system, NECC is expected to set a new benchmark in China.
However, SICMO’s Zheng said NECC is primarily attracting exhibitions followed by events such as fashion shows, product launches, concerts and theme parties. For association meetings, MCI’s Liu said the suitability of NECC depends on the format of the event.
“It may be suitable for an industrial association expo with a few forums, but for scientific programmes, it will require much more effort to make a good proposal,” he said.
Nevertheless, meeting planners have more than 60 meeting rooms of varying sizes to choose from. Small meeting rooms range from 100-200m2 while medium-sized ones are 300-500m2. There is a 1,000m2 banquet hall, a grand 10,000m2 multi-function hall with moveable partitions called West Hall for up to 3,000 people, and the 10,000m2, 18m-high North Hall which is suitable for red carpet receptions, forums and summits.
