MICE Supplement: China Venues

Shanghai

The 2010 World Expo was many things…a great tourist attraction, a means for social change and a way for Shanghai, and China in general, to show off to the world. Ultimately though, it was just the largest MICE event of all time. Now six or so months since Haibao has moved on, it’s time to look at what’s next on the agenda for the MICE industry in Shanghai and how it can continue to develop in the shadow of the Expo.

Never ones to rest on their laurels, the Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration (SMTA) have begun to implement a plan to continue the growth of the MICE industry in Shanghai. With projects like the Disney theme park in Pudong and the redevelopment of already popular areas like Hongqiao, the plan is to almost double the city’s current capacity.

Shanghai saw massive changes to its infrastructure during the Expo. Over the years leading up to the event, hotel after hotel sprang up – each one offering their own take on how MICE should be conducted. In fact there were so many international and domestic brands appearing on the map that some commentators predicted an oversupply. Luckily a combination of excellent services and China’s economic strength has meant that many of the hotels that opened are doing great.

It isn’t hard to see why forecasters are predicting that the industry in Shanghai will continue to grow at its current rate. The recent Incentive Travel & Conventions, Meetings (IT&CM) conference saw a 10 per cent rise in attendance from the previous year, and is expected to continue to grow for the foreseeable future. Part of the STMA’s inaugural Shanghai Business Events Week, the IT&CM and other related events are a collaboration among leading players to take the China MICE industry to new heights.

With this and the prospect of even greater financial stability on the horizon, Shanghai’s MICE industry should no longer look back on the Expo as the best that this city could produce, and instead be excited about the future.