HANGZHOU, China, Aug. 8, 2020 — On the afternoon of August 7, Hangzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, TV and Tourism launches the "Linking Hangzhou" international roadshow online, in a bid to enhance the global influence of Hangzhou as a "new economy conference destination." While presenting a new chapter of the cosmopolitan metropolis, it also envisions the revival of Hangzhou’s cultural and tourism industries in the post-COVID-19 era. The event leverages live-streaming platforms and online video conferencing technology at home and abroad, and simultaneously promotes Hangzhou’s MICE resources to customers worldwide for the first time. It not only demonstrates the vitality of Hangzhou as a "new economic conference destination," but also showcases the infinite potential of Hangzhou, a historically and culturally famed city with ever-lasting charm, as it embraces the future. At the same time, the event also invites 37 Singaporean MICE customers to join Hangzhou-based enterprises in online business negotiations in an endeavor to promote the city’s new image and attract more international conferences.
Highlight 1: Hangzhou’s First Online International Promotion in the Post-COVID-19 Era
The "Linking Hangzhou" international roadshow is an exploratory measure of Hangzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, TV and Tourism, which for the first time live-streams its MICE promotion worldwide. Having adapted to the post-COVID-19 era, the bureau advertises Hangzhou’s strengths and resources as a new economy conference destination to the world through Dingtalk, BizConf Video and social network platforms such as Facebook and YouTube. With the help of digital technology, the bureau is dedicated to launching local cultural and tourism industries onto a new journey of quality and efficiency improvement.
By breaking through the physical limitations of face-to-face communication and building a scenario-rich conference ecosystem, the bureau is leveraging the treasure trove of with intelligent digital technology to expand the boundary of meetings. To top off last year’s "Hello Hangzhou", China’s first large-scale immersive conference visualized with the most cutting-edge technology, this "Linking Hangzhou" promotion transcends the barrier of space and time and visualizes simultaneous connection through intelligent conferencing system, convening MICE practitioners worldwide for closed-door business negotiations online. The innovative event not only achieves customized matchmaking between MICE suppliers and customers in a more efficient way, but also gives a shot in the arm for the recovery of the cultural and tourism industries and the development of MICE industry.
In addition, the promotion video Time to Meet Hangzhou, which premieres globally, showcases the diversity of Hangzhou from four dimensions: comfortable lifestyle, cultural experience, booming industries, and creativity. Following the video three MICE products, including the exploration of new economy industry, traditional cultural experience, vibrant teambuilding and Hangzhou locals’ lifestyle, are presented to feature Hangzhou’s new image as a thriving city with traditional Chinese charm and vitality in the post-COVID-19 era.
Highlight 2: Exploring Hangzhou with Singaporean Experience Officer
Frankson Lee, General Manager of InterContinental Hangzhou and a Singaporean, is featured in a short clip as the experience officer who joins four local MICE suppliers to explore exciting MICE venues in Hangzhou and brings a "Singaporean perspective of Hangzhou." By diving into the infinite charm of MICE industry, Frankson takes the audience on a thrilling trip to discover Hangzhou’s latest MICE products.
His trip includes the introduction to Zhe school of qin, an intangible cultural heritage that amasses thousands of years of traditional Chinese culture; canoeing, a delightful, recreational teambuilding activity; a visit to Alibaba, a corporate champion that embodies Hangzhou‘ achievements in digital economy; and a visit to Chenghuang Pavilion which abounds with Hangzhou’s beauty and cultural heritage. At the half-century-old West Lake Guqin Society, Frankson learns the essence of Chinese music from Xu Junyue, an inheritor of the Zhe school of qin, and talks about poetic lifestyle in the melody of the instrument. Guided by Alibaba Group PR expert Zhang Yuan, Frankson pays a visit to Alibaba’s headquarters to discover its innovative corporate culture and management philosophy, and the unique charm of an international enterprise and representative of China’s new economic industry. On the beautiful Xianghu Lake, he ventures on a low-carbon aquatic trip and is given a glimpse to the passion and vitality that Hangzhou will offer in the 2022 Asian Games. In Chenghuang Pavilion at the peak of Mountain Wu, he gives a go at diancha under the guidance of Xu Zhigao, an inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage from Song Dynasty, and peeks into the integration of the past and the present. Hangzhou, as a MICE destination, captures the imagination of its visitors with ever-growing charm.
Highlight 3: Bridging Supply and Demand for Recovery
The roadshow also features the online matchmaking of 37 Singapore-based quality MICE customers with 31 MICE service providers in Hangzhou for potential cooperation in the future. While enhancing the connection of both sides, their dialog on supply and demand has paved the way for the development of cross-border MICE cooperation in the post-COVID-19 era.
Singapore-based customers such as Experia Events Pte. Ltd., a former organizer of the Singapore Airshow, M.I.C.E. Matters, a professional MICE company with projects in over 30 countries, and TLC Events Pte. Ltd., a front-running digital MICE company, along with the representatives of high-caliber enterprises and associations, such as Autodesk Asia, SiS Asia and Hemispheres Foundation, attend the event. During the one-hour business negotiation, they join Hangzhou-based MICE service providers in 3 rounds of interviews, which expands the international market of Hangzhou’s MICE industry and fuels the city’s new takeoff as an international conference destination with new business opportunities presented in real-time interaction.
