In response to buyers’ feedback on industry trends and demands, IT&CM China 2011 will feature new elements including two themed pavilions. The first new pavilion will showcase innovative and unique convention venues. Buyers have indicated that their clients are increasingly requesting for proposals that have a “wow” factor and are no longer satisfied with cookie-cutter solutions.
This new pavilion is something that international buyer Mr Patrick Lee, Regional Director of Best Travel Deals, Singapore, who is on the look-out for exotic locations and services, will appreciate. He explains: “Our client profile is evolving to encompass sophisticated travellers. These travellers typically have higher expectations, more complex demands and diverse requirements.”
The second pavilion will comprise a collection of health and medical suppliers with travel wellness offerings. This new addition will strike a chord with Corporate Buyers, in particular, HR managers who are increasingly concerned with managing employee health and welfare during business trips. Research of current trends has highlighted that health and travel wellness have grown in importance in both China’s MICE and Corporate Travels sectors.
A couple of well-received event features will also be returning to the 2011 event. Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration, the returning sponsor of this year’s IT&CM China pre-show city tours of Shanghai, will be highlighting four new venues and attractions in the tour line-up. International hosted buyers and media will have an opportunity to visit the Mercedes-Benz Arena (former Expo Culture Centre), the Expo Convention Centre (former Expo Centre), Shanghai Gong Stage and enjoy the “New Era of Kaleido” cultural performance, and The Bund, Shanghai. Tours will take place over 3 time-slots on the 12th and 13th of April. All pre-show tours are managed by the Shanghai International Conference Management Organisation.
Another returning feature is the 3rd Future Leaders Forum, organised by IMEX, which will take place in conjunction with IT&CM China on 14th of April 2011. This event which seeks to hone the industry’s next generation of leaders, will welcome some 50 of the brightest students from Shanghai universities. Mr Tom Hulton, Director International Relations of IMEX remarked, “These students aspire to be leaders of China’s MICE industry in the near future. This forum will give them the opportunity to learn more about their career opportunities from today’s industry leaders. They will also pit their strategic and leadership skills in competitions to find solutions to practical challenges facing our industry. The Forum, now firmly established as a ‘must-attend’ event for students, demonstrates some of the exciting initiatives that China is taking to ensure its own leadership in the international MICE market.”
Historically, the buyers of IT&CM China hail from different business profiles. In 2010, 51% comprised travel agents handling incentives. Other buyer types include meeting planners, travel management companies, professional conference and exhibition organisers, incentive and motivation houses, destination management companies, corporate companies with incentive programmes as well as international associations. For the upcoming event, the organising committee has also launched new recruitment efforts to attract corporate buyers from the Pharmaceutical, Food Supplies and Motor industries to the event.
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