CTW China 2017 opened with new mentorship initiative and advocates more cohesive and supportive corporate travel community, while 11th IT&CM China 2017 opened on the back of the first-ever pre-show tour to Istanbul.
SHANGHAI – A selection of hand-picked international buyers and media began their IT&CM China 2017 experience with a 4-day, 3-night pre-show tour to Istanbul sponsored by Turkish Airlines. The trip that began on 17th March gave delegates the opportunity to sample Matbah – the traditional flavours of the Ottoman Palace cuisine, as well as walk the streets and visit iconic districts, landmarks and unique event venues including the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and the 1680 year old Direk Cistern.
“IT&CM China allowed us to captivate beyond show days by leveraging on the buyer profile we knew would be present in China. This tour created desired exposure for Istanbul and Turkish Airlines leading up to the show days by giving potential buyers a real life experience of what our destination is capable of,” remarked sponsors Turkish Airlines’ Senior Vice President Sales (Domestic), Halil Ibrahim Polat.
Highlight from IT&CM China 2016
Said Thai buyer Kanita Watanaphonphan, Product Manager of Zanda Convention & Fair Tour Co. Ltd, “This trip was a good opportunity to discover what Istanbul is really like this year so that we can promote it as a destination to our clients. Instead of having meetings in our usual destinations – mostly major European cities, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and Singapore – Istanbul is a great alternative.” The organisation is looking to host a potential incentive group of about 60 to 80 persons from the Pharmaceutical industry to Istanbul later this year.
IT&CM China organisers also announced, fresh event highs that include a representation of 288 MICE exhibiting companies and organisations across all continents of the globe on the show floor, a 20% increase in Chinese and international buyer participants (while maintaining the ideal 80% Chinese to 20% international mix), huge take-up in engagement activities with targeted buyer and media profiles (that includes 4 exclusive luncheons by destinations Argentina, Fiji, Fukuoka, and South Africa; 2 cocktails by JW Marriott Shanghai Changfeng Park and AccorHotels; a hosted dinner by Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM); a promotional event by Hainan Tourism Development Commission (Shanghai); twice the number of destination presentations as compared to the year before), as well as the first-ever co-location of CTW China within an expanded IT&CM China exhibition hall space.
Highlight from IT&CM China 2016
Shared event organiser Darren Ng, Managing Director of TTG Asia Media, “The exuberance of the Chinese MICE market and solid decade-long event record continue to pull in a stunning array of local and international exhibitors. This year, we welcome debuts by Air China, Arctic Outback Adventures, National Institute of Tourism Promotion, Argentina, Barcelona Convention Bureau, Dusit International, Tourism Fiji, Monaco Government Tourist Bureau Asia, VisitScotland, Shenzhen Airlines, SNU Healthainment Consortium, South Africa National Convention Bureau, Turkish Airlines, Viajes Pacifico, Vienna Convention Bureau, amongst others. Furthermore, engagement activities are at an all-time high and we are delighted to have both new and returning destinations and brands leveraging on these limited and very exclusive valuable sessions.”
The event highlights also includes the last of two pre-event tours of Shanghai by Pacific World, and the event’s keynote session on The Future of MICE in China featuring Gaining Edge’s Gary Grimmer, and panellists Alicia Yao, Deputy General Secretary of China MICE Committee of China Association of Travel Services; David Zhang, Director of Suzhou MICE Promotion Center; Roger Shu, Deputy General Manager of Hangzhou Convention, Exhibition & Travel; and Yao Xin, Secretary General, CCPIT Commercial Sub-Council.
Highlight from IT&CM China 2016
“The continuous development of our surrounding facilities has contributed greatly to the increased dining, entertainment, and accessibility options. This has propelled our growing reputation in the Shanghai MICE market over the years as a preferred venue of choice. As third year sponsors, we are keen to gain more exposure globally among international stakeholders and agents,” said the hotel’s General Manager, Ricky Lam.
The third CTW China took off also yesterday with the introduction of its new mentorship programme that facilitates expert delegates to connect with other practitioners in the vocation throughout the event. With deliberate interaction and socialisation activities built into their 3-day programme, a key benefit for all delegates will be the takeaway of collective wisdom of their mentors and assigned groups.
Through this initiative, many of the relationships established during CTW China 2017 are expected to transcend beyond the event and weave into each delegate’s growing professional and informal networks.
Mentors headlining this inaugural initiative include Adidas, Apple, Lenovo and Siemens amongst others. They join over 30 other notable organisations like AirPlus International, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Delta Air Lines, DIDI Chuxing, MasterCard Asia Pacific, Michelin (China) Investment, Travelport and Unilever as expert speakers staging the 10 anticipated conference sessions.
Highlight from CTW China 2016
“My own humble beginnings of being a corporate travel professional for 11 years have led me to believe in and value the immense benefits of peer-sharing and co-learning. During my early years, I would have appreciated the opportunity to harness the knowledge of seniors in the field. Being a mentor at CTW China will allow me to give back to the community. I look forward to sharing my experience, energy and ideas with more industry friends here,” said mentor Li Lei, Founder of Youli Consulting.
CTW China also crowned Ford Motor Co.‘s Asia Pacific Travel Manager – Global Corporate Travel, Christine Liu, as its 2017 Most Influential Travel Manager respectively during the joint Opening Ceremony and Welcome Dinner with IT&CM China at Shanghai Marriot Parkview.
The winner was hand-picked after an intensive selection process that included preliminary nominations, written interviews and endorsements. Liu won the eventual titles over 18 other nominations. The final selection was made by the judging panel comprising of TTG China and TTG-BTmice China‘s editorial panel, representatives from co-organisers TTG Events and Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) China, as well as industry partners Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Asia Pacific.
Highlight from CTW China 2016
Expressed Liu, “It is an honor to be recognised by the very industry that I have had the pleasure to witness and also enjoy tremendous growth in the past 10 years. In addition to the trust and vote by CTW China Awards’ nomination committee, I would like to thank Ford for giving me the platform to perform, and special thanks goes to my regional leadership and global team for their trust and support. To me, this is not an award for myself as an individual. Instead, it is an award for each member of our travel manager community who is determined to make a change through daily efforts. It is also an award for business associates who explore better value proposition through collaborative partnership with customers. Together we can make a difference, together we go further!”
In addition to the above highlights, the first day of CTW China also saw hosted corporate travel buyers embark on a pre-event city tour of Shanghai sponsored by Pacific World that included a visit to Zhujiajiao Water Village and brunch as part of its half-day itinerary.
Photo caption: Highlight from CTW China 2016
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
