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Convention Economy Conducive to Chinese Economy: Business Leader
The hosting of conferences and exhibitions will help boost China's economic development, a business leader has said.
"Most of the conferences and exhibitions in China have been held with government funds, which is not the practice of a market economy," said Leo J.Q. Liao, executive chairman of the Hong Kong-based World Chinese Entrepreneurs General Association.
The government should encourage professional firms to host meetings and fairs, especially since the industry is part of the service sector which is a key part of the economy, Liao told reporters Sunday at the Second Globalization Forum in the southern coastal city of Sanya.
He said conferences and exhibitions will spur the development of tourism, business, telecommunication and transportation, as well as increase revenue and attract investment from elsewhere, citing an example that Singapore earned billions of dollars from hundreds of conferences in 1995.
Before 1978 when China began to reform and open up to the outside world, most conferences were political meetings. But in the past two decades, meetings and exhibitions of all kinds have taken place, with Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Kunming, Dalian and Guangzhou as the main venues.
By hosting conferences and exhibitions, a city is not only able to strengthen infrastructure construction, but also gain new knowledge and managerial expertise. In addition, the awareness level of the host city will be increased, he said.
But Liao said it is inadvisable for all cities to rush to host large-scale conferences or exhibitions. "A city should try to host an event according to its ability and characteristics," he noted.
The executive chairman also expressed the hope that the government offer more opportunities for overseas Chinese businessmen to host conferences and exhibitions in China. He said his association is willing to be a coordinator, helping with themes of conferences or exhibitions, providing information consulting services and inviting delegates.
Liao also suggested the government encourage more domestic enterprises attend conferences and exhibitions abroad so that they keep up with globalization.
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