http://www.mixmeetings.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018 MIX 23
l
l
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‘MICE
planners
are
constantly
seeking
new and
interesting
venues
with unique
ambience- and
exclusivity’
Helene Fong,
Sukhothai
ShanghaiALIBABA’S HOME
LONG hailed as one of the most beautiful cities in
China, Hangzhou has also become renowned as
the home of Alibaba, the internet consumer giant
founded and headed by Jack Ma.
The former English teacher is the man who
revolutionised shopping for 1.4 billion Chinese,
setting up the online site Alibaba and its consumer
arm, Taobao. Every store in the west with
aspirations to have a slice of Chinese spending
accepts the Alipay system.
The redefining of Hangzhou has meant an
explosive growth of international hotels to host
visitors to the Alibaba complex.
Among the high-end hotel arrivals is the
Park Hyatt Hangzhou which has 1,100 sqm of
event space, including a 650 sqm ballroom and
five breakouts.
“A focus on the ‘uncommon making life
exceptional’ defines each tailored event,” says
Eric Gong, director of sales and marketing, at
Park Hyatt Hangzhou.experiences, personal and approachable service and no cookie-cutter offerings.
“Shanghai is special because exhibitors can showcase and engage with
Chinese decision-makers and is an important hub for many large corporations
in the Greater China region. It’s still growing and the world-class lifestyle and
entertainment offerings meet the demands and expectations of different types of
MICE planners.”
Gunther Homerlein, general manager of Destination China, has introduced a
couple of novel approaches that give a different perspective on the city.
Delegates wanting a rumbustious nightlife tour can hook up with one of
Destination China’s handpicked Bar Angels and Bar Devils, students studying
Chinese in the city who know the high life and the low life, and can communicate
with locals, asking questions a regular tour guide might find it uncomfortable
to pose.
Shanghai, and other cities, might look modern and western on the surface,
but officialdom can still be difficult to navigate without expert help.
“One of my key lines is that you don’t need a DMC when things go right,
you need one when things go wrong,” Homerlein says. “It can be a guest
losing a passport in a nightclub, issues with government or a change in the
‘rules of venues’. We are always on the ground with the client, both as supplier
and partner.”HIGH NOTES
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Qing Chinese
Banquet and
Kun Opera
Museum
at Suzhou
Intercontinental