CHINA’S MICE industry stakeholders are urging the development of truly professional PCOs and adoption of international standards to boost the country’s appeal as an associations meeting destination.
China’s growing prowess in the medical, scientific and technology fields has greatly raised its potential for hosting association events on the international stage, as reflected in the recent successful bid to host the 17th International Congress of Immunology (ICI) in Beijing in 2019, according to Huang Bo, vice-chairman of department of immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.
However, the pivotal role a good PCO plays in bidding for association meetings is still not widely recognised in China, lamented trade members.
“PCOs are still new in China, although DMCs and exhibition suppliers are common,” observed Jennifer Salsbury, senior director, international, China National Convention Center.
The lack of a professional intermediary trade in China also poses a great challenge in wooing international association meetings. “The government should (push) for the creation of professional CVBs in key cities; a strong CVB can act as an interface between the local trade and international organisations,” Salsbury said.
She feels that China is not winning enough “big congresses” due to a lack of expertise in managing relationships with society headquarters, which she attributed to differences in working culture.
For example, while Chinese companies are used to brief contracts, short working timelines and the submission of a massive amount of paperwork to the government, such practices often run contrary to international standards.
Other aspects like the absence of a CSR culture and corporate philanthropy are also hurdles for PCOs to surmount when it comes to soliciting sponsorship from Chinese firms when bidding for international association events, pointed out Alicia Yao, general manger of IME Consulting.
“Companies often deem scientific/technical association events as the government’s responsibility and obligation to offer support, therefore they are often reluctant to render financial assistance to such events.”
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